Purpol Marketing Limited - Business Development Achievement of the Year

Company: Purpol Marketing Limited, Chippenham, United Kingdom
Company Description: Denise O’Leary is the founder of Purpol Marketing who are bid writing and marketing strategy experts holding an impressive 95% win rate with £3.5bn opportunity secured to date. Her book WINNER has been an Amazon No1 bestseller. Denise measures her success on how much her clients win and is sharing knowledge as an author, mentor and speaker. Purpol coach on how to win awards, grants and bids.
Nomination Category: Business Development Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Business Development Achievement of the Year - Services Industries

Nomination Title: Pivoting From bids to grants whilst training the Covid generation

Denise O’Leary is the founder of Purpol Marketing and has 25+ years of experience as bid writing and marketing strategy experts holding an impressive 95% win rate with £3.6bn opportunity secured to date.

Denise engages with the UK government at No10, the Cabinet Office and the House of Lords to share knowledge on how SME businesses can win critical bids as well as marketing their brands to win business. She also helps charities win much needed grants. Denise speaks internationally to showcase how effective marketing principles are key to construction companies in order to deliver values led messaging to the benefit of all clients and measurers her success by how much her clients win.

Denise is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the next generation and has provided numerous internships and work placements – from a few weeks to 6 months . She speaks at her old school on career development and interview training and has mentored worldwide especially for women in construction and young people developing their marketing careers.

“Denise is an excellent mentor and provided me with fantastic marketing skills, I am very grateful to have worked with her during a two-month 2020 remote apprenticeship program” Kaitlin Sugrue

Outline the nominated achievement since July 1 2019 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):

With the bid writing element of her business on hold during the UK Lockdown, Denise refocused her business to provide grant writing support to UK charities on a ‘no win no fee basis, alongside training the next generation of digital marketers through 3 different internship programmes including the UK Government sponsored KICKSTART Scheme.

This was a radical change to a payment on success model for the charity grant writing and moved her company into a totally different client area. By focusing support on two specific organisations – one that enabled those with learning difficulties to work on a farm; and another that provides care and befriending services to the elderly, she has won over £100k of grants since July 2020!

This has funded desperately needed activity such as increased kitchen and toilet facilities and outside seating to host socially distanced events at the farm; and funding PPE and additional carers to provide befriending, food shopping and accompany hospital visits.

“Thank you for taking the risk and believing in us – this money will change so many lives… you are incredible.” Alec Jones-Hall, Cherishers

COVID-19 raised huge challenges, specifically for students. Work experience opportunities evaporated, and recruitment freezes left students without opportunities. In 2020, Purpol have supported60+ students with only 2 staff, growing

As well as internships, Purpol’s digital Kickstart scheme was the first National Remote digital marketing scheme in the UK providing 50 placements for 16 to 24 year olds at risk of long term unemployment.

Explain why the achievement you have highlighted is unique or significant. If possible compare the achievement to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):

Having won £100k+ of grants for Vana Trust and Cherishes, these charities now have more certainty, and security.

“Purpol have shown incredible faith in us, I cant tell you how happy I am.” Alec Jones-Hall, Cherishers.

By transferring established marketing and business development processes into this new area of Grant writing, Purpol have diversified their client offer and reach as well as help worthy causes. Purpol wanted to turn the negatives of Covid Lockdown into positives, applying knowledge of bid writing principles and translating into results to keep charities delivering meaningful work.

The Covid situation also incubated the idea of expanding our remote 8 week internships programme, historically targeted at University students to those with a passion to learn digital marketing that were claiming benefits and at risk of lone term unemployment.

50 Kickstart interns now have a six-month paid role with Purpol Marketing, commencing Nov2020 developing marketing skills through a mix of zoom, online learning and virtual workshops.

They are working on individual and group projects and are fully supported to develop skills including: collaboration and teamwork, leadership, commercial awareness, time management, communication, negotiation, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving.

Placement students have completed Purpol’s online courses Magnificent Marketing, Digitally Marketing for Recovery, and the Better way to Bid as part of the experience.

They are currently creating and filming their own ‘Kickstart your career’ online course to develop employment skills such as writing CV’s/ covering letters and interview training. This course will also benefit future students.

Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):

Attachments include:

AWARD-WINNING MARKETING AGENCY IS ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE UK TO GIVE 50 YOUNG PEOPLE A KICK START - Purpol Marketing

Purpol Kickstart Scheme - what I want to achieve student comments

Example Blogs from Students