Q&A: SitePursuits aims to revolutionize project proposals

In an era of complex procurement and nation-building ambitions, winning major project proposals has never been more competitive—or more exhausting. SitePursuits, a new joint venture between SitePartners and Red Team Strategy, wants to change that.

Bringing together the strategic proposal expertise of Colleen Reid and the creative horsepower of SitePartners, SitePursuits offers full-cycle pursuit management, from compliance checks and messaging strategy to high-end video production and flythrough animations. The aim? Help firms of all sizes produce more compelling, complete and compliant submissions that win work.

We sat down with Colleen Reid, co-founder of SitePursuits, to learn how the initiative came together, why proposals are getting harder, and what it really takes to stand out.

SiteNews: First, tell me a bit about yourself and how you got into proposals.

Colleen Reid: I started as a marketing coordinator after my business degree and I just got into proposal coordination. It was just part of the sale process or the BD process… I loved writing. I loved putting together the package and then winning—that’s all A-type personality enjoyment for me.

I ended up moving to SNC-Lavalin—now AtkinsRéalis—where I spent almost five years learning everything. From there, I went to Ledcor, helped centralize some of their processes, then to EllisDon, and eventually realized I wanted to help other companies elevate their proposals. 

A lot of companies were reusing boilerplate. They were pursuing projects without a clear strategy. I knew I could give something more—craft something that was compliant, but also responsive and compelling. So I started Red Team Strategy in 2019 to help clients build better proposals.

Tell me about SitePursuits. How did the idea for the partnership with SitePartners come about?

SitePartners CEO Andrew Hansen and I go way back to our Ledcor days. We’d always referred clients to each other but never actually worked on something together. Then we reconnected when I visited his new Abbotsford office, and I had just wrapped up five major pursuits. I was burnt out.

I told him, “I’m so busy I’m turning away work. I don’t want people to even know I exist because I don’t have the capacity.” And he said, “We can help with this.” He had the team—copy editors, designers, support staff—and I had the expertise. We saw a huge opportunity to build something together that isn’t being serviced in the industry right now.

Why are these proposals so notoriously difficult?

The expectations are higher and the timelines are shorter. Authorities are asking for more information—more detail, better presentation—and they want it all in a compressed schedule.

When I started out, we were doing a couple of pages in Word. Now everything has to be branded, laid out in InDesign, visually compelling, and comprehensive. They’re not just asking about your team—they want to know about your structure, your diversity, your inclusion policies. It’s no longer one answer. It’s layers.

Who is SitePursuits for? What kind of client do you think will benefit most?

All sizes, to be frank.

Smaller firms might benefit from improved processes—they might think they’re being compliant, but they’re not double-checking requirements. They might not realize how impactful visuals can be in an executive summary.

For larger firms, they may not realize how their competition is elevating their proposals. You never see your competitors’ submissions, so you don’t know if they’re including video, animation, or unique storytelling. We bring that knowledge and help them go further.

And then you’ve got the developers or consortiums—these teams are dealing with so many moving pieces. We come in and help them coordinate across volumes, manage the writing, interview SMEs, and take that workload off their plate.

What separates a winning proposal from one that misses the mark?

Strong messaging. You need to show the client you’ve heard their challenges and that you’ve tailored your response. Developing key win themes and strategic positioning make all the difference. 

It’s also about the team—having the right people with the right experience. Price is obviously a big factor too. And then there’s the presentation. If it looks good, people know you’ve put time and effort into it. Good design isn’t just aesthetic. It helps clients absorb and relate to the information.

What trends are shaping how proposals are written today?

ESG is a big one. It’s no longer enough to say you support it—you need a comprehensive plan. Diversity and inclusion, Indigenous engagement, local economic impacts… all of that is part of it.

Indigenous engagement especially has grown significantly in Canada. It’s not just about artwork anymore. It’s about employment, training, and long-term community benefits.

Finally, technology integration. As the AEC industry embraces smarter, more efficient ways of designing and delivering projects, owners are placing growing emphasis on digital capabilities in their RFPs. Proposals are expected to show not just familiarity with industry tools but strategic use of technology to reduce risk, increase collaboration, and improve outcomes.

How is AI impacting how you approach proposal work?

AI is absolutely transforming how proposals are developed, much like it is in every industry. At SitePursuits, we’re actively leveraging AI to streamline tasks like writing, editing, and transcribing SME interviews. But we see AI as a tool—not a replacement. Our clients still rely on us for the human side: strategic thinking, creative positioning, navigating last-minute pivots, and being a true partner throughout the process. By combining human expertise with AI-powered execution, we’re able to deliver faster, more competitive proposals without sacrificing quality.

What makes SitePursuits unique in the marketplace?

Scalability and full-service delivery. Proposals have natural peaks and valleys—you might need one person at the start, six in the middle, and then scale back. That’s hard to manage internally. We can flex with that cycle.

And we offer everything in-house—editing, writing, proposal management, animation, video production. That’s rare. No more scrambling to find another consultant. It’s streamlined, cost-effective, and under one roof.

What kind of role can SitePursuits play in Canada’s infrastructure boom and nation-building efforts?

There’s always going to be a need to bid on projects. Even if delivery models shift, even if funding gets tighter—firms still need to communicate their value clearly and effectively.

We’re here to help them do that. Whether it’s hospitals, highways, power plants—there’s a role for experts like us to help companies compete and succeed in these high-stakes opportunities.

Finally, what’s your favourite part of the job?

When teams take the time to really understand why they’re pursuing a project—and how it aligns with what they offer. That’s when the strategy becomes exciting.

I love managing the whole cycle. There’s so much variety. One week it’s an airport, the next it’s a light rail project. I get to learn so much about how things are built, operated and maintained. I love that I get to be part of that.