10/02/2026
Adding a teaming partner does not make a bid stronger. Closing a gap does.
A partner earns a spot on the team when they bring one of four things you do not have:
Work you cannot do.
People you cannot staff.
Experience you cannot match.
A relationship with an agency that already trusts them.
If they are not closing one of those, they are adding coordination work without adding any reason for the evaluator to pick you. Two sets of reviewers, two writing styles, and nothing new on the table.
And decide early. Teaming talks that happen near the deadline produce a proposal that reads like two companies wrote it, because two companies did.
Not a bigger team. A stronger one.
In Episode 7 of Written to Win, Michelle Keshel walks through how to tell the difference before you commit.
Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/9As6KY9v9Tk
What gap has a partner actually closed for you?
The right teaming partner can help you win. The wrong one makes thi...