Stephen Rothwell Tender Talks Interview In Full

Q: Tell me about your role at SGS Hub and how you contribute to the success of the projects?


A: As Proposals Lead at SGS Hub, I play a key role in helping our clients secure successful bids. My responsibilities include bid writing, where I craft clear, compelling, and well-structured responses, as well as managing the quality aspects of tender submissions.

I work closely with clients to ensure their proposals not only meet all requirements but also effectively highlight their expertise and value, increasing their chances of winning contracts. Whether it’s refining written content or enhancing overall bid strategy, my focus is on delivering high-quality, competitive submissions.

Q: What attracted you to the civil engineering and bidding industry and why do you enjoy it?
 
A: My background is in local government, where I spent a decade at Leicestershire County Council working in the transport department. During that time, I focused on developing policies and schemes, which involved a lot of writing—a skill I really enjoyed.

After ten years, I was looking for new opportunities and had a conversation with Susie. She introduced me to the world of bid writing, and everything took off from there. At my first company, I worked on major projects and infrastructure tenders, which aligned perfectly with my transport background. That transition allowed me to combine my industry expertise with my passion for writing, making it a natural and rewarding career move.

Q: Can you talk about a particularly challenging bid or tender you’ve worked on and how you overcame the challenges?
 
 
A: Every bid presents its own challenges, whether it’s tight deadlines, complex requirements, or coordinating multiple teams. One of the most challenging and rewarding bids I worked on was my very first tender, which set the foundation for my career in bidding.
 It was a joint venture bid for the Thames Tideway Tunnel project in London, involving three major Tier 1 contractors. I had just started the job, and by my second day, I was in London, fully immersed in a high-pressure bid process that lasted about six months.
The biggest challenge? Integrating with multiple teams, not just our client’s team but also their joint venture partners. Each organisation had its own working style, expectations, and inputs, and we had to bring it all together into a seamless, high-quality submission.
 
 Through that experience, I learnt the importance of:
 * Building strong relationships quickly – working with senior leaders, junior team members, and everyone in between
 * Adapting to different work environments – understanding how different teams operate and aligning with their processes
 * Handling high-pressure deadlines – staying organised, proactive, and focused under intense time constraints.
 
In the end, the bid was successful – the team won one of the three available packages, which was a huge achievement. That experience really shaped my approach to bidding, and the skills I developed there have been invaluable throughout my career.

Q: What key skills do you believe are essential for success in civil engineering and the bidding/tendering process?
 
A: In the bidding and tendering process, particularly on the quality side, several key skills are essential for success:
 
🔹 Interpersonal & Teamwork Skills – The ability to build relationships, collaborate effectively, and work as part of a team is fundamental. Bidding is a highly collaborative process, often involving multiple stakeholders, so being able to communicate well, adapt, and ‘muck in’ makes a huge difference.
🔹 Strong Writing & Communication Skills – From a bid writing perspective, you need to be confident with words, have a strong command of the English language, and know how to translate complex technical information into something clear, concise, and compelling. It’s not just about including technical details – it’s about making them readable and persuasive for evaluators.
🔹 Attention to Detail & Clarity – Every bid must be structured, consistent, and aligned with the client’s requirements. A well-written, high-quality submission can be the difference between winning and losing a contract.
🔹 Ability to Work Under Pressure – The bidding process comes with tight deadlines, multiple milestones, and overlapping priorities. The ability to stay calm, organised, and efficient under pressure is crucial, ensuring that high-quality submissions are delivered on time.
🔹 Project & Time Management – Managing multiple bids simultaneously requires strong organisation and prioritisation skills. Whether coordinating a submission or leading the writing process, staying structured and adaptable is key to success.

Overall, bidding is about more than just writing – it’s about strategic thinking, teamwork, and delivering a compelling case that stands out. Mastering these skills can take you a long way in the industry!

Q: How do you stay updated with industry trends and innovations, especially in civil engineering and tendering?
 
A: Staying updated with industry trends and innovations is crucial in both civil engineering and the tendering process. One key resource we use is our membership with APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals). It provides a fantastic forum for sharing knowledge, best practices, and learning from industry experts. There are plenty of resources available that help us refine our approach and stay ahead in the bidding landscape.

When it comes to emerging technologies, tools like ChatGPT are becoming part of the conversation. I believe AI has a role to play in our industry – it can help with idea generation, structuring responses, and overcoming writer’s block when starting from a blank page. However, and this is a big however, every bid response must be highly tailored to the specific job our client wants to win. AI won’t provide the depth of industry knowledge, project-specific insights, or strategic messaging required for a strong, high-scoring submission.

So, while tools like ChatGPT can assist in certain aspects, human expertise, industry understanding, and strategic thinking will always be at the heart of a winning bid. The key is knowing how to leverage technology effectively without losing the critical thinking and personalisation that make bids successful.

Q: What is your proudest achievement in your time with the company?

A: I joined SGS Hub in April 2023 as the first employee, and looking back, I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come. Seeing the business grow from just myself to now having a team of 7 or 8 employees is a real achievement.
From a business perspective, I’m proud of the strong financial performance we’ve achieved, and from a personal standpoint, I’ve demonstrated the ability to work with clients of all sizes – whether it’s handling Tier 1 tenders for major firms, or working closely with smaller Tier 2 companies, helping them secure successful bids.

Another key achievement for me has been bringing in new clients to the business, contributing to its growth and success. Overall, I’m really proud of the impact I’ve made since joining, both in terms of client success and business development.

Q: What advice would you give someone looking to start a career in civil engineering or bidding/tendering?
 
A: Starting a career in civil engineering or bidding/tendering is incredibly rewarding. You get the opportunity to work on some of the most exciting, large-scale projects, such as the Tideway London or HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd – projects that shape the future of our infrastructure. A lot of the work is highly technical, and it can be mind-boggling to think about how these enormous projects come to life.
 
But when you take a step back, it’s truly inspiring to see the long-term benefits these projects bring – whether it’s improving communities, boosting sustainability, or creating new opportunities for people. Being involved in the process, especially from a bidding perspective, allows you to help your clients think about how they can deliver these transformative projects while maximising their positive impact on society.
 
My advice would be: Don’t hesitate to dive in – this is an industry where your work feels meaningful. Even though your role may seem like just a small part of the larger picture, if you help win a bid and your client goes on to deliver the project, you’re contributing to something that positively impacts communities up and down the country. The sense of purpose and pride you get from being part of these projects is immense.

Q: How do you ensure collaboration between teams when preparing a tender?

A: Successful collaboration in tendering comes down to strong people skills, active listening, and adaptability. In the bidding industry, we work with a wide range of individuals – each with their own way of doing things. The key is to understand how different people operate and find the best way to work together, whether that’s an engineer explaining how they’ll design a tunnel or a bid coordinator ensuring deadlines are met.

Post-COVID, the bidding industry has found a balance between remote collaboration and in-person teamwork. While virtual meetings are efficient, I strongly advocate for face-to-face interaction wherever possible – it’s simply easier to build relationships, foster collaboration, and generate creative solutions when you’re in the same room.

That said, remote working has its advantages too – having dedicated time and space to focus on writing before coming back together for reviews and discussions is invaluable. The challenge is ensuring we don’t move too far into isolated, Teams-based working. A hybrid approach, blending structured collaboration with focused independent work, is what leads to the best tender submissions

Q: What’s the most rewarding part of working in this industry, and how does your work impact the communities we serve?

A: The most rewarding part of working in this industry is seeing the long-term impact of the projects we help bring to life.
Take something like HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd – it’s a project that sparks debate, but ultimately, it delivers real benefits in terms of connectivity, economic growth, and infrastructure improvement. The same goes for the Tideway London Tunnel or major highway and cycle network upgrades in city centres like Birmingham. These projects shape communities, improve transport, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

What makes it even more fulfilling is knowing that we’re involved right from the start, at the tendering stage, often years before the project is built. I worked on the Thames Tideway Tunnel bid back in 2014, and now, a decade later, it’s nearing completion. The same applies to HS2, which will take years to fully deliver, but when it does, it will transform connectivity across the UK.
Being part of something that has a lasting, tangible impact – whether it’s a better transport system, cleaner water, or improved city infrastructure is both humbling and incredibly rewarding. Knowing that I played a small role in making these projects happen is why I do what I do.

Q: In your experience, what sets SGS HUB Ltd apart from other businesses in bidding?

A: SGS HUB Ltd may be a young company, but what truly sets us apart is the depth of our pre-contract expertise and our ability to support clients across the entire tendering lifecycle.

From estimating and bid management to proposal writing, research, and business development, we bring not just the technical skills and experience, but also a genuine commitment to our clients’ success. We don’t just deliver bids – we become a trusted extension of our clients’ teams, going above and beyond to help them create submissions they are truly proud of.

Another key differentiator is our ability to build strong relationships. We work seamlessly with a diverse range of clients and stakeholders, adapting to different ways of working and ensuring a collaborative, high-quality approach. Finally, being a smaller, more agile firm means we can respond quickly, adapt to client needs, and offer a level of flexibility that larger firms often can’t. It’s this combination of expertise, dedication, and agility that makes SGS Hub stand out.

Q: What’s one thing you wish everyone understood about the work that goes into successful bidding and tendering?

A: There are two big things I wish more people understood about bidding and tendering. First, bid writing isn’t just about technical details. Yes, we might be explaining how to design a culvert sewer, but the real heart of a bid is in answering the bigger questions: How will this be built safely? How will it reduce carbon? How will it create opportunities for local communities? That’s where things get really interesting. It’s about storytelling – showing how major contractors aren’t just delivering infrastructure but also driving innovation, sustainability, and social value.

Second, never underestimate the sheer effort contractors put into a tender. At the bidding stage, they commit huge amounts of time, expertise, and resources to developing the best solutions, often months of intense work. And the reality is, they don’t always win. But every contractor I’ve worked with has given 120% to every tender, striving to create the best possible approach for each project. That dedication, even when it doesn’t result in a win, deserves recognition.
Bidding is about far more than just securing work – it’s about shaping the future of our built environment. And that’s what makes it so rewarding.

Q: How do you maintain a work life balance in such a demanding industry?

A: Work-life balance in bidding? It’s definitely a challenge – but it’s all about perspective. There are times, especially in the final stages of a bid, when balance feels impossible. Bids can be all-consuming, and like many in this industry, I’ve pulled all-nighters when deadlines demand it. That’s the reality of bidding. But the key is recognising that these intense periods aren’t constant – they come in waves.

For me, balance means knowing when to step back. I’ve found that if I’m working on a response, taking a break – spending time with family or doing something for myself – actually makes me more productive. Coming back to it the next day with fresh energy always leads to better results than pushing through while exhausted.

Ultimately, it’s about give and take, knowing when work has to come first, but also making sure to recharge and invest in life outside of work. Having other interests and making time for family isn’t just important – it’s essential for staying sharp and avoiding burnout.

Q:  Can you share a memorable moment or funny story from your time working on a project?

A: You have to have a sense of humour in this industry – if you don’t, the long hours and tight deadlines can get the better of you!

One memorable moment that still makes me laugh was during a bid for the Future Stations Programme back in the days when tenders were submitted in hard copy. We were in Rugby, working into the early hours, and the bid had to be delivered by midday Friday. Around 2 AM, we were renaming file paths to match a specific format – these were ridiculously long, and my colleague asked me to read one out while he typed. It went on forever – by the end, we were so exhausted that we just burst out laughing. It probably took us 20 minutes just to get through the file path!

That same night, I finally left work around 5 AM and started driving home, completely drained. On the way, a speed camera flashed – not ideal, but at that point, I was too tired to care. When I got home at 6 AM, the post arrived, and – bizarrely, there was a letter saying I’d been caught speeding. For a second, I thought, “Wow, that was fast – this only happened four hours ago!” Turns out, it was for a different speeding ticket from the same stretch of road! Two weeks later, I got the second letter for the one I’d just been flashed for. Safe to say, it was an expensive bid submission!

The funny moments always seem to happen when you’re under the pump, but those are the things that make the job memorable!