Jon Darby
‘There must be a better way’. Those were the words that led me to form BidCraft. I wanted to put my 25 years of experience to good use by helping others be the best bidders, so starting a bidding services consultancy was the next logical step.
What I love most about bidding is that it’s basically a competitive sport for business. The pain of losing and the joy of winning drives me to keep learning and help others.
In 2022, I initiated the collaboration with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) to develop PAS 360 – a freely accessible international code of best practice for bid and proposal management. Then in 2023 I instigated the exciting International Day for Bids and Proposals to celebrate and recognise the bidding profession.
Volunteering on the APMP UK board was a real joy, becoming CEO in 2018 and winning International Chapter of the Year. In 2020, I was delighted to win their Innovation Award for implementing pre-mortems in the world of bidding. I’ve been invited to judge their annual awards, I’m a regular speaker at UK and international conferences, and to top it all I was made an APMP Fellow in 2023.
Outside of work, you’ll find me following my beloved Aston Villa (it’s the hope that kills), running (slowly), listening to dad rock on vinyl, being a geek at airshows, watching Grand Designs, and planning my next travels.
Hearing we’ve made a difference and helped someone win new business. Bliss.
Announcing PAS 360, the new BSI bid and proposal management standard live on stage in 2022 at APMP’s conference in Dallas to 966 people in the room and over 12,275 members worldwide.
Mostly yellow. Actually, it’s completely yellow. That doesn’t mean I start something and don’t
To promote close collaboration between the procurement and bidding professions to make life better for one another.