All the Colours of Bid Management

Consider what happens when a proposal reaches an evaluator's desk. In those first crucial moments, years of preparation, countless hours of writing, and the hopes of entire teams converge into a single document. What separates the proposals that succeed from those that fall short? The answer, surprisingly, lies in colours.

The most successful proposal teams worldwide follow a method developed by Shipley Associates that transforms complex bid management into a remarkably simple colour code. Each colour represents a distinct moment of truth in a proposal's journey from concept to submission.

Pink: The Strategist's Hour

It begins with pink, the most critical review of all. More proposals fail from poor Pink Team execution than any other cause. The team gathers before writing begins, much like architects reviewing blueprints. Senior leadership, capture managers, and solution architects unite to ask fundamental questions: Does our strategy align with what this client truly needs? Will our solution make a meaningful difference? Their answers shape every page that follows.

Red: The Evaluator's Eye

Then comes red, where fresh eyes see what writers cannot. The Red Team, comprised of senior leaders and independent industry experts, steps in when most would consider the proposal nearly finished. They read as evaluators read, score as evaluators score. Writers step aside here, allowing unbiased assessment to prevail. Their red pen marks the difference between good and exceptional.

Gold: The Executive Seal

Finally, gold. Executive leadership conducts this final authorisation, performing a thorough page-turn review. Their sign-off ensures every previous suggestion has found its place, every requirement has been met, every statement rings true. Think of them as quality inspectors in a premium car factory, checking every detail before the vehicle leaves the production line.

Time matters in this chromatic process. Shipley's research shows the most successful proposals dedicate a quarter of their schedule to these reviews. The colours work because they create natural pauses in an otherwise relentless process. Each shade prompts evaluators to focus on specific criteria: clarity, correctness, conciseness, and persuasion. Together, they form a system that turns the art of proposal writing into a reliable science.

When organisations embrace this colour-coded wisdom, they discover something remarkable: a process making winning repeatable.