Strategy and compliance
I helped interpret the RFP, shape the response strategy, track requirements, and keep the submission compliant.
Staffing RFP Case Study · Canada
Building a successful BCLC staffing RFP response from scratch
In the summer of 2013, I co-authored an approximately 70-page staffing and recruitment RFP response for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. The company was selected as one of multiple approved suppliers, received staffing assignments through the arrangement, and used the response as the foundation for an internal proposal function. It was the first major RFP win I recall for the company and the first of many successful bids to come.
~70 pagesdeveloped almost entirely from scratch
Selectedas one of multiple approved suppliers
Canada + U.S.revenue growth and expansion supported by subsequent RFP wins
The opportunity
The bidder was an international staffing company headquartered in Vancouver, BC. I have chosen not to name the company publicly, but I can name the buying organization and describe the work accurately.
BCLC was procuring staffing and recruitment services through a competitive RFP. The company did not have a formal proposal function, reusable response library, or established proposal process that I can recall. Rick, the client lead, and I developed almost the entire response from scratch.
What I contributed
Rick and I co-authored the response. Proposal results are team results, and the case study should be clear about what I did and did not own.
Content development
I participated in contributor interviews and coordination, then co-wrote and edited the response with Rick.
Design and production
I helped design, produce, quality-check, and submit the approximately 70-page response.
Clear boundary: I did not contribute to the pricing.
The result
The company was selected as one of multiple approved BCLC staffing suppliers. In a multi-supplier arrangement, selection creates the opportunity to compete for work rather than guaranteeing revenue. The company went on to receive staffing assignments and generate revenue through the arrangement.
I cannot responsibly put a dollar value on more than a decade of placements, so I do not publish one. The BCLC win was the start of something much larger. Many successful RFPs followed, and those wins ultimately helped transform the business, scale its revenue, and support its expansion across Canada and the United States.
“I hired Brandon in the summer of 2013 to assist on a 70 page proposal document. He is a solid collaborator, who brings good ideas to the table as well as having a keen eye in regards to the finer details of the work at hand. I was very satisfied with the end results, and would recommend Brandon to others looking for similar services.”
What grew from one successful response
I used the BCLC content as the starting point for the company's internal proposal function. I built reusable templates, organized a content repository, and established a repeatable process for managing future bids.
That function turned the work behind one successful response into a reusable business asset. Each bid added content, evidence, experience, and lessons that strengthened the next pursuit. The resulting wins helped the company grow far beyond where it started.
I continued supporting the company's competitive proposals until approximately 2020 when they fully internalized the process. The BCLC response was also the foundation of my first independent proposal-management offering. I had written bids inside organizations before then, but this was where that experience became a consulting practice.
That long-term view still shapes how I work. A good proposal should pursue the immediate opportunity and leave the next response in better shape. The content, decisions, evidence, templates, and lessons learned should become part of a stronger proposal practice.
From one RFP win to lasting business growth
The BCLC result mattered because it became the beginning of a repeatable proposal practice that contributed to the company's growth for years afterward.
Many successful bids followed
The BCLC response provided a tested base for future pursuits. It was refined and expanded as I continued supporting the company's competitive proposals until approximately 2020.
Wins supported revenue growth
The contracts and supplier arrangements secured through subsequent RFPs generated work and helped scale the company's revenue.
The company expanded internationally
The series of successful bids contributed to the company's expansion across Canada and the United States. The internal proposal function created from this work remains in place today.
Have a staffing RFP in front of you?
Send me the procurement package or book a free strategy call. I will give you an honest assessment of the response, the work required, and where I can take pressure off your team.