Tender disruption
When a cyber incident costs more than downtime.
Cover for lost bid participation costs when a cyber incident prevents a business from taking part in a tender or competitive process.
The scenario
An architecture firm is preparing a major tender submission for a high-value commercial development. The opportunity is strategically important, and the team has invested significant time and resource into developing the proposal.
Just days before the submission deadline, a cyber incident disrupts access to key systems, project files, and communications. The firm's team is unable to finalise the submission, coordinate with partners, or submit the tender on time.
The firm's own systems can eventually be restored. But the opportunity is gone. The immediate problem is operational disruption. The bigger issue is the business opportunity that can no longer be recovered.
The issue isn't just downtime – it's the work the business never gets the chance to win.
The risks to consider
Cyber incidents don't just affect day-to-day operations. For businesses that regularly compete for contracts, projects, or public-sector opportunities, disruption at the wrong moment can have significant commercial consequences.
Missing a tender deadline can mean losing future revenue, damaging growth plans, and missing opportunities that may have taken months to secure.
The Markel difference
Markel's cyber policy includes cover for loss of bid participation costs where a business is unable to participate in a tender, bid, or other competitive process as a direct result of a security failure. This recognises that the cost of a cyber incident isn't always disruption alone – it can also be the loss of future business.
Conversation starter
"What would missing out on a major contract mean for your business if a cyber incident stopped you submitting the tender?"