How to write case studies that win public sector bids

Almost every public tender asks for evidence of similar work, often called past performance, experience or case studies. For small firms, this is often the most important part of the bid, because it proves you can do the job despite being small.

Choose the right examples

The best case study is the one closest to this tender. Similarity matters in this order:

1. The same kind of work, such as a data migration, a website rebuild or a managed service.
2. A similar buyer, ideally public sector and a similar size.
3. A similar scale in budget, users or duration.
4. Recent, usually within the last three to five years.

If you have no public sector work, a private client of similar size and complexity still counts. Say why it is relevant.

The case study template

Client and context. Who, when, and what they needed. One or two sentences.

The challenge. What made it hard. This is what shows the evaluator you have faced their kind of problem.

What we did. Three to five steps. Name technology only if it matters to this buyer.

Results. Numbers wherever possible: time saved, cost reduced, users served, uptime achieved, delivered on schedule.

Relevance to this tender. One sentence linking it to the buyer's requirement.

Reference. Name, title and contact details, if the buyer asks and the client has agreed.

A worked example

Client: A municipality of about 120,000 people (an example, with the details changed), 2025.

Challenge: The district's online building permit applications ran on an unsupported system that failed during peak periods, and staff re-keyed every application into a separate back-office system.

What we did: We ran a four-week discovery with permit staff and applicants, built a new application service on the district's existing Microsoft platform, integrated it with the back-office system through its API, and moved two years of open applications across in a weekend.

Results: Re-keying ended, saving about 30 staff hours a week. Average time from application to first review fell from 11 days to 4. No unplanned downtime in the first 12 months.

Relevance: The Ministry's licensing service has the same pattern of an outdated public front end and manual back-office entry.

Look after your references

Ask clients before naming them, tell them which tender it is for, and let them know a call may come. A reference who is surprised by the call gives a weaker one.

Build a library

Write a short case study at the end of every project while the details are fresh. Store them in your bid library and tailor them for each tender.

Common questions

Can I use work done as a subcontractor as a case study?

Yes, as long as you are clear about your role. Evaluators value honest descriptions of what your firm did.

What if a client won't let me name them?

Describe them generally, such as "a mid-sized Ontario municipality", and offer the reference privately if the buyer needs it.

How many case studies should a bid include?

As many as the tender asks for, usually two or three. Choose fewer, closer examples over many loose ones.