Bidgen vs Thornton & Lowe for bid support
Bidgen is a premium-quality, human-led alternative to a traditional bid-writing agency, designed to act as an extension of the teams at small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and make tendering a repeatable growth channel. From the agency quotes and buying conversations we see, traditional agency fees range from £4,500 to £20,000 for a single tender, with complex, high-value tenders reaching the upper end. Our flexible model provides accountable ownership and scalable capacity at a significantly more cost-effective rate. Both Bidgen and Thornton & Lowe offer human bid support, including ongoing relationships. Thornton & Lowe describes a fully outsourced bid team, with bid management and wider services such as training and recruitment. Bidgen provides an outsourced bid team for growing companies, with a named owner and capacity agreed around the workload. Compare the people and scope proposed for your business: the useful questions are how they will run your pipeline, gather information and handle overlapping deadlines.
Before you choose
Who this helps
- Suppliers comparing two providers of ongoing, outsourced bid support.
- Businesses that need to understand who will manage several tenders at once.
- Teams seeking a written scope that separates delivery, training and recruitment.
Points to check
- Choosing on a headline fee without checking the work included.
- Assuming one provider only writes individual responses.
- Expecting an external team to decide your prices or validate unsupported claims.
There is real overlap in the service models
Thornton & Lowe says its in-house bid team supports clients through ongoing partnerships as well as individual tenders. Its offer includes writing, bid management, portal management and review, alongside training, recruitment and software. Those services mean it should be assessed as more than a source of draft answers.
Our service also centres on people who learn the business and manage response work. A broad service description will therefore do little to separate the two. Ask each provider to describe the first month with your actual pipeline, including what they need from you and which tasks have a named owner.
Check what continuity means in practice
A returning writer can remember why you chose a delivery method, which case study needs permission and who can approve staffing commitments. That knowledge is useful only if it survives absence and changes in workload.
Ask to meet the proposed lead and understand the backup arrangement. Establish where approved information will be stored, who updates it and what you receive if the relationship ends. At Bidgen, continuity is part of the ongoing team model; the agreed plan should still make responsibilities and availability explicit.
Use a busy fortnight to test capacity
Suppose a facilities company has two council tenders closing in the same week and a framework clarification due between them. One response needs an operations interview; the other needs a revised mobilisation programme.
Give both providers those dates. Ask when interviews, drafts and reviews would happen, and what changes if a buyer issues an amendment. This exercise reveals whether the proposed capacity fits your workload. A promise to handle bids end to end is less useful than a schedule your directors can commit to.
Separate review from proofreading
A clean document can still fail to answer the question. Ask who checks that each commitment matches the specification, that the answer addresses the scoring criteria and that assumptions are consistent with the price.
For example, a response promising a dedicated supervisor needs to agree with the staffing model. Confirm whether the reviewer is separate from the writer, how unresolved issues are escalated and how much time is allowed for your approval before submission.
Request the same scope from both providers
Compare prices against the work included in each proposal. Send the same tender pack and workload assumptions to both, then compare the written proposals.
- Identify included interviews, response plans, drafting rounds and review.
- Confirm responsibility for attachments, portal entry and the final submission action.
- Ask how additional tenders, extensions and late amendments affect the fee.
- Include feedback review and the return of approved material in the handover scope.
Choose the team you can work with repeatedly
For an ongoing appointment, discuss a completed tender and a realistic next opportunity. Look for questions about delivery, margin and management time, alongside the writing task. Agree how unsuitable opportunities will be declined and how a crowded pipeline will be prioritised.
The better fit is the team whose proposed working arrangement your business can sustain. You retain responsibility for factual accuracy, commercial decisions and final sign-off; a useful bid partner makes those decisions timely and well informed.
Premium quality at a more SMB-friendly cost
Bidgen is a premium-quality, human-led alternative to a traditional bid-writing agency, designed to act as an extension of the teams at small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and make tendering a repeatable growth channel. From the agency quotes and buying conversations we see, traditional agency fees range from £4,500 to £20,000 for a single tender, with complex, high-value tenders reaching the upper end. Our flexible model provides accountable ownership and scalable capacity at a significantly more cost-effective rate. Compare written proposals for the same interviews, writing, review and submission responsibilities.
Common questions
01Does Thornton & Lowe offer ongoing support?
Yes. Its bid-writing service includes ongoing partnerships and an outsourced bid-team model, alongside support for individual tenders.
02Is Bidgen more cost-effective than a traditional bid-writing agency?
Bidgen is a premium-quality, human-led alternative to a traditional bid-writing agency, designed to act as an extension of the teams at small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and make tendering a repeatable growth channel. From the agency quotes and buying conversations we see, traditional agency fees range from £4,500 to £20,000 for a single tender, with complex, high-value tenders reaching the upper end. Our flexible model provides accountable ownership and scalable capacity at a significantly more cost-effective rate.
03Can we start with one tender?
Bidgen can support an individual live tender. Use it to assess communication, questioning and review, then agree separately what a continuing relationship would include.
04Who submits the final response?
Set this out in the engagement scope, including portal access, upload checks and the person authorised to press submit. Your business should approve the final response and commercial offer first.