How to Bid

Keystone Procurement

How to Bid: A Procurement Podcast demystifies the world of public procurement, helping businesses, leaders, consultants and bid writers understand how to write winning bids, navigate tender processes, and build stronger, more competitive proposals. Hosted by Ross McCarthy and Donnacha Phelan of Keystone Procurement, each episode breaks down real-world procurement challenges into practical, actionable advice.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Consortia: The Inside Track for New Bidders

    Everyone knows someone with a bad public procurement story, sometimes from 25 years ago. But with thousands of businesses successfully supplying the public sector across the EU, why let that put you off? In this episode of How to Bid, Donnacha Phelan and Ross McCarthy share practical advice for anyone new to tendering, from where to find support to how to break into new markets. You’ll learn: How economic development agencies can help you through mentoring and trainingHow dynamic purchasing systems and panels can open up opportunities without waiting years for a contract to be retenderedWhy a tender CV is different from a job application CV, and why recent, relevant experience matters mostHow subcontracting and formal partnerships can help you enter new marketsWhy trust and information sharing are key to a strong consortium, and why you should avoid “shotgun wedding” partnershipsWhether you’re preparing your first bid or looking to expand across borders, this episode will help you take your next step with confidence.

  2. Oct 12

    Map the Market Before You Bid

    How to Bid: Where to Start When You’re New to Public Tenders Winning public contracts starts with a map, not a tender document. Ross McCarthy and Donnacha Phelan, go back to first principles: map your market and target your top five buyers, build a bid library, understand the real cost of a bid, and find your way around the UK’s patchwork of tender portals. Your first tender shouldn’t be the first one you find. 🎧 https://keystoneprocurement.eu https://keystoneprocurement.trainercentralsite.eu/course/what-is-bid-management

  3. Oct 5

    Right Map, Right Territory: Getting Your Bid There on Time

    One file to upload. One deadline to meet. And a very bad ten to twenty minutes... Fifteen years into his bid writing career, Donnacha Phelan, director at Keystone Procurement, found out the hard way what an unfamiliar tendering platform can do. The platform was built for Windows, it needed an app to be downloaded and registered, and his laptop's administrator controls wouldn't allow it, all in the final hour before the deadline. His story leads to a bigger point: bid management is about getting the document to the buyer, on time and in the right form. The five rights of procurement apply to suppliers just as much as to buyers. In this episode: Why the public sector is worth targeting, especially in uncertain economic timesWhy small and micro businesses so often think bidding isn't for themWhat bid management means in one phrase: strategic winningWhat How to Bid will cover: the fundamentals, how public tendering really works, strategy and planning, writing, compliance, AI, consortia and more How to Bid is for bid writers, bid managers, project managers, business owners and anyone with a stake in winning tendered work. Expect practical tips, real examples and as little jargon as possible... More from Keystone Procurement: https://keystoneprocurement.eu

    Right Map, Right Territory: Getting Your Bid There on Time
  • 3 Episodes

About

How to Bid: A Procurement Podcast demystifies the world of public procurement, helping businesses, leaders, consultants and bid writers understand how to write winning bids, navigate tender processes, and build stronger, more competitive proposals. Hosted by Ross McCarthy and Donnacha Phelan of Keystone Procurement, each episode breaks down real-world procurement challenges into practical, actionable advice.

Information

  • Creator
    Keystone Procurement
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Keystone Procurement
  • Show Website
    How to Bid