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About APMP Fellows Jon Darby
JonDarby

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Jon Darby, CPP CAP APMP Fellow (Class of 2023)

Founder and Managing Director
BidCraft

Bio

Jon is the founder and managing director of BidCraft - a pioneering bidding services consultancy that helps companies win complex government, defence, and framework contracts in the UK and Australia. They do this by providing strategic bid support, business change programs, and bid training to companies ranging from SMEs to multinationals.

He has 28 years’ bidding experience under his belt, helping companies in a variety of sectors to secure contracts ranging from £thousands to £billions. Jon has led strategic capture teams and been the head of function, which helps me understand and solve the unique issues faced by organisations as they seek to improve bidding performance.

My passion is to use this hands-on experience to raise bidding standards and help others become better at bidding. This led me to initiate a collaboration with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) to develop PAS 360:2023 - the international standard for bid and proposal management. I also instigated the first ever International Day for Bids and Proposals held annually on 29th September to recognise and celebrate the bidding profession worldwide.

I'm committed to professionalising the art of bidding and making it a valued career of choice. I voluntarily served on the board of APMP UK for seven years, including as Chapter CEO in 2018, when we won the International Chapter of the Year award. I'm an approved trainer for APMP and a regular speaker at conferences, live events, and webinars. I’m also the proud recipient of APMP UK’s Industry Innovation award for introducing Pre-Mortems as a new bidding technique and I'm honoured to be an APMP Fellow."

What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?

Belonging to a professional community where professional development and knowledge sharing is a priority is an honor. I'm grateful for APMP's recognition of the contributions I've made to help the association pursue its mission and apply its values.

What's your best memory from attending an APMP event?

Participating in the Bid & Proposal Conference (BPC) Europe in Amsterdam in March of 2020 is extremely memorable. The world was on the front-end of a global pandemic - nobody felt completely safe. Yet, we pressed on. The conference will forever be memorable - everything from the amazing presentations to the care and concern attendees and leadership demonatrated for one another. The months that followed changed the world.

What advice do you have for a proposal professional entering our field?

Jump in. Don't tiptoe into the profession. Learn by doing. Find a mentor. Add value and be trustworthy.

Without APMP, I would not have the tools or knowledge of the industry to have the career I have today and the success I have experienced.
Liz Megli
Liz Megli, CF APMP
Receiving Practitioner-level certification boosted my confidence and validated my experiences and professional growth in the bid and proposal industry. The badge is something that I see each day, and it motivates and encourages me to keep networking, learning, and elevating others in our combined professional development goals.
Kim Ruff
Kim Ruff, CP APMP
Acquiring the executive summary micro certification has helped to build my confidence in producing best practice Executive Summaries. I also benefit from the social media badge for my LinkedIn profile and certification to add to my resume. Both of these allow me to verify my Executive Summary capabilities.
LauraRispin
Laura Rispin, CP ES-M APMP
The Executive Summaries Micro-Certification exam was easy to follow and clear in what was required. I found the learning materials to be very informative, and they will be a great tool to use while in the exam and for future executive summary tasks.
SarahChapman
Sarah Chapman, CP ES-M APMP
The Executive Summary is the key element of each proposal, literally the most important part of the response next to the price – this is why my focus was on this micro certification. Understanding the principles of Deal-Strategy, Win-Strategy, Competitor-Analysis, Ghosting, Persuasive Writing, Features/Benefits/Discriminators, and many more is essential and beneficial for so much more than just the Executive Summary.
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Florian Lamisch, CF ES-M APMP
You can expand your network by attending the local Chapter webinar and events. They provide an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals locally to create and share consumable content, ideas, tools, and resources.
Sonal
Sonal Bhatnagar, CP APMP, PMP
APMP has provided an incredible platform for seasoned individuals from the Proposal and Bid Management profession and young professionals who want to start their careers in this field.
Mayura
Mayura Ravishankar, Proposal Associate
Being an active APMP certified practitioner allowed me to recognize my hidden potential multifold (40u40, BPC Awards, BPC Speaker) and give back to the profession through the APMP community.
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Karthik Koutharapu, CP APMP
With this micro-certification and digital badge, I signal to my bid team and stakeholders that I am familiar with this topic. They can use me as their contact and "sparring partner," independent of RFPs.
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Norbert Thiemermann, CPP ES-M APMP
Achieving certification sends a message to the world that I’m dedicated and accomplished as a proposal manager. I feel proud of earning this title and I encourage others to join our ranks.
Jessica Davis
Jessica Davis, CF APMP