About Us

More than 50 years ago, Richard Shipley recognized a critical gap in the business world: the absence of a common standard for business writing. As a language specialist, he set out to transform how organizations communicated, founding Shipley to establish clarity, consistency, and professionalism in business documents. His pioneering style guide laid the foundation for the first-ever standards in business writing.

Building on this legacy, Stephen Shipley expanded the vision by applying these principles to the world of bids and proposals. He didn’t just improve the way proposals were written—he helped define a new profession. By integrating structured processes with persuasive writing techniques, Stephen turned proposal development into a strategic discipline.

His leadership culminated in the creation of a professional community. Stephen launched the initiative that led to the formation of the National Association of Proposal Professionals, which later evolved into the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP).

Clients engage us to improve their Business Growth.  Call us for a free consultation to see how you can improve your win rates.  In the meantime keep reading about what clients engage us for.

 

1. Business Development Consulting

Clients hire us to provide expert consulting services to win more contracts, especially in competitive government and commercial markets. Their consultants guide clients through:

• Capture planning
• Proposal development
• Strategic pricing
• Presentation coaching
• Color team reviews1

2. Industry-Leading Training

Clients hire us to build their business winniing skills through our training programs for individuals and teams, including:

• Capture and Proposal Training
• Business Development Leadership Training
• OnDemand Learning (flexible, self-paced)
• Corporate Workshops tailored to client needs
• Shipley Certification to boost professional credibility1

3. AI Enablement Services

AI needs to be underpinned with responsiveness.  Clients engage us to help integrate AI tools into proposal and business development workflows, helping teams:

• Automate proposal writing
• Improve efficiency
• Reduce rework and errors
• Enhance win rates with data-driven insights1

4. Global Reach

With offices in over 39 countries, Shipley serves clients across industries like:

• Defense
• Aerospace
• Healthcare
• Energy
• Professional services

5. Professional Associations

Shipley helped establish the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) and remains a Platinum Sponsor. They offer continuing education credits and support certification for proposal professionals