The Brief
A mid-sized Canadian CRO based in Canada had spent five years attempting to win its first standalone European study. Despite strong delivery across North America and repeat business with biotech sponsors, they consistently fell short when bidding for projects involving sites in France, Germany, and Spain.
Sponsor feedback was consistent: while the CRO demonstrated operational quality, they were perceived as lacking established European infrastructure, regulatory depth, and on-the-ground relationships. In competitive bids against established European and global CROs, this credibility gap proved decisive.
Determined to break the cycle, the CRO engaged Upsilon Global to strengthen both their European positioning and bid strategy ahead of a new Phase III rare disease opportunity.
The Solution
Upsilon Global implemented a targeted market-entry support model.
First, they provided immediate access to experienced European clinical operations consultants with country-specific regulatory expertise, enabling the CRO to present named, regionally based leadership in their proposal rather than a remote oversight model from Canada.
Second, Upsilon supported a refined feasibility and site engagement process. Leveraging established relationships across key EU markets, they secured early investigator interest and realistic startup timelines aligned with European regulatory requirements.
Finally, Upsilon helped reshape the CRO’s value narrative. Instead of positioning themselves as “expanding into Europe,” the proposal emphasised a hybrid structure: North American sponsor alignment combined with embedded European expertise. Risk mitigation, EU CTR navigation, and country-specific start-up pathways were clearly detailed and commercially competitive.
The Outcome
The CRO was awarded its first fully managed European study. Sponsor feedback highlighted confidence in the local operational model and the strength of the named European team.
Beyond winning the contract, the engagement marked a strategic turning point. The CRO successfully delivered the study within projected timelines and has since leveraged this European track record to qualify for additional cross-Atlantic opportunities — achieving in one bid what five years of attempts had not.
