30
Tenders awarded
a year
Build tender strategy with one clear system.
Aries qualifies opportunities, organizes evidence, coordinates bid teams, and prepares submission packs so commercial teams can move from notice to award with less confusion and better proof.
Bid/no-bid evaluator Response workspace Submission office
Platform
A tender product designed around sequence, not feature sprawl.
Aries is opinionated about order. Intake comes first. Evidence comes next. Qualification happens before drafting. That structure gives bid teams a clearer decision path and prevents weak opportunities from drifting forward unchecked.
Qualify tenders before writing
Screen notices against win probability, compliance burden, capacity, and commercial fit before the response cycle starts.
Coordinate multi-step bid work
Run intake, bid/no-bid, clarification, and submission prep in one connected workflow with fewer handoff gaps.
Create evaluator-ready packs
Turn messy source documents into compliance matrices, draft structures, and review artefacts that are easier to defend.
Make pipeline decisions visible
Give bid leads, legal, and delivery a shared view of opportunity quality, response status, and award momentum.
History
A record built over years, not a new experiment.
The same companies come back because the work holds. These figures are the shape of that relationship — awards won, clients kept, and contract value delivered each year.
12
Long-standing clients
with us for 10+ years
£25m
In contracts awarded
yearly
The barrier
Most companies never even bid.
- —Finding work is fragmented across portals.
- —The process costs more than delivery teams can spare.
- —Almost nobody is employed to write the bid.
UK SME research
Why they never reach the writing stage.
Drawn from FSB findings and parliamentary evidence on SME procurement. The pattern is consistent: the bid is lost before a sentence is written.
62%
Hard to find
say finding relevant contracts is difficult
27%
Very difficult
call it “very difficult” across inconsistent portals
55%
Too costly
say bidding takes more than the business can allow
35%
Too long
cite the process as too long and too costly
Awareness and accessThe work is hard to find.
62% struggle · 27% say very difficult
- •Portals and forms change by department.
- •Lack of awareness is the top reason SMEs never bid.
Aries takes this
We monitor the landscape and bring forward only what fits.
Time and costThe process costs more than the business can spare.
55% say too heavy · 35% too long or costly
- •Bidding pulls operators off delivery work.
- •Capable firms stay out even when the contract suits them.
Aries takes this
We run the bid end to end while your team stays on delivery.
Perceived sizeFirms assume they cannot compete.
- •They talk themselves out of SME-suited work.
- •The barrier is belief, not always capability.
Aries takes this
We build the case on evidence and fit — not assumed scale.
No bid functionNobody is employed to write the bid.
- •Core services always come first.
- •The tender stays in the “we should look at that” pile.
Aries takes this
Aries is that function. We take the tender on.
The missing function
You should not have to become a bid team to win public work.
Aries is the dedicated tender function most SMEs never hire — not a second job for your operators.
- We find the work. You do not hunt portals.
- We qualify the fit. You do not spend weeks on a no-bid.
- We write and assemble. You stay on the work you already do.
Why bids lose
Even when SMEs bid, they still lose.
Among those that submit, losses cluster around a handful of recurring, avoidable patterns. These are not writing problems alone. They are process failures — and they are exactly what Aries is built to prevent.
Six recurring patterns
Each one can disqualify or weaken a bid before evaluators judge the quality of your answers.
ComplianceDisqualified before evaluation starts.01
- •Missing insurance, unsigned declarations, incomplete forms.
- •Late submission kills the bid before answers are read.
Aries takes this
We check every admin requirement before anything goes in.
Wrong opportunityBidding for work you cannot win.02
- •Contract too large or outside your evidence base.
- •Strong incumbent already in place.
Aries takes this
We qualify hard and only pursue what can be defended.
Generic answersDescribing the company, not the question.03
- •Copy-paste responses that ignore evaluation criteria.
- •No tailored evidence for what the buyer asked.
Aries takes this
We answer each criterion with specific, scored proof.
Empty claimsVague social value with no evidence.04
- •Assertions without measurable outcomes.
- •Carbon and social value criteria need numbers, not promises.
Aries takes this
We back every claim with examples and monitoring detail.
CertificationsMissing ISO and mandatory credentials.05
- •ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 absent when required.
- •Instant disqualification regardless of bid quality.
Aries takes this
We map certification gaps before writing begins.
CoordinationNo one owns the submission.06
- •Ops, finance, HR, and sustainability work in silos.
- •The pack arrives inconsistent or incomplete.
Aries takes this
We coordinate the full response from one place.
Aries prevents these losses
- Compliance checked before submission.
- Only defensible opportunities pursued.
- Every criterion answered with evidence.
- Claims backed by measurable outcomes.
- Certification gaps flagged early.
- One team owns the full pack.
How it works
The story from first notice to a signed contract.
- —You stay the bidder. We find, qualify, write, and coordinate.
- —Your part is a briefing, a short form, a deeper call, then the buyer meeting.
- —If you win, the council pays you. Aries takes 4–5% of the deal.
YouAriesTogether
- 01
Find
- 02
Qualify
- 03
Brief
- 04
Confirm
- 05
Align
- 06
Bid
- 07
Meet
- 08
Award
Act I · DiscoveryWe find work that fits.01–02
- 01
Search for contracts
AriesAries. We watch notices and surface work that looks like what you already deliver.
- 02
Check it is a real fit
AriesAries. We read the paperwork and only continue if the contract is realistic — similar to past work, and something you can staff and supply.
Nothing is asked of you yet. We only call when the work is worth a conversation.
Act II · PartnershipYou come on board.03–05
- 03
We brief you
TogetherYou. Take a short call. Ask anything you need about the work.
Aries. We explain the opportunity and answer the questions that usually come first.
- 04
Share company details
YouYou. Complete a short portal form: business information, company number, and a few facts to confirm.
Aries. We send the link and use what you provide for the bid — not another round of chasing.
- 05
Go deeper
TogetherYou. Join a phone or video call to confirm capacity and anything the bid will need from you.
Aries. We lock the approach before writing starts.
Act III · AwardWe win it in your name.06–08
- 06
We run the tender
AriesYou. You remain the bidder. Review if we need a fact or a signature.
Aries. We prepare and submit the pack backed by your company.
- 07
Meet the buyer
TogetherYou. Join a call, then usually an in-person meeting with the council to finalise.
Aries. We set the meeting up and can join you anywhere in the UK.
- 08
Sign and get paid
YouYou. You sign the contract. The council pays you — monthly on larger awards, often in one go on smaller ones.
Aries. We handle remaining paperwork. Our fee is 4–5% of the deal.
If you win
The council pays you. We take a small share of the deal.
Larger awards are usually paid monthly. A £360,000 contract is about £36,000 a month to you. Smaller contracts are often paid in one go — and so is the fee.
- Success fee is 4–5% of the awarded contract.
- You receive the council payment; our share comes from the deal.
- Monthly awards pay monthly. Lump-sum awards pay once.
Teams
What customers and internal teams actually need from the product.
Aries is designed for the moment when a notice needs to become a concrete bid decision. It gives each stakeholder a more useful surface for that decision without making the system feel bureaucratic.
Founders + bid leadsUnderstand what is actually worth pursuing.
Aries helps teams separate interesting notices from defensible bid positions before they spend time and budget on a full response.
Counsel + commercial opsReceive clearer technical context and cleaner handoffs.
Instead of starting from disconnected PDFs and emails, counsel receives organized evidence, structured bid reasoning, and cleaner draft inputs.
Delivery + capture teamsRun a repeatable tender pipeline across projects.
Standardize how opportunities are reviewed, challenged, prioritized, and prepared without forcing the team into heavy enterprise process.
Customer story
A prototype that explains the product clearly and still gets you into the app fast.
This site is written like a product story. It gives visitors enough context to understand the workflow, who it serves, and why the system exists, then moves them directly into the live demo flow.
RD
Rafael Dunn
Capture operations
“It gives our technical and legal people the same picture of what is being reviewed, what is promising, and what is ready to submit.”
Resources
The key surfaces inside the Aries product.
Each workspace is built to answer a specific question: is the opportunity strong enough, what makes the response different, and what materials are needed to move into submission and award.
Bid/no-bid evaluator
Score win probability, compliance load, delivery risk, and commercial value with readable outputs instead of raw notice clutter.
Response workspace
Run coordinated bid roles that propose, challenge, and refine the answer before a weak draft moves downstream.
Submission office
Keep drafts, evidence, and exportable packs together so review history stays attached to the opportunity.
Onboarding
Making onboarding genuinely easy.
- —The friction is repeated data gathering — we fix that with one intake.
- —Three steps. Most clients are live within a day.
- —We guide you through each one. You do not figure it out alone.
One-page formTell us once. We reuse it every time.01
- •Company name, VAT, UTR, year-end, accreditations, key contact.
- •Maps directly to Complete Supplier Information on Find a Tender.
Why this works
No repeated back-and-forth for details we already hold.
Portal accessAdd us as Editor in two minutes.02
- •We send a short visual guide — screenshot or walkthrough.
- •Manage Users → add Aries as Editor. That is the only technical step.
Why this works
Minimal setup on your side. We handle the portal work from there.
Engagement letterSign once. Work starts immediately.03
- •Confirms we act as your bid expert with defined fees and scope.
- •Creates the paper trail authorizing the engagement.
Why this works
Clear authorization before we touch your first tender.
What you do vs what we do
You
- Fill one form with company details.
- Add us as Editor on your tender portal.
- Sign the engagement letter.
Aries
- Map your details to every portal requirement.
- Send the visual guide and support the permission step.
- Prepare tenders from day one once signed.
Client agreements
How we position ourselves — and what we agree upfront.
- —We are your bid team, not your replacement on the contract.
- —Every engagement is scoped, priced, and signed before work starts.
- —Clear roles protect you, us, and the buyer relationship.
The legal reality
You must disclose our role — indirectly, not by hiding it.
Your roleYou are the bidder. We are not.
- •The tender is submitted in your company name.
- •An authorized person from your firm signs it.
- •The contract, if awarded, is between the buyer and you.
Our roleBehind-the-scenes bid expertise.
- •We research, write, coordinate, and prepare the pack.
- •You review, approve, and submit — we never pose as you.
- •External bid support is standard practice for established contractors.
TransparencyHonest if asked, never hidden.
- •If a buyer asks who prepared the response, say you used bid writing support.
- •That is normal and acceptable — misrepresentation is not.
- •We prepare. You submit. The relationship stays clear.
Simple engagement letter
Every client signs a straightforward agreement before we begin. No surprises on scope, fees, or obligations.
ScopeBid writing and submission support.01
- •Defined tender reference and client company named upfront.
- •We prepare the response; you own the submission.
FeesUpfront fee plus success fee on award.02
- •Non-refundable upfront fee to begin work.
- •Success fee as a percentage of contract value if you win.
PaymentSuccess fee due within 14 days of award.03
- •Invoiced on contract award notification.
- •We verify company standing before engagement.
Your obligationsAccurate information, timely responses.04
- •Provide truthful data and evidence when requested.
- •Respond to our requests within 48 hours.
- •Sign and submit on time.
AbandonmentIf you pull out, the upfront fee is forfeited.05
- •Work product remains ours if the bid is abandoned.
- •Protects the time invested before submission.
Non-paymentWin means pay.06
- •If you are awarded and do not pay, we pursue collection.
- •We check Companies House records before we start.
ConfidentialityMutual protection of sensitive information.07
- •We protect your commercial and operational data.
- •You protect our methodology from competitors.
The bottom line
- We prepare. You submit. The buyer contracts with you.
- External bid support is industry standard — not a secret.
- Fees are clear: upfront to start, success fee only if you win.
- You provide truth, speed, and signatures. We do the rest.
- Abandonment or non-payment has defined consequences.
- Both sides protect confidential information.
FAQ
Questions teams usually ask first.
How does bid/no-bid work?
Aries scores each notice against novelty of the requirement, competitive crowding, delivery capacity, and commercial risk. The output is a readable recommendation, not a raw search dump, so the team can decide before writing begins.
Who is Aries for?
Bid managers, founders chasing public and private tenders, in-house counsel, and delivery leads who need the same picture of what is being pursued, what is promising, and what is ready to submit.
Why don’t companies bid already?
Most never reach the writing stage. Finding notices is fragmented, the process is too costly, firms assume they cannot compete, and nobody is hired to run the bid. Aries is that missing function: we find, qualify, and prepare the response so the company does not have to staff a tender office.
Why do bids still lose?
Compliance errors, wrong opportunities, generic answers, evidence-free claims, missing certifications, and fragmented coordination. Aries checks admin requirements, qualifies fit, answers each criterion with proof, and owns the full pack before submission.
Can legal and delivery share one view?
Yes. Evidence, clarifications, compliance status, and draft ownership stay attached to the opportunity so legal review does not start from a folder of disconnected PDFs.
How fast can a team start?
The local demo login on this page moves you from the product story into a live workflow immediately. Intake, qualification, and draft prep are already connected.
How does the client agreement work?
You sign a simple engagement letter before work begins. It covers scope, upfront and success fees, your obligations, abandonment and non-payment terms, and mutual confidentiality. You remain the bidder — we prepare the pack behind the scenes.
How easy is onboarding?
Three steps: a one-page form for company details (filled once), a two-minute portal permission change to add us as Editor, and a signed engagement letter. We guide you through each step — no repeated data gathering, no technical setup beyond one permission.
What does the process look like from our side?
We find and qualify the contract, then brief you. You confirm company details in our portal, join a deeper call, and stay the bidder while we write. If the buyer wants to meet, we set that up — often in person — and you sign if awarded. Larger contracts often pay monthly; smaller ones can pay in one go. Aries takes 4–5% of the deal.