“BidWrite framed our previous experience and points of difference in a way that ensured we presented ourselves in the best possible light – resulting in LifeUnleashed successfully securing a place on the DVA’s panel.”
– Richard Lord, National Partnership Manager, LifeUnleashed
LifeUnleashed (by Integra Service Dogs Australia) is a non-profit, Veteran-founded organisation established to support Veterans and First Responders facing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other mental health challenges resulting from their service.
Sadly, Australian Defence Force Veterans and First Responders experience these conditions at a much higher rate than the general population. LifeUnleashed helps these incredible heroes and their families lead happier, fuller lives by training and providing therapeutic service dogs.
An opportunity to honour service and sacrifice
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) supports those who have served in the Australian Defence Force. One of many DVA support services is the Psychiatric Assistance Dogs (PAD) Program – pairing Australian Veterans with a specifically trained assistance dog to support the treatment and management of PTSD. This helps Veterans experience a much safer and better quality of life.
In 2024, the five-year contract LifeUnleashed held to provide services to the PAD Program was nearing its conclusion, and the DVA was looking to broaden both the reach and capacity of the program by refreshing its panel of contractors. Having only tendered once before, LifeUnleashed knew they’d need help responding to the DVA’s Request for Tender.
Fortunately, LifeUnleashed’s National Partnership Manager Richard Lord met BidWrite’s Defence Lead Rodger Manning at an AIDN (Australian Industry and Defence Network) Queensland networking event. Discovering the substantial impact LifeUnleashed has on the Veteran community, and knowing first-hand the specialised persuasive writing skillset they’d need to secure a place on a Defence panel, Rodger recognised a perfectly aligned opportunity to provide pro bono bid support through BidWrite’s Community Impact Program.
“What I liked most about BidWrite was that they were such a friendly bunch – easy to get along with and easy to work with. In addition to really knowing their stuff when it comes to tendering, they loved getting to know us, had a keen interest in our service dogs and community work, and were eager to assist in whatever ways they could.”
– Richard Lord, National Partnership Manager, LifeUnleashed
Good bidding starts with strong foundations
The process began with BidWrite’s Kickstarter package – consisting of a gap analysis, ‘Bidding to Win’ strategy formulation session, and ‘Preparing for Success’ workshop. Together, these introduced the LifeUnleashed team to bidding best practice.
After establishing the competitive edge early through the Kickstarter package, BidWrite’s consultants, senior consultants and graphic designers collaborated to:
- write and review draft submission schedules
- elevate initial inputs from LifeUnleashed to align them with the win strategy
- create a master document template and insert all response sections for a consistent visual look
- design eye-catching cover pages and section dividers
- write a compelling combined cover letter/executive summary.
“Having only tendered once before, we knew we could learn a lot from the experts at BidWrite, who do it all the time. While we had all the information about how we work and what we offer, BidWrite’s consultants asked all the right questions to draw that information out and uncover exactly what our win themes were.”
– Richard Lord, National Partnership Manager, LifeUnleashed
The right dog for the right veteran
While LifeUnleashed initially presented their unique selling proposition as ‘better dogs’, BidWrite’s consultants knew there was much more to the story, with the Bidding to Win session uncovering the specifics of what LifeUnleashed does differently to others in the market.
BidWrite quickly learned that it wasn’t just ‘better dogs’ that set LifeUnleashed apart from competitors, but a combination of elements that culminate in providing the right dog for the right veteran.
Extensive research shows that Labradors are the dog breed best suited for psychiatric assistance due to their genetic excellence, intelligence, and temperament for service and safety. LifeUnleashed sources the very best young pedigree Labradors and, as part of their extensive matching process, conducts rigorous suitability assessments led by mental health clinicians and senior instructors who have significant PTSD expertise. This ensures each Veteran is paired with the PAD best suited to their unique requirements, such as specific triggers, living conditions and mobility issues.
Once a match is approved and an assistance dog placed, LifeUnleashed commences its long-term support program, which includes a customised training plan, adjustment period that nurtures bonding, ongoing assessment and recovery support.
The repositioning from ‘better dogs’ to the ‘right dog for the right veteran’ meant BidWrite could convey LifeUnleashed’s point of difference more effectively, articulating it into clear and consistent tender win themes reinforced throughout various schedules of the tender submission.
True alignment secures long-term success
LifeUnleashed’s proposition to create a safe and solid foundation with an ongoing support system for long-term Veteran recovery appealed to the DVA as an opportunity to maximise the PAD Program’s success.
This resulted in LifeUnleashed successfully securing a place on the new five-year panel, alongside two other providers who were new to the DVA’s PAD Program.
“BidWrite framed our previous experience and points of difference in a way that ensured we came across in the best possible light – resulting in Life Unleashed successfully securing a place on the DVA’s panel. We’ve already begun delivering this life-changing service to Veterans across Australia under the new contract, and look forward to continuing to do so over its five-year duration.”
– Richard Lord, National Partnership Manager, LifeUnleashed
A lasting pro bono partnership
Left: LifeUnleashed’s ‘PR Manager’ Quentin the dog with BidWrite’s Rodger Manning and other dog loving staff members in BidWrite’s Brisbane office.
Right: LifeUnleashed’s National Partnerships Manager Richard Lord with ‘PR Manager’ Quentin the dog.
LifeUnleashed’s contribution to the PAD program is not the only outcome with positive long-term effects. BidWrite’s pro-bono work also has a long shelf life. LifeUnleashed can use much of the master document templates, design artefacts and content from this submission as boilerplate material to customise for future tender responses and business proposals.
As the LifeUnleashed team has come to understand, tendering is not a ‘set-and-forget’ activity. Each new tender, proposal or grant funding opportunity presents a chance to re-conceptualise win themes and response inputs – crafting them in a way that demonstrates the utmost relevance to the evaluators of the opportunity in question.
Fortunately, after an excellent experience with BidWrite and with the confidence of a recent tender win under its belt, LifeUnleashed has already identified potential opportunities for the two companies to bid together again in future.
“We certainly enjoyed working with BidWrite and highly recommend their bid consulting services to others. We are already in discussions about working with the BidWrite team again, and have no doubt that with their help, we’ll have yet another success!”
– Richard Lord, National Partnership Manager, LifeUnleashed
And the feeling is certainly mutual – with the BidWrite team eagerly looking forward to working with LifeUnleashed on an upcoming project.
“Providing pro-bono support to LifeUnleashed was such a great experience for our team. We learned so much about their impactful work and how highly regarded they are in the community. Having Richard and service dog Quentin visit all three of our Australian offices has been a real treat, strengthening the wonderful relationship between our organisations. We can’t wait to work with the LifeUnleashed team again!”
– Rodger Manning, Director / Defence Lead, BidWrite
