Tenders – Winning against consulting giants is possible!
- Dr. Baptiste Alcamer
- Nov 30, 2025
- 4 min read
In the competitive consulting ecosystem, small and medium-sized firms often have to compete with giants like McKinsey , BCG , Bain (MBB) and the Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG). The latter benefit from established reputations, significant resources and an international presence.
However, a targeted strategy, niche expertise, and agile execution allow smaller firms to win bids against these established players. Like David against Goliath, small players can sometimes outshine giants thanks to agility and strategy: "Agility and specialization are the new weapons of competitiveness." (1)
This article explores the strategies and tools that enable small firms to differentiate themselves, drawing on practical cases and expert insights.
1. Understanding the selection criteria
The contracting authorities – companies, public institutions or NGOs – evaluate the proposals based on specific criteria:
· Price (30-40% weighting in public offerings, with increasing importance in the current economic context) (4).
• Business and sector expertise (40-50% weighting, particularly for technical projects).
• Proposed methodology (innovation, clarity, suitability to specific needs).
• Project team (experience, availability and complementary skills).
• Differential added value (business impact, data-driven approach, social innovation).
Concrete example: During a call for tenders for the digitalization of regional public services, the firm Wavestone won the contract against Accenture by offering a 100% local team and a tailor-made methodology adapted to territorial specificities (4).
"Large firms rely on their brand, but clients are increasingly looking for field expertise and personalisation," notes Marie Dupont , former McKinsey consultant and founder of a digital strategy consulting firm (1).
2. Strategies for small firms
a. Sectoral or functional over-specialization
Specialization allows for the development of highly specialized expertise that generalists cannot match. For example:
· Kea & Partners specializes in the transformation of family businesses.
· Sia Partners has developed recognized expertise in the energy sector.
· In Extenso has positioned itself in the area of consulting for SMEs and mid-sized companies.
Concrete example: The firm X-PM , specializing in the turnaround of companies in difficulty, won 70% of the tenders it participated in in 2023 thanks to its niche expertise (4).
b. Agility and personalization
• Preliminary meetings : Organize co-creation workshops with the client even before responding to the call for tenders.
• Tailor-made proposals : Adapting the methodology to the client's culture and specific challenges.
• Pricing flexibility : Offer different models (flat rate, results-based, subscription).
c. Storytelling and tangible evidence
• Key figures : “+30% productivity at Client X thanks to our intervention”.
• Customer testimonials : Videos, detailed letters of recommendation.
• Experienced project teams : Featuring senior consultants with 15+ years of experience.
d. Strategic alliances
• Complementary partnerships : Partnering with software publishers or firms specializing in other fields.
• Freelance networks : Integrate recognized independent experts to strengthen the offering.
“Alliances make it possible to compete with large groups in demanding markets,” emphasizes Ahmed Youssef , founder of Africa Practice (1).
3. Examples of effective proposals
· Slideworks : Use of hyper-personalised pitch decks with free diagnostics including data-driven analyses (2).
· Bain & Company : Methodological innovation with the Net Promoter Score™ which has become an industry standard (9).
· CcHub in Nigeria: Tech expertise combined with a deep knowledge of African markets (7).
Recent case: Eight Advisory won a major mandate at Carrefour by proposing a mixed team combining sector experts and digital consultants (4).
4. Tools for structuring your offer
· LOP (Letter Of Proposal) : Modular template allowing for quick customization while ensuring completeness (3).
A large part of your success in consulting depends on your ability to write high-quality LOPs. The best management consulting firms know this and have all optimized their LOP writing methodology for maximum effectiveness (11)
• CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce): Tracking opportunities with automatic alerts and analyzing success rates (10).
• Collaboration tools (Notion, ClickUp): Real-time management of responses with versioning and comments (6).
• Content bank : Intelligent reuse of case studies, customer references and proven methodologies.
Example: The Mazars firm uses an AI platform that analyzes past tenders to optimize future proposals (6).
Conclusion
Winning a tender against large firms relies on targeted expertise , agility and a close client relationship .
As John Maxwell , author and leadership expert, summarizes: “Small firms don’t compete on the same things as large ones—and that’s their strength.” (4) By focusing on specialization, innovation, and appropriate tools, smaller firms can transform their size into a strategic advantage.
At Nabati Advisory, we help firms gain impact through targeted and agile expertise: from drafting LOPs to designing slides, to facilitating workshops.
With a presence in France and Morocco, we would be delighted to discuss this with you.
Contact Nabati Advisory : contact@nabati-advisory.com
Sources and References
BPI France : Guide to public tenders, 2024.
Station F : Differentiation strategies for consulting firms, 2023.
Partech : Study on the competitiveness of consulting SMEs, 2024.
Consulting Success : The Ultimate Guide to Consulting Marketplaces, 2025.
Slideworks : 30 Real Bain Presentations, 2025.
Barlop Business Systems : Workflow Automation Software: Features, 2025.
DailyBot : The Ultimate Guide to Startup Consulting, 2024.
Steven Arless : Key Opinion Leader (KOL) Strategies, 2020.
The Analyst Academy : Slide Structure Examples from McKinsey, Bain, and BCG, 2021.
Loadstone : Top CRM and Marketing Automation Platforms, 2025.
Slideworks : How to Write Consulting Proposals (with Template and Examples), 2023
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