Who are LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons? 

Cardiff Dragons are Wales’ premier netball team and the only semi-professional netball team in Wales. The team combines the finest players from all over Wales, with a mix of international talent blended into the group. They were formerly part of Wales Netball, but in 2023 they went off as a standalone company. In December they got their first major sponsors, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and that was the beginning of them becoming fully professional.

The Challenge

The netball Superleague is moving into a new phase and Cardiff Dragons needed to get into it to ensure the team’s survival. They knew there would be a bid process and had no experience of bidding. They also knew that they only had one chance to get this right. There would be no chance of entering the Superleague otherwise, which would mean question marks over their existence. A win was crucial to their survival. There are only 8 places in the Superleague.

Why they chose Winning Tenders?

Winning Tenders were referred to Vicki Sutton at Cardiff Dragons by an existing Winning Tenders client and came highly recommended. After an initial conversation, Vicki felt confident that we would work well together. They said they found Winning Tenders to be responsive and quick to understand their challenges and how to position the bid.

The Solution

The Winning Tenders Bid Writer quickly got to know their organisation and the background behind the need to bid, as well as the politics involved in the new Superleague structure.

She got together all the documents and held regular brainstorming sessions, helping Cardiff Dragons to get their vision onto paper. They were supported in turning their common netball abbreviations into something that any person scoring the bid would be able to understand. Our Bid Writer put everything together and showed them how to evidence it correctly. They had to include information about what their fan base was like, add social media posts, evidence statements, pictures, stats and sell themselves. They had to position themselves as a netball ‘centre’, not just a team in Wales. They needed to be seen as a profitable and dynamic organisation. There was a lot of documentation needed, which our Bid Writer put into neat information packs including information on all staff and their CVs. After several discussions, our Bid Writer had everything that she needed and was able to write them an outstanding bid – something which they say they would not have been able to do themselves.

The Result 

They won the bid and were the only Welsh team to get into the Superleague! This will secure their future. For the upcoming season, half of their games will be hosted at major arenas nationwide, attracting larger crowds and providing fans with an elevated match day experience. Additionally, all games will be accessible for home viewing. Beyond the court, there will be a strong effort to expand the fanbase and connect with untapped communities. This initiative aims to take current fans on a thrilling new adventure while introducing new audiences to an exciting and captivating sporting experience. This major bid win means they can build up the next generation and attract international players.