UK supplier guide
Winning RFPs from membership organisations
A professional body, trade association or members’ club buys marketing the way any organisation buys it: with a brief, a deadline and a scoring method. What differs is which rules apply. Some of these bodies must follow the Procurement Act 2023, and most set their own process in the invitation itself. This guide reads two published invitations and the statute so you can tell which case you are in and what to send.
Search UK tenders →Checked against primary sources4 sources linked below
- Check the rules
- Read the brief
- Match the evidence
- Decide whether to bid
Check the rules
The Act applies only to a contracting authority; otherwise the invitation is the rulebook.Read the scoring
Some bodies publish weights. Spend effort where the points are.Evidence takes time
References, accounts and declarations come before the writing.
Does the Procurement Act apply to a membership organisation?
Only if the body is a contracting authority. The Act defines that by public funding or public oversight, and by not operating on a commercial basis.
Read the invitation first. Then ask whether the body meets the Act’s definition of a contracting authority (section 2).
It is a contracting authority
The Act’s procedures, notices and challenge rights apply to its covered contracts. A public authority is a person that is wholly or mainly funded out of public funds, or subject to public authority oversight, and that does not operate on a commercial basis (s.2(2)). Read the Procurement Act 2023 and procurement thresholds.It is not
The body sets its own process and the invitation is the rulebook: timetable, evaluation, exclusions and its right to change them. Nothing in the two invitations we read points to the Act, and we found no general rule for associations or charities in the sources below, so we state none.You cannot tell
Ask the named contact whether the procurement is under the Act. Whether a body is “subject to public authority oversight” turns on management, control or board appointments (s.2(3)), and on commercial factors in s.2(4), which is a legal question rather than one for this guide.
What do membership organisations ask for in a brief?
Two published invitations ask for the approach, a price, the people and their experience, references and proof the supplier is independent and sound.
| Asked for | Geosynthetics Society marketing strategy (2024) | CIEH CRM and website consultancy (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| What is bought | A three-year marketing strategy and budget; “the development of specific content is outside of scope” | Help defining requirements for a new CRM and website and running that procurement; system implementation excluded |
| Experience | Work with an international membership organisation or professional body, supported by a portfolio | A record of similar consultancy for organisations of similar scale and type (25% of the score) |
| People and price | Team CVs, individual day rates, days per person, costs in US$ | Total price, payment schedule, discounts such as for non-profits, current day rates for extra services |
| References | A minimum of two professional references | At least two existing customers similar in size and business |
| Soundness and independence | Confirmation that no exclusion ground applies; conflicts declared | Two years’ audited accounts, ownership, insurance, a statement of independence |
| Scoring | “Most economically advantageous proposal” on price and quality, then shortlist pitches | Published weights: value for money 30%, record 25%, understanding 20%, stability 10%, cultural fit 10%, response 5% |
How do you decide and respond when a membership body invites bids?
Establish which rules apply, then let the invitation set the work.
- Start with the source01
Check the rules
Is the body a contracting authority under the Act, or is the invitation the rulebook? - Define the scope02
Read the brief
Scope, exclusions, format and deadline, in the buyer's words. - Read the evidence03
Match the evidence
Experience, references, accounts and declarations you can truthfully give. - Make the decision04
Decide whether to bid
Against the published scoring and the effort the response needs. - Name the next action05
Answer as asked
In the length, format and currency the invitation sets.
A supplier’s review sequence, based on the primary sources below. It is not a measured outcome or a prescribed buyer timetable.
How do you decide whether to bid?
Check the stated experience, the evidence you must produce and the scoring, before you commit time to the response.
- Before you start01
Match the experience asked for
The Geosynthetics Society asks for demonstrated work with a membership organisation or professional body and a portfolio. If you have none, say so to yourself before you write. - Check 202
Gather the evidence early
The CIEH asks for accounts, ownership details, insurance, a contract and an exit plan. These take longer than the writing. - Check 303
Read the scoring
Where weights are published, as the CIEH does, put effort where the points are. See tender evaluation. - Check 404
Check conflicts and exclusions
Both invitations require a declaration. Do not bid if you cannot make it truthfully. - Follow through05
Ask a question before the deadline
Use the named contact to confirm scope, budget range and whether the Procurement Act applies.
An editorial order of work, not a buyer's fixed timetable. The current notice and documents determine participation and submission.
How should a marketing agency respond?
Answer the brief as written, in the format and length it sets, and let the buyer’s own words structure your proposal.
- Before you start01
Follow the format exactly
The Geosynthetics Society asks for no more than two A4 pages, in both pdf and word, with CVs, work samples and references annexed. The CIEH says late tenders will not be opened and may mark down ambiguity. - Check 202
Show you understand the organisation
Both documents describe the body’s constraints: the Geosynthetics Society operates on minimal central resources with volunteers, and the CIEH has an events venue as well as membership. A response that uses those facts reads as understood. - Check 303
Price what is asked
Give the days, the people and the total in the currency requested. Do not invent a figure you cannot defend. - Check 404
Use real references and examples
Name only work you did and clients who agreed to be a reference. - Follow through05
Prepare for the pitch
The Geosynthetics Society shortlists and invites a short pitch on how you would develop the strategy.
An editorial order of work, not a buyer's fixed timetable. The current notice and documents determine participation and submission.
Where does the Procurement Act change the process?
For a body that is a contracting authority, the statute sets the procedure, and GOV.UK publishes a short guide for suppliers.
| If the body is a contracting authority | What to read |
|---|---|
| How the tender is run | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Scoring and the winning tender | Tender evaluation |
| Time between award and contract | Standstill period |
| Supplier questionnaires | Procurement specific questionnaire |
Decide whether the Act applies, then answer the brief as written.
Check the rules
The Act applies only to a contracting authority; otherwise the invitation is the rulebook.Read the scoring
Some bodies publish weights. Spend effort where the points are.Evidence takes time
References, accounts and declarations come before the writing.
Free: tender and award notices from Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, with links to the originals.
What else should you know about membership organisation RFPs?
Check these points before committing your team’s time.
Do professional bodies and trade associations have to follow the Procurement Act?
Only if they are contracting authorities. The Act defines a public authority as a person wholly or mainly funded out of public funds, or subject to public authority oversight, that does not operate on a commercial basis (s.2(2)). Whether a given body meets that is a legal question; ask the buyer.
What do membership organisations ask for in a marketing RFP?
The two invitations we read ask for an approach, people and day rates or a total price, relevant experience, at least two references and a declaration on conflicts. Weights and format vary by body.
Are charities treated differently from public bodies?
We did not find a general rule in the primary sources we read, so we do not state one. The invitation’s own terms, and the Act if the body is a contracting authority, govern.
Is there a typical budget for a membership body’s marketing tender?
We do not quote one. The Geosynthetics Society asked bidders to state costs; the CIEH asked for a total price. Neither stated a budget in the document.
Where can I find these tenders?
Bodies publish on their own sites, as the Geosynthetics Society did, and those under the Act publish on Find a Tender. Our tender alerts cover the published notices.
Where can I read about the buyer’s side?
Our sister site Membership Quest writes about membership marketing from the membership organisation’s point of view, which helps you see what the person scoring your response is trying to achieve.
Where can you check the evidence?
Read the primary publication and the buyer’s current documents before acting.
| Source | What it supports |
|---|---|
| Procurement Act 2023, section 2 · legislation.gov.uk ↗ | Definition of contracting authority and public authority; read 31 October 2026. |
| Procurement Act 2023: short guides · GOV.UK ↗ | Lists a short guide for suppliers. |
| Request for proposals: marketing strategy · International Geosynthetics Society ↗ | A learned society’s 2024 invitation; scope, profile, selection, proposal contents. |
| ITT14 CRM and website consultancy · CIEH ↗ | A UK membership body’s February 2025 invitation; contents, weights and conditions. |
Which guide answers your next question?
Follow the part of the bid you need to work on next.