AI and Human Collaboration Drive Bid Team Success in UK and Europe, 2025 SRM Report Finds

Responsive and APMP Release 2025 European Report on Strategic Response Management

Responsive, a leader in AI-driven Strategic Response Management (SRM) software, has partnered with the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) to publish Winning Business in the Age of AI: UK & European Market Trends. This report examines how go-to-market teams in Europe are adapting to rising buyer expectations and leveraging AI alongside human expertise to accelerate growth.

B2B buyers now expect faster, more precise responses. Successful revenue teams are turning to AI-powered tools, including AI agents, to meet these demands and maintain a competitive edge. The report, based on surveys of revenue leaders and practitioners, reveals that bid and proposal teams are increasingly viewed as key revenue drivers and strategic partners, despite facing tougher market conditions marked by tight deadlines and demanding, informed buyers.

AI’s Growing Role in Revenue Teams

Daniel Tscharner, Head of Bid Management at Swisscom, highlights how AI is breaking down information silos and helping coordinate efforts across pursuit teams. Early adoption is already reshaping how organizations qualify leads, collaborate internally, and win deals.

Ganesh Shankar, CEO of Responsive, notes that UK and European organizations are not simply adopting AI for the sake of it. Instead, they are thoughtfully aligning people, processes, and technology. This approach is redefining roles and workflows, enabling knowledge sharing, and boosting scalability. Bid and proposal management is shifting from a reactive task to a source of competitive advantage. AI has moved from being a future goal to a current priority for successful teams.

Key Findings from the Report

• Increased Pressure on Revenue Teams: 80% of organizations report heightened pressure due to buyer autonomy, tighter budgets, and faster turnaround requirements. In the UK, 39% say greater buyer independence is significantly affecting sales outcomes, limiting opportunities for vendors to influence decisions.
• Knowledge Democratization Gaps: Only about one-third of organizations have fully implemented core SRM functions like centralized reusable content repositories (34%) and company-wide access to knowledge (36%). Accessible knowledge is essential for effective AI use, cross-team alignment, and timely, accurate responses.
• Acceleration in AI Adoption: 78% of UK organizations have increased technology investments, with over half piloting or planning AI deployments in key revenue roles. Still, only 21% have fully deployed AI agents, reflecting a careful and measured rollout.
• Elevated Role of Bid Teams: Most respondents see bid and proposal teams as major contributors to revenue (86%) and strategic business partners (79%). UK bid teams tend to be better resourced (79% vs. 60% in the EU) and report higher job satisfaction (86% vs. 52%). Over half of UK organizations increased bid team headcount last year, surpassing their EU counterparts by more than 20 percentage points. Additionally, 78% of UK firms increased tech spend for bid teams compared to 60% in the rest of Europe. Seventy-one percent agree the role of bid professionals must evolve alongside AI integration.

For executives and strategy professionals, these insights underscore the importance of investing in both people and AI technology to stay competitive. Building a centralized knowledge base and integrating AI purposefully can unlock efficiency and revenue growth.

Download the full Winning Business in the Age of AI: EU/UK Market Trends Report for a deeper look at what sets the leading B2B teams apart in today’s AI-driven environment.

About Responsive

Responsive is a global provider of SRM software that helps companies manage strategic responses at scale. Its AI-powered platform enables organizations to share critical information efficiently, accelerate growth, reduce risk, and improve employee experience. Trusted by over 2,000 companies worldwide, Responsive supports responses to RFPs, RFIs, DDQs, ESGs, security questionnaires, and other key documents.

Headquartered in Portland, OR, Responsive also has offices in Kansas City, Dallas, Dublin, and Coimbatore.