The world is changing fast, with AI and data automation transforming global procurement, and a business landscape shifting rapidly towards flexible working, sustainability and green industries.
In 2025 and beyond, I plan to fully utilise the skills I’ve developed over decades of bid experience – and add a few more.
Right now, I’m part of the Spring 2025 cohort for London Business School’s ‘Business of AI: Strategies for Leaders’ course, gaining new knowledge and skills to build on my procurement and bid management background.
My focus is on helping more UK SMEs optimise operations, improve efficiency, scale and grow, through AI and smarter processes.
Why me, and why now?
Well, because it’s who I am and it’s what I know:
As a contractor for most of my early career, I’ve worked in almost every sector and industry across the UK, supporting both SMEs and large corporations.
- I left school aged 16 in 1988 and started my career through a YTS, working for several local small businesses—a print shop, estate agents, solicitors, a timber yard, and others.
- I first learned about tendering in the mid-’90s through a marketing role at an office furniture company. From that point on, bid writing and management became a core part of every marcomms position I held.
- In 2004, I moved to the buyer side of procurement, working on tenders and contracts for WRAP, an NGO focused on global environmental action.
- In 2006, I started my own micro business, initially offering marketing, communications, and tendering services, later refining it to focus solely on tendering support for UK SMEs.
- In September 2018, hot on the heels of being named one of the UK Small Biz 100, I launched UK Bid Writer, offering expert consultancy, professional speaking, and bespoke training to help UK SMEs prepare for the massive changes that digitisation continues to bring to procurement.
- In late 2022, I took time out to re-learn what life—and business—looks like outside of a bid room.
- In April 2025, I returned to UK Bid Writer, refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of our rapidly changing world.
What’s next?
In summer 2025, I’m launching a new consultancy alongside UKBW, called ‘Lyndsey Wray Consultancy‘ to support women-led SMEs to understand and implement digital tools and remote-first strategies and help all of us develop stronger, more inclusive ways of working.
I’m facing the future with an idea, a bucket full of experience and a lot of excitement.