Natalie Hardy

An accomplished Bid Manager and bid writer with a strong track record of leading complex, high-value bids from qualification through to submission and award, including the winning £2.6bn HS2 bid and a subsequent £1.6bn, 12-year maintenance contract. Skilled in bid strategy, proposal writing, stakeholder management, compliance and governance frameworks, with the added strength of a financial and commercial background that sharpens bid quality, pricing strategy and win probability. Comfortable leading bid teams and engaging stakeholders at all levels, from board members to funding bodies, to secure winning outcomes.

FP&A Analyst & Bid Advisor - Control Risks

(2025-05 - 2025-09)

• Acted as the go-to adviser on international bid submissions for government contracts, working closely with bid teams and local authorities to align submissions with grant funding requirements and win strategy.
• Guided internal stakeholders through forecast variances and contract-level analysis to strengthen the commercial case within live bids and proposals.
• Delivered FP&A support to the APAC division within the defence and security sector, and stood up a centralised FP&A service team supporting all global regions.
• Designed streamlined, consistent reporting processes across all operational regions and led quarterly financial modelling against the annual forecast.

Bid Writer & Commercial Bid Accountant - Wincanton

(2024-08 - 2024-12)

• Authored full bid documents for a diverse client base, with a strategic focus on logistics and warehouse storage solutions, across both retendered contracts and new business.
• Led bid/no-bid qualification decisions alongside internal stakeholders, confirming service delivery feasibility and building financial models to evidence the cost implications of a successful tender.

Bid Manager - Matriarch Consultancy

(2023-12 - 2024-04)

• Managed and submitted comprehensive bids for care services tendered by independent contractors to local authorities, securing grant funding for independent living contracts.
• Maintained rigorous adherence to government compliance standards across all submitted proposals.

Bid Manager - TÜV Rheinland Group

(2023-02 - 2023-07)

• Managed all aspects of bid submissions, relocating oversight from the US into the specific countries where bids were lodged.
• Established a new framework for the effective transfer of ongoing contracts and streamlined processes for identifying and pursuing new opportunities.
• Conducted performance assessments of existing contracts, validating that the new system delivered outcomes equivalent to previous approaches.

Commercial Finance Bid Analyst - LORAM

(2022-09 - 2023-02)

• Analysed underperforming contracts, generating strategic commercial options via financial models to enhance value and uncover cost reduction potential.
• Reported findings to board members and stakeholders, both internal and external, informing decisions with financial and non-financial analysis.

Senior Finance Analyst - Legal & General

(2022-03 - 2022-07)

• Provided monthly performance reports to Group Money In/Out stakeholders, highlighting forecast variance drivers and projecting future performance.
• Ensured the accuracy of financial models, enabling the board to assess cash inflow against anticipated policy targets.

Financial Planning Analyst - DS Smith - Caerphilly

(2021-01 - 2021-12)

• Served as Financial Planning Analyst for the Recycling division, offering FP&A services and acting as Finance Business Partner to Head Office departments.
• Consolidated monthly outcomes and reporting for both the division and the group, analysing volume, revenue, added value and expenses.
• Presented reports on deviations from forecast, chaired review sessions and prepared management information packages.
• Engaged a range of stakeholders to build reliable volume forecasts and financial year out-turn projections.

Commercial Finance Business Partner - Arriva TrainCare

(2019-09 - 2020-09)

• Provided strategic input into bid processes, identifying risks and opportunities through historical data and contract analysis, ensuring successful commercial results for government-funded initiatives.
• Partnered with Business Development to assess new bid opportunities, leveraging historical contract data to build sustainable financial models.
• Created business cases and evaluated options, incorporating scenario modelling, enablement strategies and detailed financial models for projects and bids.
• Managed commercial and tactical insight for maintenance projects, reporting directly to the Commercial Director, and developed the annual forecast model.

Senior & Lead Bid Manager - Bombardier Transportation

(2017-10 - 2019-09)

• Spearheaded the preparation of the winning HS2 bid, overseeing all financial evaluations for the £2.6bn Hitachi/Bombardier joint venture.
• Secured a subsequent bid for a long-term maintenance contract (12 years / £1.6bn).
• Engineered an integrated financial model to evaluate the competitive landscape supporting the bid process.
• Presented the 'Blue Book' governance framework to the senior team bi-monthly and led cross-functional, risk-based assessments incorporating legal changes.
• Prepared multiple cross-country rolling stock bids for clients including Arriva, East Coast Rail and Great Northern Rail.

Senior Commercial Manager - Methodist Homes (MHA)

(2013-12 - 2016-08)

• Proactively pursued and secured financial grants from local authorities for care home and independent living services.
• Led the support effort for the business's largest acquisition, a £36m purchase of a premium care home group, and shared leadership of the funding workstream.
• Contributed significantly to a £120m refinancing initiative and managed integration planning across HR, Finance and Operations.
• Reported monthly to the Commercial Director on supply chain, legal and insurance governance.

Charitable Income Manager - MHA

(2008-01 - 2013-12)

• Directed a team of five, managing all financial aspects of charitable income with a strategic emphasis on securing grants from charitable foundations including the Big Lottery Fund.
• Secured £4.4m in funding from the Big Lottery Fund by crafting compelling, competitively won bids for enhanced services for senior citizens.
• Competed for local authority funding to introduce novel healthcare solutions for service users, and maintained databases to track fundraising performance against goals.

LLB (Hons) - Law - Liverpool University School of Law (2002 - 2006)