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About Kenley Pursuit
An Ottawa-based practice run by Akili A.. We help owner-led companies decide which government bids are worth chasing, and what to charge.
Who is behind Kenley Pursuit
Akili A. is the founder and principal of Kenley Pursuit, based in Ottawa. She has more than five years of proposal management for companies that sell to government, and has worked on hundreds of RFP responses in Canada and the US.
Before that kind of work, she was trained in audit, where the job is to check whether the numbers hold. That habit is the reason Kenley Pursuit starts with the numbers, not the writing.
Why we start with the numbers
Inside companies selling to government, the same thing keeps happening. Strong companies lose bids they should have been competitive for. And attractive tenders look very different once price, delivery cost, risk and the effort to win are counted.
Most advice about RFPs is about writing a better response. That matters, but it comes second. If the bid was never winnable, or would not have paid, the best writing in the world does not fix it. So every opportunity gets the same two questions: can you realistically win it, and if you do, is it worth winning?
What we believe
- Fewer, better bids. Bidding on everything spreads your best people thin. Choosing well is the biggest lever most firms have.
- Price on purpose. A price set on gut feel in the last week either loses by a little or wins and loses money.
- A clear no is useful. Telling you not to bid is part of the job. It frees your time for the bids that pay.
- Plain language. No jargon and no padding. You should always understand why we are recommending something.
Who we work with
Owner-led companies in any industry that already bid on government work in Canada and the US, or are about to, and want the bids they chase to pay.
Most clients start in one of two places: they are not sure which bids to chase, or they are not sure what to charge. See what we do, or read the guides on bid/no-bid decisions and bid pricing.
Questions
Who will I actually work with?
Akili, directly. Kenley Pursuit is a small, owner-run practice, so the person you talk to on the first call is the person doing the work.
What industries do you work with?
Any. Government buyers purchase everything from construction to software to professional services, and the bid decision works the same way. We work with owner-led companies that bid on government work in Canada and the US.
Where are you based?
Ottawa, Ontario. We work remotely with clients across Canada and the US.
Do you guarantee wins?
No, and be careful with anyone who does. We can tell you whether a bid is worth pursuing, what to charge, and how to be competitive. The buyer still makes the decision.
What if the answer is "don't bid"?
Then we say so plainly. A bid you skip is time and money you keep for one that pays.
Want a second opinion on a live bid?
Book a free Bid Health Check and we will tell you plainly whether it is worth pursuing.