Bids and briefs

Colander works with developers, Local Authorities and end users helping write bid documents when bidding for sites, also defining briefs when engaging with design teams.

Working with our developer clients, we have helped design and write development proposals, acting as “Editor in Chief” defining, collating, coordinating and then writing integrated proposal documents. This work is often done under huge time pressures and requires close collaboration with the developer and the team of consultants.

Our services include:

• Analysing briefing documents
• Identifying key issues that need to be addressed
• Designing the storyboard for the proposal document
• Creating and then managing the timetable for production
• Briefing individuals in the development team on their input
• Receiving and coordinating written and visual information from the team
• Re-writing text to create a pertinent, convincing and seamless document
• Checking back
• Liaison with the design and publication team
• Proof reading

We apply similar skills when writing project briefs for architectural competitions.

The early stages of development bids often require brainstorming workshops and our facilitation skills have been used by many to help both release and then marshal ideas.

Getting a project right at the start, in terms of vision, objectives, brief and the team is critical to its success.

At Colander, we have the expertise to facilitate workshops that enable clients to establish these parameters and obtain consensus from all the relevant interested parties.

On behalf of both client organisations and design teams, we have facilitated sessions that allow people working on a project to define their working relationships at the outset of a project and agree the most appropriate working methodologies and communications protocols. As a project progresses we are also able to facilitate risk, value and procurement workshops to identify and manage critical success factors.

We also facilitate project and 'lessons learned' reviews: in-house, or with a wider audience, encompassing the full design team, client organisations, building users, contractors and facilities managers. These sessions tend to focus on the process of delivering a project; the idea being to identify how the next stage of the project – or the next project – could be managed and delivered more efficiently and effectively.