Building strategic teaming partnerships that win and deliver

Partnerships between competitors for project pursuits are far from a new concept, but we’re seeing them become more common practice across almost every market sector and on every scale. It can often feel like a game of musical chairs, with firms racing to lock in partnerships on must-win pursuits before someone else does. The panic is real.

A successful partnership, though, does more than win the project. It delivers better project outcomes for your firms and the client. When done correctly, it also doesn’t happen on the heels of an RFP being issued or by scanning the pre-proposal attendance list (we know you’ve done it). Strategic collaboration is built long before a pursuit hits the street.

Partnerships built on strategy, not urgency, create real value for everyone involved. They are rooted in alignment, shared values, and a clear value proposition that combines the strengths of multiple firms.

The recent SMPS Trends Report identified collaboration as one of the defining currencies of success in today’s AEC landscape. Below, we explore some best practices and key considerations for your firm as you strategize potential teaming partnerships.

The Why

Regardless of your role within a partnership (acting as the local, national, or subject-matter expert), it’s critical to be intentional in how and why you team. Don’t simply commit to the first firm that picks up the phone.

A smart pursuit strategy starts with an objective analysis of your own firm’s strengths and weaknesses. We’re often quick to focus on our value proposition and our differentiators, but why might the client NOT select you? What gaps do you need to fill? Who do you expect the competition to be, and what might they bring to the table that you can’t offer in-house?

One of the consistent themes in the SMPS Trends data is that clients are prioritizing teams that demonstrate foresight, adaptability, and integrated problem-solving. That doesn’t just come from strong individual firms. It comes from the right combination of firms.

Though often driven by a mix of factors, we typically see three primary needs shaping partnership strategies:

Local familiarity and relationships

Proven client trust, responsiveness, market knowledge, and understanding of local codes and processes.

Perhaps another firm that struggles to deliver at a project’s scale or complexity has a positive, long-standing relationship with the client, which gives your team immediate credibility and trust. They bring the local market, code, and permitting knowledge that are important to demonstrate. You bring the proof of portfolio and market expertise the project requires. It might even be a political marriage, as many public-sector projects require local representation.

Additional expertise

A deeper portfolio of relevant projects, specific program experience, or access to new ideas and tools. 

Long gone are the days when only a handful of firms have experience with a particular project typology. With the rise of mega-firms, portfolios have gotten deeper, and clients expect to see their project challenges reflected directly in your past work. Partnering with a firm that allows you to both meet the qualifications and bring a unique angle or approach is how firms are truly standing out. We’re seeing specialist roles become more and more specialized. Think neurodivergence researcher in a behavioral health facility or a wildlife biologist who specializes in bat migration for bridge construction projects. Yep. That’s what you might be up against.

Increased bandwidth and resources

Confidence in your team’s ability to manage scale and complexity, plus redundancy of skills when turnover inevitably happens.

Savvy clients keep their ears to the ground and track activity in the market. They know they aren’t your only client, but they want to feel that way, especially on large projects that will span several years. Partnering with another firm can assure your team’s ability to manage increased scale and complexity and provides redundancy in skills when turnover inevitably happens. In sectors like healthcare, billion-dollar projects are now commonplace. For 90 percent or more of firms in our industry, a single project at that scale could absorb every full-time employee for years. That is not realistic. Strategic partnerships can open doors for smaller and mid-sized firms that would otherwise be locked out.

The Who

Once you’ve identified firms that strengthen your pursuit strategy in one or more of the areas above, ask the right questions as you vet the potential relationship.

Are roles and workload expectations aligned?

There’s nothing worse than winning a project only to spend the next several years navigating a power struggle.

What is the client’s perception of this firm?

Just because they’ve worked with your target client before doesn’t mean it was a positive experience. Do your homework. How did those projects actually perform? Does the client see them as a credible fit for the role you’re proposing? It’s okay to ask directly. Sometimes “no comment” says plenty.

Is there cultural alignment between your firms?

This is often overlooked, but it’s essential. Are your values aligned? Do you share a definition of success for the project?

Plenty of firms can check the box on whatever geography, service line, portfolio, or expertise you’re after. But it takes peeling back some layers to understand whether they are truly the right partnership fit. Anyone can be impressive on a first date, but as a good friend once said, it takes multiple dates to discover their ‘brand of crazy’. Strategic collaboration deserves more than a single call. It may warrant multiple conversations, office visits, deeper portfolio reviews, and honest discussions about how work really gets done. Again, don’t just go with the first firm that picks up the phone.

The How

Even the most strategic teaming partnership won’t land you on a shortlist if you can’t clearly articulate the value of your combined firms. Projects are inherently risky. Clients don’t want to guess how your partnership will work in practice, especially if it’s untested.

Spell it out. Define roles and responsibilities early. Go beyond describing what each firm brings to the table and communicate the shared value the partnership creates. Tell an integrated story. Don’t just paste firm profiles on adjacent pages and call that a team. Almost every section of your proposal should be rewritten from a joint perspective.

Questions your proposal and interview should answer for the client:

• Who is my point of contact?

• How will communication flow between firms?

• Who will own key tools and systems for my project?

• Why is this combined team better than the sum of its parts?

And please, don’t wait until the night before the interview to get in the same room with one another. Interviews are as much about energy and connection as they are about content. Clients can tell when your team doesn’t know each other, and it’s awkward. Take time to collaborate and build rapport long before the presentation. That chemistry pays dividends when you’re able to seamlessly pass conversation, build on one another’s stories, and present as a unified front rather than a stitched-together group of individuals.

Bringing It All Together

The SMPS Trends Report makes one thing clear: collaboration has evolved from buzzword to strategic advantage. Partnerships built on strategy, not urgency, create real value for everyone involved. They are rooted in alignment, shared values, and a clear value proposition that combines the strengths of multiple firms. Most importantly, they don’t just focus on winning the work. They focus on delivering better outcomes for the client and for the project itself.

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Looking to build your portfolio in new geographic markets or verticals? Strategic partnerships might be the answer. Connect with us today to discuss intentional AEC teaming strategies that can help your firm win and deliver.