How does one create, from scratch, without seeking investment or accumulating debt, a bidding consultancy that becomes Scotland’s largest bid and tender specialist? Andrew Morrison has revealed just how to two of Scotland’s foremost entrepreneurs.

The driving force behind AM Bid and Ultimate Tender Coach, the business consulting and advisory business that was sold this year, Morrison revealed: “My first career was in social housing, so I was a social housing officer, then a social housing manager, then a senior manager,.”

Joining Sir Tom Hunter and Lord Willie Haughey on their Go Radio Business show, Morrison said: “While I was there, I was getting involved and sitting on commissioning panels, putting things out to tender. Eventually I was headhunted, when I worked at City of Edinburgh Council by a large London firm who had won a big contract with Edinburgh Council, and they were looking for somebody Scottish to run it. With the council’s permission, I made the crossover from the public sector into the private sector.”

“I got that contract up and running. It was to get 1500 private rented properties for a private sector leasing scheme, which was something new, providing housing for homeless, mainly families.

“The London-based company said: ‘You know what? You would be great writing our bids and can you work for us across the UK as our director of business development.’ So that's how I got into bidding 18 years ago”

Morrison then worked for British Gas but left in 2014 on the back of the Scottish Government introducing legislation for procurement.

“I thought there will be lots of SME businesses that won’t be able to necessarily cope with the rigours of public procurement,” says Morrison. “They're going to need help. So now’s the time to launch my business! So I left. I was on a great number at British Gas, but I left that and set up on my own in 2014.”

Morrison admits, however, that his experience with British Gas was invaluable.

“They taught me the real nuances of bidding and everything that was involved. So I was exposed to all the legal side of things, all the commercial side of things, all the operational side of things.

“I was working on his contract sometimes leading a big team that had more than 20 people in it, working for a year on maybe a £200 million energy efficiency scheme. Getting that sort of ‘larger’ experience and more like a corporate experience really helped me. But I knew my time had come not just because the Scottish Government changed the procurement legislation, but also when I won the entrepreneurial Spirit Award in British Gas. I thought, well, that tells me now it’s time to get out!’"

Asked by the show’s hosts if the Scottish Government had ever asked for his advice about how to effectively control public procurement, Morrison revealed: “There have been bits and pieces of engagement over the years.

“I would say not much recently, probably the pandemic brought an end to quite a lot of the kind of in-person round tables that we used to go to with the Finance or Business Secretary.”