Edinburgh-headquartered Aspire Bidding has been set up by East Lothian bid and tender expert Andrew Morrison and Glasgow-based specialist Chris Denyer.

Originally from Sussex, Mr Denyer has spent more than a decade writing bids for SMEs in construction. He moved to Glasgow last year and recently completed a series of sessions delivered around Scotland in conjunction with the Scottish Building Federation which looked in detail at using AI in tendering.

“I first met Andrew a year ago. He is extremely well known and very, very good at what he does,” said Mr Denyer. “The more we worked on things together, the more sense it made to join forces as I believe our different strengths are a powerful match. I’m really looking forward to seeing where the partnership takes us.

“We want to work with companies who aspire to improve and grow. If companies are committed to really investing in their ability to win work, even if they are not the biggest of firms, we can help them.

“Our focus is on people, an element so often overlooked in bidding; our goal is to bring a human touch to the process and make the whole experience stress-free for clients.

“One of the common reasons why bids fail is a lack of human connection. Many bids describe services, processes and policies flawlessly, yet leave evaluators unable to answer the simple question: ‘What will it actually be like to work with these people?’

“Aspire Bidding places the human reality of the bidding organisation at the centre of the response.”

The new venture comes just eight months after Mr Morrison sold Business Sale Basecamp, which he set up following his sale of AM Bid in 2023 after nine years at the helm.

The boutique consultancy has launched with six members of staff located throughout the country, with plans in place to add to the personnel as the firm grows across multiple sectors.

“I am very much looking forward to harnessing our years of bidding experience,” said Mr Morrison, the global thought leader for the bid world’s professional body APMP - an accolade awarded to him as an individual who is helping shape how the bidding profession evolves internationally.

“Chris has 20 years’ experience of working in the construction sector and I have so much respect for his work, particularly his great understanding of AI in bid writing.”

Aspire Bidding is targeting firms with a turnover in excess of £10 million, with the co-founders, whose combined experience spans every side of the bidding process - writing bids, shaping strategy, training teams and evaluating submissions - promising to bring a genuine human touch to the bid writing process along with the proper implementation of AI.

The firm has started trading with a UK-wide client base already on its books, from the west of Scotland and the Lothians north of the border to Yorkshire, Cheltenham and London in the south.