Terms of service

Last updated: 1 October 2026

1. Who we are

1.1 In these terms, "we", "us" and "our" mean Firm Bids. Our full business details, address for service of documents and email are in the footer of every page. 1.2 "You" means the business that orders from us, whether you're a sole trader, a partnership or a company (including an LLP). "Order" means a bid-writing order or a Firm Bids Leads subscription.

2. You're buying as a business

2.1 When you order, you confirm that you're buying in the course of your trade, business or profession, and not as a consumer. You also confirm that the person ordering is authorised to act for the business. 2.2 When you order, you give us your trading name and business address. If you're a limited company, you also give us your Companies House number. 2.3 By ordering, you confirm that you are not a consumer within the meaning of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and that this applies equally if you are a sole trader or a partner ordering for your business. Because you're buying as a business, the consumer cancellation rights in the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 don't apply to your Order.

3. The bid-writing service

3.1 Standard bid. One response to one below-threshold public-sector tender (single lot), with up to about 8 quality questions or 5,000 words in total, written in the buyer's required format and within its word limits. Anything bigger is quoted in writing before you pay, and the written quote forms part of the Order. 3.2 How we work. We draft responses with the help of software tools, including text-generation (AI) software, using the documents and information you give us. A human bid reviewer then checks, edits and finishes every response before delivery. We keep a record of that review. 3.3 Acceptance. You may send us a tender for a free check before paying. A contract for a bid is formed when (a) you've paid the deposit and (b) we've confirmed in writing (email is enough) that we accept the tender and the agreed delivery date. If you pay before we accept and we then decline, we refund the deposit in full (clause 6.1). 3.4 Notice period. We only accept tenders with at least 10 working days before the buyer's deadline. The agreed delivery date will be at least 3 working days before that deadline. 3.5 Your responsibilities. You will:

• (a) give us accurate, complete and lawful information and documents, promptly, and by any dates we agree in the brief;
• (b) tell us about any clarifications, addenda or deadline changes the buyer issues;
• (c) review the final bid, correct or confirm every factual statement, and decide whether to submit it;
• (d) complete any pricing schedule, declarations, certificates and portal forms yourself, and submit the bid yourself.

We never submit bids on your behalf. If information we need is late, we may move the delivery date by the same number of working days. If that makes delivery before the deadline impossible, clause 6.4 applies. 3.6 Revisions. The price includes one round of revisions, if you request it within 2 working days of delivery and it's within the original scope. 3.7 No guarantee of award. Contracts are awarded by the buyer on its own criteria. We don't promise, and nothing we say should be read as promising, that your bid will succeed or reach any score.

4. Our guarantee

4.1 We guarantee that the final bid will be (a) delivered by the agreed delivery date and (b) in the buyer's required format and within its stated word limits. 4.2 If we miss the agreed delivery date for reasons within our control, we refund everything you've paid for that Order. 4.3 If the bid isn't in the required format or within word limits, tell us within 2 working days of delivery and we'll correct it within 1 working day. If we can't correct it in time for the deadline, we refund everything you've paid for that Order. 4.4 Clauses 4.2 and 4.3 are your sole remedies for late or non-compliant delivery. This doesn't affect clause 8.4.

5. Price and payment

5.1 The price of a standard bid is £995. No VAT is charged. We are not VAT registered. If we become VAT registered, we'll tell you before you order and VAT will be added at the applicable rate. 5.2 You pay a deposit of £495 by card through Stripe Checkout when you book, and the balance of £500 by card (Stripe Checkout) or bank transfer before we deliver the final bid. We may hold back final delivery until the balance has cleared. 5.3 If the balance hasn't been paid within 5 working days of our telling you the bid is ready (or by 1 working day before the buyer's deadline, if sooner), we may treat the Order as cancelled by you under clause 6.3. 5.4 Firm Bids Leads subscriptions. Firm Bids Leads covers 1 trade or keyword and costs £29 per month or £290 per year. Leads Plus covers up to 3 trades or keywords and 3 areas and costs £49 per month or £490 per year. You choose monthly or annual billing when you subscribe. We bill in advance by card through Stripe, and the subscription renews at the end of each period until you cancel. There is no ongoing free tier. We also offer a one-off free sample, once per firm, showing 3 best-fit leads without tender links. The tender links are for paying subscribers. Each email lead with 12 or more working days left has a "Bid on this for me – £995" button. Pressing it asks us to take on that tender as a standard bid under clause 3, and the bid is only booked once clause 3.3 is met. Leads are information only, not advice to bid: check the official notice before you decide. We'll email you before any change to the subscription price takes effect, and a change applies only from your next renewal, never to a period you've already paid for. Subscriptions are for businesses and clause 2 applies to them. No VAT is charged. We are not VAT registered.

6. Cancellation and refunds

6.1 We decline your tender. If we decline after reading the tender documents, we refund the deposit in full. 6.2 You cancel before we've booked your bid reviewer. Full refund of the deposit. We'll tell you by email when your bid reviewer is booked, which is normally within 1 working day of accepting your Order. 6.3 You cancel after we've booked your bid reviewer. We keep the deposit. You don't have to pay the balance. The parties agree that the deposit is paid to secure the booking of dedicated reviewer time against your deadline, which we can't usually resell at short notice, and that it's proportionate to our legitimate interest in covering that committed cost. The deposit amount is stated on our pricing page and in these terms before you book. 6.4 We can't deliver before the deadline for reasons within our control, or the buyer cancels or withdraws the tender before we deliver: we refund everything you've paid for that Order. If you've caused the delay (clause 3.5), clause 6.3 applies instead. 6.5 Firm Bids Leads subscriptions: you can cancel at any time through the billing portal, using the link in any email. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current monthly or annual period, and you keep your leads until then. We don't refund periods that have already started, unless the law requires us to. 6.6 Refunds go back to the original payment method within 10 working days.

7. Confidentiality and intellectual property

7.1 We keep your documents and your tender information confidential. We use them only to provide the service, and share them only with the freelance bid reviewer assigned to your Order, who is bound by written confidentiality and data-processing terms. 7.2 Once you've paid in full, the copyright in the text of your bid belongs to you. We keep ownership of our general templates, methods and know-how. We won't use your bid, or anything that identifies you, as a sample or in marketing without your written permission. 7.3 You confirm that you have the right to give us the documents you provide.

8. Liability

8.1 We'll provide the service with reasonable care and skill. 8.2 Our total liability to you arising from or in connection with an Order, whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, is limited to the fees you've paid for that Order. 8.3 We're not liable for (a) the loss of any contract, tender, profit, revenue, business or opportunity, including any failure to win a contract, or (b) any indirect or consequential loss. 8.4 Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else that can't lawfully be limited.

9. Data protection

9.1 Our privacy policy explains how we use personal data as a controller. 9.2 Where your documents contain personal data (for example staff CVs), we process it as your processor, only on your documented instructions (these terms and your brief), for the purpose of writing your bid. We will:

• keep it confidential and secure;
• use only sub-processors listed in our privacy policy, under written terms at least as protective (you authorise these generally, and we'll tell you about changes);
• help you respond to data-subject requests;
• notify you without undue delay of any personal data breach;
• delete or return it at the end of the retention period in our privacy policy;
• make available the information needed to show compliance with UK GDPR Article 28.

10. General

10.1 We're not responsible for delays caused by events outside our reasonable control, but clause 6.4 still applies to refunds. 10.2 These terms, together with our confirmation email and any written quote, are the whole agreement for an Order. If they conflict, the written quote wins. 10.3 We may update these terms for future Orders. The version in force when you order applies. 10.4 These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.