Hello! I'm Tessa
Wellington-based bid writer, tender strategist, and the person behind HelloYellow Bids.
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I started this business because I kept seeing the same thing. Genuinely great construction and infrastructure companies losing work to average competitors who just happened to submit a better tender. That bothered me. A lot.
How I got here
​My background is pretty varied. I've been an Architectural Draftsperson, Executive Assistant, a Project Manager, and even a Stable Hand. I approach bid writing from a different angle than most, and I think that's what makes the difference.
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What stuck with me through all of it was an obsession with how things look and how they're communicated. Not just what's being said, but how it lands for the person reading it. Add in a graphic design background and you get someone who thinks about tenders visually and strategically at the same time.
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That combination is at the core of how I approach every tender I work on.
I also worked for a world-leading AI proposal writing software company. It was eye-opening, and not always in a good way. A lot of expensive tools promise a lot and consistently underwhelm. Meanwhile, companies using generalist AI tools with the right prompts can get significantly better results at a fraction of the cost.
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That experience shaped how I think about AI in bidding today. It's a powerful tool when used properly, for analysis, strategy, compliance checking, and quality control. Not as a replacement for the human expertise and nuance that actually wins tenders.
HelloYellow Bids exists because...
NZ construction and infrastructure companies are doing incredible work. Building roads, managing facilities, delivering infrastructure that communities depend on. But tendering is a completely different skill set to delivering projects, and most companies are asking their best technical people to do both.
HelloYellow Bids exists to change that. To give Tier 2 and 3 contractors access to the kind of strategic bid support that used to be reserved for the big guys, without the corporate price tag or the pass-around agency experience.
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Every tender I work on gets my personal attention. No junior staff, no outsourced writing, no cookie-cutter responses. Just strategic thinking, compelling writing, and professional design, all working together to give evaluators a reason to choose you.
Who I work with
My clients are construction and infrastructure companies across New Zealand. Civil contractors, roading specialists, engineering consultancies, main contractors and sub-contractors who are tendering regularly and want their submissions to actually reflect the quality of their work.
If you're a NZ construction or infrastructure company who's tendering regularly and want expert support that actually makes a difference to your scores, I'd love to have a chat.
No hard sell, no obligation. Just a straightforward conversation about whether we're the right fit.
My approach
I believe a well-written, well-designed tender is a genuine competitive advantage.
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That means starting with strategy before anyone writes a single word. Understanding what the client actually cares about, not just what they asked for. Developing win themes that run through the whole response like a spine. And making sure every section is written for the evaluator, not just the person who knows the project best.
It also means being honest. If an opportunity isn't the right fit, I'll say so. If your tender needs more than a polish, I'll tell you that too. The goal is always to put your best possible response forward, and sometimes that means having a straightforward conversation first.​
Lets talk!
If you're a NZ construction or infrastructure company who's tendering regularly and want expert support that actually makes a difference to your scores, I'd love to have a chat.
No hard sell, no obligation. Just a straightforward conversation about whether we're the right fit.