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About Kenley Pursuit
An Ottawa-based practice run by Akili Etefia. We run government bids for owner-led firms in Canada and the US, and make sure each one is worth winning.
Who is behind Kenley Pursuit
Akili Etefia is the founder and principal of Kenley Pursuit, based in Ottawa. She has more than five years of proposal management for companies that sell to government, and has worked on hundreds of RFP responses in Canada and the US.
Before that kind of work, she was trained in audit, where the job is to check whether the numbers hold. That habit is the reason Kenley Pursuit starts with the numbers, not the writing.
Bid experience in 36 provinces and states
Government buying is not one system. Every province, state and city has its own portals, forms, scoring rules and buyer habits. Akili has submitted RFPs in 7 Canadian provinces and 29 US states, in multiple cities within each, so a new buyer's rules are familiar ground.
That range is why Kenley Pursuit can size up a bid quickly: whether it fits, what the buyer will really score, and what it will cost to win.
Why we start with the numbers
Inside companies selling to government, the same thing keeps happening. Strong companies lose bids they should have been competitive for. And attractive tenders look very different once price, delivery cost, risk and the effort to win are counted.
Most advice about RFPs is about writing a better response. That matters, but it comes second. If the bid was never winnable, or would not have paid, the best writing in the world does not fix it. So every opportunity gets the same two questions: can you realistically win it, and if you do, is it worth winning? When the answer is yes, we run the bid through to the final file, and you press submit.
What we believe
- Fewer, better bids. Bidding on everything spreads your best people thin. Choosing well is the biggest lever most firms have.
- Price on purpose. A price set on gut feel in the last week either loses by a little or wins and loses money.
- A clear no is useful. Telling you not to bid is part of the job. It frees your time for the bids that pay.
- Plain language. No jargon and no padding. You should always understand why we are recommending something.
Who we work with
Owner-led firms in Canada and the US in any industry that bid on government work several times a year, or are getting ready to, and have no full-time bid manager.
Most clients start in one of two places: they have an RFP and no one to run it, or they want to start bidding on government work. See how we run a bid, government contracting readiness, or read the guides on bid/no-bid decisions and bid pricing.
Questions
Who will I actually work with?
Akili, directly. Kenley Pursuit is a small, owner-run practice, so the person you talk to on the first call is the person doing the work.
What industries do you work with?
Any. Government buyers purchase everything from construction to software to professional services, and the bid decision works the same way. We work with owner-led companies that bid on government work across Canada and the US.
Where are you based?
Ottawa, Ontario. We work remotely with firms across Canada and the US.
Do you guarantee wins?
No, and be careful with anyone who does. We can tell you whether a bid is worth pursuing, what to charge, and how to be competitive. The buyer still makes the decision.
What if the answer is "don't bid"?
Then we say so plainly. A bid you skip is time and money you keep for one that pays.
Want a second opinion on a live bid?
Book a free Bid Health Check and we will tell you plainly whether it is worth pursuing.