Definition
Case Study
A worked example of comparable delivery used as evidence.
A case study is a short written account of a previous project or contract, included in a tender to provide concrete evidence of relevant experience and capability. It differs from a general reference to past work by including specific detail: the client, the challenge, the approach taken, and the measurable outcome achieved.
Choosing the right case study
The strongest case study is not necessarily the largest or most prestigious contract a supplier has delivered; it is the one most closely comparable to the requirement being bid for, in scale, sector, or specific challenge. Evaluators are assessing relevance to their own situation, not the supplier's overall reputation.
Where a tender allows multiple case studies, choosing a small set that between them cover the different aspects of the requirement — different services, different scales, different risk types — usually scores better than several examples that all demonstrate the same strength.
What a strong case study includes
A case study should read like evidence, not a testimonial. It generally needs a short context statement, the specific challenge or requirement, what was actually done, and a measurable or verifiable result, and ideally should connect explicitly back to the tender's own requirement rather than leaving that link for the evaluator to infer.
- Client name and context, subject to any confidentiality restrictions
- The specific challenge or requirement that had to be met
- What the supplier actually did, with enough detail to be credible
- A measurable or verifiable outcome
- An explicit link back to the current tender's requirement
Common mistakes
Anonymised case studies with no verifiable client name are often weighted less heavily by evaluators than named, checkable examples, particularly on higher-value public sector tenders where reference checks are common. Confidentiality agreements sometimes force anonymisation, but where a named example is available and permitted, it usually carries more weight.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a case study be reused across multiple tenders?
- The underlying project can be reused, but the write-up should be tailored each time to highlight the aspects most relevant to the specific requirement being bid for, rather than submitting an identical, generic version everywhere.
- What if the supplier has no directly comparable case study?
- Use the closest available example and be transparent about scale or sector differences rather than implying a closer match than exists. Combining a partial match with a clear explanation of transferable relevance is usually more credible than overstating similarity.
- Should case studies include client contact details for references?
- Only if the tender specifically requests reference contacts and the client has agreed to be named and contacted. Providing unauthorised contact details risks breaching confidentiality agreements and annoying a client relationship.
Related terms