Three international contractors plus the largest UK civil engineering project in decades? Wow. We knew the Thames Tideway Tunnel was destined to be a hugely complex and high-profile project.
We had worked separately with all the partners, Balfour Beatty, BAM and Morgan Sindell, in this joint venture so were excited to bring our knowledge to this bid.
The easy selling point of the joint venture (JV) team was their combined capacity to be highly competitive for this huge project.
However, we considered every communication opportunity and angle from start to finish of the procurement phase, working closely with all partners to make the right impact at the right stage. To be successful, the JV needed a unique story to underpin their joint identity.
A beautiful interwoven motif was designed to reflect both the project and partners, something of the Thames, but above all three contractors who were aligned and collaborative.
Only by gaining a full understanding of this powerful partnership, could we support BMB in communicating their offer and approach for their submissions.
Our strategy workshop gave the bid team insights to how they could affect the team of writers and engineers they would be sitting with for a year. An action planning session helped BMB so they left with plans, actions and outcomes, and we all left with a real understanding of what success would look like.
BMB needed to capture the idea that a clean and sustainable River Thames would be a benefit for ALL Londoners. With most of the team living in London we wanted to highlight that BMB were community stakeholders as much as potential constructors.
Keeping London on course was a real motivation for the team, as the River Thames runs through all their lives.
A joint venture can easily mean you end up with three very differing approaches. However, our answer planning and ‘tone of voice’ methodology brought the BMB team, with the same language and goals.
This consistency of message permeated their bid submissions supported by our lead bid writer who was placed within the BMB team for their ability to: write fresh, persuasive, and readable answers; challenge the ‘same old’ approach; work well with clients. This shone through into producing a compelling bid.
A wide variety of documents and templates were required throughout the bidding period. From basic A4 pages to press releases and trade banners, Blue Edge provided a comprehensive suite of design tools.
A project like this will have a major impact on local communities and stakeholders. From supply chain partners to the Londoners living alongside the Thames, there needed to be a public face to BMB’s profile. We created a public micro-site with a digital introduction to the team and suggested they co-located a bid office through an interactive tool.
Blue Edge supported BMB throughout the 14-month procurement phase, providing a consistent and positive bid communications. Through the strength of the team and message, BMB clearly made the right impression, winning the West contract.