Jon Darby
“There must be a better way?” It was those words that prompted me to form BidCraft. I wanted to apply 25 years of experience to help others solve problems and be the best they could be at bidding.
What I love most about bidding is that it’s a competitive sport for business. The pain of losing and the joy of winning drives me to keep learning and find new ways to 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 – the 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 worldwide.
APMP has been a large part of my career. I voluntarily served on the board of APMP UK for seven years, becoming CEO in 2018 and winning International Chapter of the Year. In 2020, I received their Innovation Award for introducing pre-mortems as a new technique to the bidding world. I’ve also been an award judge, 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 vinyl (dad rock), 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.