{"id":11800,"date":"2026-02-27T10:08:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T10:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/?p=11800"},"modified":"2026-03-02T10:14:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T10:14:46","slug":"the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/consulting\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In public-sector DDaT bids, most losses don\u2019t occur during evaluation. They happen at pricing.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Not because the day rates aren\u2019t competitive. But because they\u2019re misaligned to clearance level, IR35 status, SFIA grade, mobilisation speed and delivery risk &#8211; and that misalignment compounds across an entire team structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Real Risk in Public Sector Pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Government frameworks don\u2019t just evaluate cost. They evaluate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Commercial realism<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delivery credibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Risk management<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social value weighting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Workforce structure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your pricing doesn\u2019t reflect how programmes actually mobilise, you create one of three problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Underpricing<\/strong> \u2192 win the bid, struggle to meet internal margin targets due to unexpected rate increases<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Overpricing<\/strong> \u2192 technically strong submission, commercially uncompetitive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mispricing<\/strong> \u2192 unrealistic IR35 assumptions, clearance delays, mobilisation failure<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>All three reduce repeat award probability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference between a strong commercial submission and a fragile one usually comes down to how early rate intelligence is introduced into the bid conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where Most Bids Go Wrong<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Treating Day Rates as Static<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Rates are rarely static in public sector DDaT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They shift based on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Inside vs Outside IR35 status<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Security clearance level (SC, eDV, NPPV)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SFIA grade inflation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A generic \u201cmarket rate\u201d is meaningless without those variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Ignoring Clearance Premiums<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Cleared talent is not just a supply issue. It\u2019s a <strong>lead time and risk issue<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If 70\u201380% of your programme requires SC or above, your rate model must reflect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Clearance scarcity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Transfer dependency<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mobilisation lag<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Retention risk in long programmes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Failing to model this correctly can result in a bid that looks competitive on paper but collapses during onboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Overlooking IR35 Structure at Team Level<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside\/Outside IR35 modelling isn\u2019t about individual roles. It\u2019s about team composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Public sector programmes often require a mix of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Outside IR35 technical specialists<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inside IR35 operational roles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Permanent delivery leadership<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If this isn\u2019t stress-tested pre-tender, you risk:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Margin erosion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contractor churn<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inconsistent team stability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Pre-Tender Rate Modelling Changes Win Probability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When rate modelling is introduced at the qualification stage (not post-award) three things happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Commercial Viability Improves<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Accurate rate cards aligned to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SFIA grading<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearance requirement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delivery structure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026mean that the bid is grounded in deployable reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That protects margin without inflating cost artificially, while also preventing internal firefighting once the award is secured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Bid Narrative Becomes Stronger<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When pricing is informed by real mobilisation data, your response shifts from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWe can supply X roles at \u00a3Y\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWe have modelled a cleared, SFIA-aligned team that can mobilise within 5\u201310 working days, with rate assumptions based on current market deployment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That level of commercial specificity strengthens credibility with evaluators by showing that the bid isn\u2019t theoretical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Risk Sections Become Evidence-Backed<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Risk registers improve when they reference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Clearance transfer dependency<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IR35 classification modelling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Availability of Grade 4 vs Grade 5 roles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Market saturation in specific disciplines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than generic mitigations, the bid demonstrates operational foresight. Evaluators recognise the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Role of Structured Rate Intelligence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Structured rate modelling should account for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Discipline (Engineering, Architecture, UCD, DevOps, Delivery, Security)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SFIA grade differentiation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outside vs Inside IR35 cost delta<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearance premium<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contract tenure impact<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Programme length<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Where consultancies consistently outperform competitors is when they integrate the following before submission:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pre-tender rate cards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearance-specific pricing models<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IR35-aligned structures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bench-informed mobilisation assumptions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Misaligned rate modelling affects more than margin. It impacts delivery stability, retention and programme continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Public sector buyers remember programmes that stall due to unrealistic assumptions about mobilisation. They also remember suppliers who modelled accurately and delivered smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, win rate is about repeatability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Modelling for Mobilisation, Not Just Submission<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Strong commercial submissions consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How quickly cleared talent can be deployed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether a clearance transfer is required<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How IR35 status impacts take-home pay and retention<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether SFIA grading matches real consultant profiles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How rates compare across competing suppliers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If the bid assumes instant mobilisation without clearance modelling, it lacks operational credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the bid assumes universal Outside IR35 status without client appetite, it lacks commercial realism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pre-tender modelling resolves these tensions early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why This Matters in 2026 (And How We Help)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Procurement scrutiny is tightening. Pricing is no longer just a scoring column &#8211; it signals operational maturity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The strongest public sector suppliers don\u2019t position recruitment as post-award fulfilment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They integrate talent modelling into:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bid qualification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commercial strategy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Team design<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Risk mitigation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Pre-tender rate modelling is not about being cheaper. It\u2019s about being accurate. And in public-sector DDaT programmes, accuracy wins out more often than optimism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>At SR2 Consulting, rate modelling isn\u2019t something introduced after award. It forms part of the qualification and bid support.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>That means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Providing pre-tender rate cards aligned to SFIA grade and clearance level<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modelling Inside vs Outside IR35 impact across full team structures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stress-testing mobilisation assumptions against live cleared talent availability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aligning pricing to realistic deployment timeframes (not theoretical ones)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The result is bids that are commercially robust, operationally credible and deliverable at scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve seen first-hand how early commercial modelling strengthens submissions by increasing evaluator confidence in delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re building bids across Central Government, Defence, NHS or National Security frameworks and want to stress-test rate assumptions before submission, that conversation needs to happen at the qualification stage &#8211; not after award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/#Contact\">Get in touch with SR2 Consulting today.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In public-sector DDaT bids, most losses don\u2019t occur during evaluation. They happen at pricing. Not because the day rates aren\u2019t competitive. But because they\u2019re misaligned to clearance level, IR35 status,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":11802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"sp_smart_badges":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11800","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-consulting"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids - SR2 Recruitment Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids - SR2 Recruitment Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In public-sector DDaT bids, most losses don\u2019t occur during evaluation. They happen at pricing. Not because the day rates aren\u2019t competitive. But because they\u2019re misaligned to clearance level, IR35 status,...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SR2 Recruitment Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T10:08:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-02T10:14:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1698\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ella Johnson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ella Johnson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/consulting\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ella Johnson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3080c468cd62df7b9eabad1f04d2b385\"},\"headline\":\"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-27T10:08:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-02T10:14:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/consulting\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":874,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Consulting\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/consulting\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids - SR2 Recruitment Group\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-27T10:08:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-02T10:14:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3080c468cd62df7b9eabad1f04d2b385\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg\",\"width\":1698,\"height\":1750},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2consulting.co.uk\\\/insights\\\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"SR2 Recruitment Group\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3080c468cd62df7b9eabad1f04d2b385\",\"name\":\"Ella Johnson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/19410082c9fe2768a7206b7f532e54403b1a41e290d2ce8851a87ebcbc7f98ca?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/19410082c9fe2768a7206b7f532e54403b1a41e290d2ce8851a87ebcbc7f98ca?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/19410082c9fe2768a7206b7f532e54403b1a41e290d2ce8851a87ebcbc7f98ca?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ella Johnson\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sr2rec.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/ella-johnson\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids - SR2 Recruitment Group","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids - SR2 Recruitment Group","og_description":"In public-sector DDaT bids, most losses don\u2019t occur during evaluation. They happen at pricing. Not because the day rates aren\u2019t competitive. But because they\u2019re misaligned to clearance level, IR35 status,...","og_url":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/","og_site_name":"SR2 Recruitment Group","article_published_time":"2026-02-27T10:08:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-02T10:14:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1698,"height":1750,"url":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ella Johnson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ella Johnson","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/consulting\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/"},"author":{"name":"Ella Johnson","@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3080c468cd62df7b9eabad1f04d2b385"},"headline":"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids","datePublished":"2026-02-27T10:08:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-02T10:14:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/consulting\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/"},"wordCount":874,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg","articleSection":["Consulting"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/consulting\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/","url":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/","name":"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids - SR2 Recruitment Group","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-27T10:08:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-02T10:14:46+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3080c468cd62df7b9eabad1f04d2b385"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pexels-fatma-oner-333883680-35256854-scaled-e1772446246560.jpg","width":1698,"height":1750},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sr2consulting.co.uk\/insights\/the-pricing-mistakes-that-cost-public-sector-bids\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Pricing Mistakes That Cost Public Sector Bids"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/","name":"SR2 Recruitment Group","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3080c468cd62df7b9eabad1f04d2b385","name":"Ella Johnson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19410082c9fe2768a7206b7f532e54403b1a41e290d2ce8851a87ebcbc7f98ca?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19410082c9fe2768a7206b7f532e54403b1a41e290d2ce8851a87ebcbc7f98ca?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19410082c9fe2768a7206b7f532e54403b1a41e290d2ce8851a87ebcbc7f98ca?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ella Johnson"},"url":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/author\/ella-johnson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11800"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11807,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11800\/revisions\/11807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11800"},{"taxonomy":"sp_smart_badges","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sp_smart_badges?post=11800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}