Government bid support, from go/no-go to a proposal ready to submit.
We run your government bids, and make sure each one is worth winning. Kenley Pursuit helps owner-led firms in Canada and the US decide which RFPs to chase, price them to protect margin and write the proposal. You press submit.
Free, 20 minutes: bring one RFP, leave with an honest first read and a clear next step. What to expect
- Confidential
- One client per opportunity
- Fixed fees
- Based in Ottawa
Bidding on government contracts with no bid manager?
The proposal lands on whoever has time, the price gets set the night before, and nobody checks whether the contract will pay. Good firms lose money that way, on the bids they win as well as the ones they lose.
- ~37%
- Average RFP win rate reported by North American proposal teams, across all industries (Loopio).
- 38%
- Of government contractors said pricing defensibility was the top reason their proposals weren’t selected (Deltek, 2026).
- No. 1
- Finding opportunities too late was government contractors’ top business-development challenge (Deltek, 2025).
Sources: Loopio/APMP · Deltek Clarity 2026 · Deltek Clarity 2025
Before we write a word, we check the bid is worth winning.
First we run a quick bid/no-bid check and set a floor price that protects your margin. A tender priced just to win can drain a contract for years.
Contract value isn’t contract worth.
The same $1.2M, three-year tender, looked at twice. Real margin and realistic odds flip the answer.
Illustrative numbers
Send an RFPOn gut feel
- Margin you keep
- 15%
- Odds of winning
- 1 in 4
- Expected profit
- $45,000
- Cost to bid
- −$20,000
Net return+$25,000
Easy yes
With real numbers
- Margin after overhead
- 8%
- Odds, strong incumbent
- ~15%
- Expected profit
- $14,400
- Cost to bid
- −$20,000
Net return−$5,600
Costs more than it returns
How we run a government bid
One person runs your RFP response from the first read to the final file. You stay in control of every decision.
Is it worth bidding?
A quick go/no-go and a target price, so the proposal is built to a number that pays.
A plan to the deadline.
Every mandatory requirement in a compliance matrix, and a schedule that works back from closing day.
Proposal writing and reviews.
We draft, your experts add the substance, and we review it against the evaluation criteria.
You press submit.
We prepare the final package. Submission always stays with you.
New to government contracting? Before the first bid come registrations, the right portals, security and insurance requirements, and sometimes a supply arrangement. We get you ready to bid.
Who we work with
Owner-led firms in Canada and the US that bid on government contracts several times a year and have no full-time bid manager.
A great fit if you
- Bid on RFPs, tenders or supply-arrangement call-ups five or more times a year
- Pull senior people off paying work to write proposals
- Want federal work but aren’t on the supply arrangement it runs through
- Set prices by feel and aren’t sure which wins really pay
Not the right fit if you
- Need grant writing
- Want a guaranteed win (nobody honest can promise one)
- Bid now and then on very small contracts (send it anyway and we’ll point you in the right direction)
Industries we serve
Construction and trades
Too many tenders, not enough estimating hours
Technology and IT services
Scored proposals and supply arrangements that eat your senior people’s time
Professional and consulting services
Rate cards that leave too little margin
Healthcare
Compliance paperwork that grows with every re-tender
Transportation and logistics
Fuel and fleet costs that can quietly sink the margin
Facility and janitorial services
Multi-site bids that are easy to underprice
And more
Goods and equipment, grounds, security, training, communications
Frequently asked questions
Anything else? Email akili@kenleypursuit.com. Every message gets a personal reply.
What does bid support include?
We start with a quick go/no-go and a floor price, so you know the bid is worth it before anyone writes a word. Then we write and manage the response: a compliance matrix and schedule, drafting, and reviews against the evaluation criteria. You press submit.
What is a bid/no-bid decision?
It’s the decision to pursue a government bid or pass, based on whether you can win it and whether it’s worth winning once price, delivery cost, risk and the cost of bidding are counted. Read the full guide.
How do you price a government bid so you don’t lose money?
Start from what is scored, estimate what the buyer can pay and what competitors are likely to bid, then set your lowest viable price before you write a word. Read the pricing guide.
We already have a proposal team. Do we still need you?
Possibly. Many owner-led firms use us for the bids their team doesn’t have time for, or for the go/no-go and pricing before the team starts. Your team keeps the work it does well.
What does it cost?
Every engagement is a fixed fee agreed before any work starts. Send the RFP and you get a quote within a couple of business days. The 20-minute Bid Health Check is free.
Can you guarantee we’ll win the contract?
No. Nobody honest can. We help you bid on the right RFPs, at a price that protects your margin, with a proposal built to score against the evaluation criteria.
Do you work with US companies?
Yes. We work with firms in Canada and the US, including Canadian firms bidding on US RFPs and US firms bidding on Canadian tenders.
Is my bid information confidential?
Yes. Everything stays between us. No subcontractors, and never two clients on the same opportunity.
Send the RFP you’re weighing up.
Send the RFP, tender or supply-arrangement notice. You’ll get an honest first read and what it would take to bid it, usually within two business days. If it’s not worth bidding, you’ll hear that too.
- A free first read, with no obligation
- A reply from the person who will do the work
- Confidential, one client per opportunity
Prefer to talk? Book a free Bid Health Check