What is Foundation Level certification?

Foundation Level certification demonstrates knowledge and understanding of bid and proposal management best practices and a commitment to your own professional development.
APMP Foundation Level certification is the entry level for the APMP certification programme

About APMP certification

APMP certification is the global standard for developing and demonstrating bid and proposal management competency, offering the only industry-recognised certification programme for bid and proposal professionals.

  • Demonstrates personal commitment to your career and profession.

  • Improves business development capabilities and skill sets.

  • Creates a focus on best practices.

  • Fosters respect and credibility among peers, clients, and organisational leaders.

  • Reinforces bid and proposal management as an important role in an organisation.

Why learn with BidCraft?

  • Experience

    We've extensive real-world bid and proposal experience so we can guide you through what’s behind the syllabus.

  • Flexibility

    Learn at your own pace, where and when you want and on any device. Dip in and out around bid deadlines – you’re in control.

  • Live Q&A

    Share the learning through live Q&A and discussion groups. You'll not be left on your own.

What people say

5 star rating

A great training course...

Ged Hesketh

... well-constructed at the right level of detail, interesting and well-presented. Using APMP terminology, it covers the entire Business Development lifecyc...

Read More

... well-constructed at the right level of detail, interesting and well-presented. Using APMP terminology, it covers the entire Business Development lifecycle - Roles, Activities, Tools - comprehensively, clearly and succinctly. So, as well as being an ideal companion for anyone preparing for the APMP Foundation exam, it's also a useful tool for anyone new to bidding who wants an overview of how it should be done, and for the more experinced practitioner looking for a refresher course in the basics. Excellent!

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5 star rating

A must have for any business that is serious in bidding f...

Bill Bailey

This is a very easy-to-follow course, with lots of detail to take on board. Great to see how some of it already mirrors what we are doing, but even better t...

Read More

This is a very easy-to-follow course, with lots of detail to take on board. Great to see how some of it already mirrors what we are doing, but even better to identify gaps in what we do and improve. This is a must-do course for any business serious in winning bids.

Read Less

Am I eligible?

Foundation certification is designed for professionals who are relatively new to the bid and proposal environment. To achieve Foundation certification, you must:

  • have at least 1 year of experience in a bid and proposal environment

  • provide a reference to confirm your experience

  • pass the Foundation certification exam

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to Foundation!

  • 2

    Live lessons

    • Want a live lesson or webinar?
  • 3

    Chapter 1: About the exam

  • 4

    Chapter 2: The Foundation Syllabus

    • Introducing the Foundation syllabus competencies
  • 5

    Chapter 3: Sales Orientation

    • Introduction

    • Sales participation

    • Opportunity/capture plan development

    • Test your learning
  • 6

    Chapter 4: Planning

    • Schedule development

    • Test your learning
  • 7

    Chapter 5: Development

    • Introduction

    • Opportunity qualification

    • Winning price development

    • Teaming partner identification

    • Proposal strategy development

    • Executive summary development

    • Content plan development

    • Requirements Identification

    • Compliance checklist development

    • Persuasive writing - Part 1

    • Persuasive writing - Part 2

    • Persuasive writing - Part 3

    • Persuasive writing - Part 4

    • Graphics development

    • Test your learning - Part 1

    • Test your learning - Part 2
  • 8

    Chapter 6: Management

    • Introduction

    • Process management

    • Review management

    • Kick-off meeting management

    • Risk Management

    • Production management

    • Lessons learned analysis and management

    • Virtual team management

    • Test your learning - Part 1

    • Test your learning - Part 2
  • 9

    Chapter 7: Information Management and Research

    • Introduction

    • Information gathering

    • Knowledge management

    • Test your learning
  • 10

    Next steps

    • Congrats! Now go pass that exam...

    • Before you go...

Pricing

You can buy the course on its own or with the exam included. Sometimes monthly payments are better, so we offer that, too. There are no additional booking fees and the price includes tax - bring as many bags onboard as you like!

Useful to know

APMP membership and exam fees

To give you the full picture, here are the fees for joining APMP and sitting the exam. These are out of our control, but we’ve shown them here to help you budget.

You don’t need to be an APMP member to sit the exam, but it’s cheaper if you are.

The exam costs £250 for APMP members or £430 for non-members. Prices are subject to change, so keep an eye out for the latest info here. VAT is included in the exam price.

Standard APMP membership costs $160 USD per annum or $80 for students and retirees. You can find more info about membership by clicking here.

The combined cost of annual membership and paying for the exam is £375 (depending on exchange rates) compared to £430 for non-members. Bargain!

What's included?

  • The Foundation Study Guide

  • 50 lessons covering the whole Foundation syllabus

  • 7-hours of learning (excluding the live Zoom calls)

  • 1 year of unlimited instant access to the whole course content

  • A diverse range of lesson formats including video, text, surveys, and tests

  • Sample exam questions

  • Live Q&A and discussion groups to learn with others

  • Progress tracking via your student dashboard

  • A free course workbook with checklists and tips to download

Your own course workbook to download

We’ll give you a free workbook to support any self-directed study. The workbook contains useful guidance, checklists, and space to scribble notes and record actions. Of course, you don’t have to use it – we won’t be marking your homework – but we think it'll help.
Front cover of your course workbook with Dave

FAQ

  • Do I have to be an APMP member to sit the exam?

    No, you don't need to be an APMP member but the difference in cost for non-members is more than the cost of membership (hint).

  • Is it an open-book exam?

    Yes. You're allowed to use APMP's Foundation Study Guide and Glossary of Terms, as well as your BidCraft course workbook.

  • What is the exam pass mark?

    Foundation is a 1hr multiple-choice exam, with 75 questions. You need to get 42 marks to pass. We tell you more in the free lesson.

  • Where can I find the resources and information I need to study for the exam?

    This course covers the syllabus topics that are tested by the exam. We also recommend that you read the Foundation Study Guide and Glossary of Terms, which are available to APMP members at www.apmp.org. We include a pdf of the Study Guide as well in case you want a local copy.

  • Can I take a practice exam?

    Yes. You can take the practice exam by visiting https://sampleexams.apmg-international.com/Marlin/SamplePapers.aspx and selecting "APMP Foundation" from the dropdown menu.

  • If I take this course does it mean that I’m guaranteed to pass the exam?

    There are no guarantees in life but taking this course will help you to be as prepared as you possibly can. We’ve sat and passed the exam, so we can show you what to expect, what you need to know, and what it’ll be like.

  • What happens if I don't pass the exam?

    If you fail you may have to wait six months to register for and retake the exam. Appeals are handled on an individual case basis.

  • Who administers the exams?

    The APMP certification programme is administered by The APM Group Ltd. APMG is a leading accreditation, certification and qualification organisation recognised internationally by government agencies.

  • Do I need to maintain my certification?

    Certification will remain valid as long as you record ongoing professional development activity in your personal profile on the APMP website. At the Foundation Level, you must record a minimum of 20 continuing education units (CEU) in every two-year period following your qualification.

Like what you've seen?

Explore other courses that are available to support your professional development journey.

Need more help choosing?

We respect that you have choices for how to learn and with who. We know it can be bewildering to find out exactly what those choices are, so we’ve built a decision matrix that summarises the pros and cons and the features and benefits of the various options. Make the choice that works for you.

We've also added an example justification email for your boss to help with the funding.

Decision Matrix.pdf

Email to the boss.docx

Still got questions?

Call us on +44 (0)7780 460001 or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you.

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