How to Choose the Right Case Studies for Your Tender
4 min readBy Kim FraterPublished 2026-07-27
"I believe public procurement shouldn't be complicated. Every guide I write explains the process in plain English so you can bid with confidence."
If I could give you one piece of advice about case studies, it would be this.
The best case study isn't usually your biggest contract. It's the one that's most like the contract you're bidding for.
It sounds obvious, but it's one of the biggest mistakes I see. Businesses get excited about their largest client or most prestigious contract, so that's the example they use in every tender. Unfortunately, buyers don't score case studies based on how impressive the client sounds. They score them based on how relevant they are.
Put Yourself in the Buyer's Shoes
Imagine you're looking for someone to clean a housing estate. One supplier tells you they've cleaned a prestigious office building in central London. Another tells you they've looked after a similar housing estate with communal areas, bin stores, stairwells and resident complaints. Which one would make you feel more confident? Exactly.
The second company hasn't necessarily cleaned a bigger contract. They've cleaned the right contract. That's what buyers are looking for.
Similar Beats Bigger
This is probably the biggest lesson I've learnt over the years. A £50,000 contract that's almost identical to the one you're bidding for is often far more valuable than a £500,000 contract that's completely different. Don't assume value equals relevance. It rarely does. Think about things like:
- the type of building
- the people using it
- the risks involved
- the service being delivered
- the client's expectations
Those are the things buyers compare.
Don't Try to Force a Case Study to Fit
I've seen this happen countless times. A company doesn't have the perfect example, so they try to persuade the buyer that an unrelated contract is "similar." Buyers usually see straight through it. If the similarities are weak, don't overstate them. Instead, be honest about what the case study demonstrates. You might not have experience in a hospital, but perhaps you have experience working in occupied buildings where hygiene, communication and strict scheduling were critical. Draw out the similarities that genuinely exist. Don't invent them.
What If You Don't Have the Perfect Example?
This is a question I'm asked all the time. The truth is, very few businesses have a case study that's an exact match. That's perfectly normal.
Instead of asking yourself:
"Have we done this exact contract before?"
Ask:
"What parts of this contract have we delivered successfully elsewhere?"
Maybe you've managed a similar mobilisation. Maybe you've worked in a similar environment. Maybe you've delivered the same KPIs. Maybe you've solved a similar challenge. Those are all relevant experiences.
Tell a Story, Don't Just List Facts
A good case study should have a beginning, a middle and an end. I normally think about it like this:
What was the client looking for? What did we do? What happened as a result?
That structure makes it much easier for the evaluator to follow your example.
Always Include the Outcome
This is another thing I see that people miss. They spend 300 words explaining what they did. Then stop. Don't forget to tell the buyer what changed because of your work.
- Did complaints reduce?
- Did customer satisfaction improve?
- Did you meet every KPI?
- Did you mobilise on time?
- Did you save the client money?
The outcome is often the most persuasive part of the case study.
Don't Forget the Evidence
If you've got evidence, use it. That could be:
- KPI results
- customer testimonials
- audit scores
- contract extensions
- performance reports
- client feedback
Anyone can say they did a good job. Evidence gives the buyer confidence that your claims are genuine.
One Great Example Is Better Than Five Average Ones
You don't need to mention every contract you've ever worked on. In fact, that can make your response weaker. I'd much rather read one detailed, relevant case study than five short examples that tell me very little. Quality nearly always beats quantity.
Think Beyond the Service
One thing buyers often compare is the environment. For example: cleaning a school isn't just cleaning. It's safeguarding. Working around pupils. Holiday deep cleans. Term-time scheduling. Likewise, security at a homeless hostel is very different from security at a corporate office. Don't just think about the service you're delivering. Think about where you're delivering it.
Final Checks
Before I include a case study in a bid, I ask myself a few questions.
- Is this genuinely similar to the contract I'm bidding for?
- Does it demonstrate the experience the buyer is looking for?
- Have I explained what we did and what we achieved?
- Have I included evidence where I can?
- If I were the evaluator, would this give me confidence?
If I can't answer yes to those questions, I usually look for a better example.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right case study isn't about showing off your biggest client or your highest-value contract. It's about helping the buyer feel confident that you've delivered something similar before. Remember, buyers are trying to reduce risk. The closer your example is to their contract, the easier it is for them to believe you can deliver it successfully. So next time you're choosing a case study, don't ask yourself:
"What's our biggest contract?"
Ask yourself:
"Which contract would make this buyer think, 'Yes, they've done this before.'"
That one question could make all the difference.
Thanks for reading.
I hope this guide has made public procurement a little easier to understand.
Kim Frater
Founder, Bid Trawler
Related guides