6 Best Bid Solutions Alternatives (2026 Top Picks)

The best Bid Solutions alternatives in 2026 are Hudson Succeed for fixed-fee bid writing from one firm, a soft FM AI tool at #2 for cleaning and security contractors, and AI Tender Writer at #3 as the AI alternative to hiring for SMEs in any sector. Executive Compass, Thornton & Lowe and Complete Tenders round out the list.

Most people want a Bid Solutions alternative because its model doesn't suit them, not because it's a bad firm. It's a big name in the UK bid world, and plenty of companies use it well. Some want one agency to own the whole bid. Some want a fixed price up front. Others want to stop paying for outside help on every small tender.

Bid Solutions at a glance¶

Bid Solutions describes itself as a bid recruitment, bid writing and training company. Its core is recruitment of bid, proposal and tender professionals, plus a searchable directory of more than 800 vetted freelance bid writers, bid managers and proposal professionals. You search the directory by role, industry, location and day rate, then hire the person who fits.

Around that it runs BidMaster, an accredited bid training and certification programme (public live online courses are listed at £2,090 per participant), an independent bid software comparison, and Bid Discovery, a public sector tender search service. Freelance fees in the directory are set by each consultant, so there's no single published price for bid writing. It suits organisations that want to hire bid staff, train a bid team, or pick a specific freelancer themselves.

Here's why buyers usually shop around:

• They'd rather hand the bid to one managed firm than choose and brief an individual freelancer.
• They want a fixed-fee quote for the whole tender instead of a day rate.
• They're a small firm and don't need recruitment or a certification course.
• Bids come too often for outside help on each one to make financial sense.
• They want tender finding and writing in one tool they control.

How we picked these Bid Solutions alternatives¶

We picked them by asking one question: would this replace Bid Solutions for a UK SME bidding for public-sector work? Here's what we checked:

• Who does the writing, and who's accountable for the finished bid.
• How clear the pricing is before you commit.
• Knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023, the Central Digital Platform and PPN 002 social value.
• Cost compared with the value of the contracts you chase.
• Speed when a deadline is days away.
• Whether it helps you find tenders as well as answer them.

We haven't used review-site star ratings, and we don't repeat any firm's win-rate claims as fact. Where a firm quotes its own figure, we say it's theirs. Where fees aren't published, we say so.

1. Hudson Succeed: Best for fixed-fee bid writing from one firm¶

Hudson Succeed pricing

When to choose Hudson Succeed

• You want to hand over the whole bid, not manage a freelancer.
• You need to know the full cost before work starts.
• You'd like tender tracking from the same group.

Where Hudson Succeed falls short

• Full project fees only come with a quote, so you can't compare without asking.
• Tight deadlines still depend on capacity.
• Less useful if you want to build in-house skill.

2. CleanTender: Best for cleaning and soft FM contractors¶

CleanTender pricing

When to choose CleanTender

• You bid for cleaning, security, grounds, waste or catering contracts.
• You submit more bids than you could afford to outsource.
• Someone in-house can review and finish the drafts.

Where CleanTender falls short

• Not built for works, IT or professional services tenders.
• No human strategy, interviews or presentation coaching.
• Drafts need your real evidence to score well.

3. AI Tender Writer: Best for SMEs that want an AI alternative to hiring¶

AI Tender Writer pricing

When to choose AI Tender Writer

• You bid on several tenders a month and day rates are adding up.
• You have someone who can review drafts but not write from scratch.
• You want tender alerts and writing in one place.

Where AI Tender Writer falls short

• No human strategy calls, clarification handling or presentation coaching.
• Large multi-lot frameworks still benefit from an experienced bid manager.
• UK public sector only.

4. Executive Compass: Best for bid writing plus training for SMEs¶

Executive Compass pricing

When to choose Executive Compass

• You want an experienced firm on a bid that matters.
• You want training alongside writing.
• You prefer a fixed quote to a day rate.

Where Executive Compass falls short

• Fees aren't published.
• Hard to justify on small, routine tenders.
• Shares an owner with Thornton & Lowe, so two quotes from both aren't independent.

5. Thornton & Lowe: Best for managed bid writing with in-house writers¶

Thornton & Lowe pricing

When to choose Thornton & Lowe

• You want a managed service with employed writers.
• You'd like a structured programme to improve over time.
• You want a bid review at a known starting price.

Where Thornton & Lowe falls short

• Full writing fees aren't published.
• Agency lead times on urgent bids.
• Not independent of Executive Compass.

6. Complete Tenders: Best for tender search plus bid writing¶

Complete Tenders pricing

When to choose Complete Tenders

• You don't have time to search portals yourself.
• You're new to tendering and need policies in place.
• You want one firm from search to submission.

Where Complete Tenders falls short

• Writing fees aren't published.
• £310 a month for search alone is more than AI software with drafting included.
• Human capacity limits turnaround.

Freelancer, agency or AI: which Bid Solutions alternative fits?¶

It comes down to who you want doing the work. Pick a freelancer when you know exactly what you need and can manage them. Pick an agency when you want one team accountable for the bid and a price agreed up front. Pick AI software when you bid often, the contracts are smaller, and someone in-house can check a draft.

What most people get wrong here is the maths. They compare one freelancer's invoice with one month of software. Compare a year of bidding instead. Count your bids, multiply by a typical quote, then set that against £1,490 a year for AI Tender Writer Pro. If a human still wins on value for your biggest bids, keep them for those. You'll often find it's only two or three bids a year.

Bid Solutions alternatives pricing compared¶

How to choose a Bid Solutions alternative¶

What to look for in a Bid Solutions alternative¶

• Accountability. Know who signs off the final bid and who handles clarification questions.
• Current procurement knowledge. The Procurement Act 2023 has been in force since 24 February 2025, and answers should reflect the Central Digital Platform and most advantageous tender evaluation.
• Social value skill. PPN 002 sets a minimum 10% weighting for social value in in-scope central government procurements.
• AI disclosure. PPN 017 lets buyers ask how you used AI in your bid, so any writer or tool should support an honest answer.
• Clear scope. A cheap quote that leaves out the SQ or pricing schedule isn't cheap.
• Sector examples. Ask for anonymised answers in your trade, not only headline win rates.

Frankly, most SMEs don't need outside help on every bid. Use a firm for the contracts that could change your year, and handle the routine ones in-house with good tools and a solid evidence library.

Related guides: the best bid writers in the UK, freelance bid writers compared, bid writing services, bid consultants, how to write a winning bid. Free tools: bid cost calculator, bid answer grader and CPV code finder.