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HCTRA: Houston Ship Channel Bridge Replacement

Writer and lead editor for a proposal that advanced the company to the BAFO stage of a $568-million bridge replacement

A proposal team for Kiewit Bridge & Marine—the technical bridge division of the Fortune 500 construction company—were responding to an RFP without the usual prescriptive questions. Instead proposers faced an open-ended request to explain why we best met the client’s objectives (which weren't stated) and to describe any advantages we offered.

Highlighting differentiators and messaging is fundamental when RFPs lack specific questions that will focus all responders on particular issues.

Project Services

Strategic messaging

Proposal messaging

& win themes

Technical writer & editor

Work with SMEs

Markets

SOQs & RFPs

Bridge construction

Heavy civil construction

Infrastructure

Fortune 500

Texas

British Columbia

Canada

Approach

Our major differentiator was the recent completion of a nearly identical bridge replacement project. As part of the response, I wrote a strategically framed in-depth project description


My work included: 

  • Identifying messaging and choosing content based on our strategic analysis of the client and their hot-button issues, 

  • Interviewing staff to hone in on specifics of how their work on the Port Mann Bridge would translate to the new project 

  • Writing the project description 

  • Working with graphic designers to identify photos that showed the similarities of the work and environment 

  • Doing additional research and refining the content after each review cycle 


As lead editor for the proposal, I also developed strategies, branding, and messaging; led brainstorms and provided developmental editing for other sections; re-wrote and edited sections, and performed the final “one voice” edit; and supervised additional editors, including assigning and reviewing work.

Results

In just five pages, this messaged-focused section honed in on specific advantages that were relevant to the client, such as:

  • Similar work done by proposed staff

  • Meeting known challenges like adjacent marine and rail traffic and demolition of tensioned steel trusses adjacent to live traffic on the newly constructed bridge

  • Managing relationships with sophisticated stakeholders


As a result, the team was shortlisted and moved forward to the Best-and-Final Offer (BAFO) stage.

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