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Here is a list of things to consider and actions to take as soon as the RFP is released: ❏   What is the method for submitting questions, and when are they due? ❏   When is the proposal due, when is award anticipated, when is the project start anticipated? ❏   What has changed since the release of the draft RFP (if any)? ❏   Did the customer act on your suggested changes? ❏   Is there anything in the RFP that might prevent you from bidding? ❏   Does the RFP provide all of the in

The Proposal Manager should finalize this list before the RFP is released so that he or she can immediately distribute the RFP as soon as it is available and not overlook anyone. Capture Manager: Executive Sponsor: Proposal Manager: Project Manager: Contracts Manager: Subcontracts Manager: Pricing Manager: Staffing/Recruiting Manager: Proposal Writers Technical: Management Plan: Past Performance: Resumes: Others:  

Be prepared to act quickly when an amendment is released You should check in with the customer frequently so that you anticipate any amendments and aren’t surprised by them. The Proposal Manager should lead the effort to assess the impact of the Amendment and make any changes necessary to accommodate it. Have you distributed the Amendment to the same people you originally distributed the RFP to, plus any new stakeholders? Is there an extension?

Your questions should be carefully prepared to ensure there is no misunderstanding The Proposal Manager should collect questions, edit their wording to improve the chances of getting a precise answer, and review the list with the Capture Manager to determine which ones to submit to the customer. Check the RFP to see if there is a deadline for when questions must be submitted by. Submit Questions Via: Email Telephone Fax Letter

Tracking team member data If you are bidding as a team or have subcontractors, you need to track the flow of documents and information.   This table identifies many of the most common items that need to be tracked.  Make a copy for each team member or subcontractor. Item Due Date(s) Notes Non-disclosure agreement     Teaming agreement     Resource requiremen

You should anticipate what you need to have, distribute, or present at the meeting so you will be ready. Things to do before the meeting: Create proposal directories/workspaces Initialize the directories with templates and/or other files Distribute the RFP Prepare any training materials or other handouts Invite attendees Things to bring to the meeting: Extra copies of the RFP Draft proposal plans including: Schedule Assignments

This invitation is provided to expedite your preparations.  You do not have to use it if something else will serve your needs better. We are planning to hold a kickoff meeting for the [Name] proposal at [Date and Time].  The meeting will be held at [Location].  Everyone who may be impacted by the proposal effort is invited to attend. We have been preparing for the release of this RFP for some time. The purpose of this meeting will be to bring everyone up to date on the status of our pr

You can’t make a final Bid/No Bid decision before you see what is in the RFP. You can “no bid” with certainty at any time, but you can’t make a final decision in favor of bidding until you see what is in the RFP. The investment required to pursue will go way up once the proposal effort starts, so you should reexamine whether the pursuit is worth it. The clock is ticking…  the time spent deciding takes time away from preparing to win. After the

Hardly any RFPs are actually wired. Even if the customer has some bias, they can usually be stolen away if they get a better offer. Think about how you buy things. Most folks will give someone they’ve done business with for a long time the benefit of the doubt, but if someone has a better product or a significantly lower price, they sometimes make a switch. This is especially true if the relationship has gone stale. You may have no way of knowing without bidding. Use of the word “wired” mak

Never pursue a bid just because you can Every bid can’t be a “Must Win.” It’s really hard to break the habit of bidding everything you find. Here is an additional list of reasons to “No Bid” an opportunity: ❏   You find out about the opportunity when the RFP is released ❏   The customer has no budget or can’t afford what is required ❏   Your competition is cheaper or there are too many competitors ❏   You don’t know who the competition is ❏   You

It is important to assign staff to designated roles in order to define expectations. You may assign a person to more than one role. If you have been asked to perform a role, it is your job to object if you cannot fulfill all of the expectations.  Do not accept assignments lightly.   Record which people have been assigned which roles using the following table. Role Assignments Role Name(s) Contact Information

In a US Government RFP, the Statement of Work (SOW) for what the customer wants you to do or deliver will typically be in Section C.  If you do not have a Section C, you will need to look elsewhere to find what the customer wants you to propose doing or delivering.  Sometimes the customer will use different terminology, and instead of calling it the “Statement of Work,” may refer to their requirements as a “Performance Work Statement” or something else. The name is unimportant.  The third

In a US Government RFP, the evaluation criteria will typically be in Section M.  If you do not have a Section M, you will need to look elsewhere for the evaluation criteria that the customer will use in making a selection.  If the RFP does not have any evaluation criteria, you will need to look for language describing their preferences and approach to making a selection. The second step in building a compliance matrix is to incorporate the evaluation criteria.  Do this by taking the found

In a U.S. Government RFP, the instructions will typically be in Section L.  If you do not have a Section L, you will need to look elsewhere for the instructions.  If the RFP does not have a section providing instructions, you will need to look for language describing their expectations regarding the structure of the proposal. The first step in building a compliance matrix is to create the high level outline.  This should be based on the instructions in the RFP.  In the first column you shou

A few small things can make a big difference in the quality of proposal writing.  And you can insert instructions and reminders into the Content Plan to help achieve them. For example, you can insert instructions into the Content Plan to: Make sure that the section starts with a statement about what the customer will get or receive as a result of awarding the contract to you. Write from the customer’s perspective, with the emphasis on results.  Avoid describing yourself, an

Instructions for the eighth step: Identify any relevant re-use material. Review the Boilerplate/Re-Use Methodology.  Consider whether using the material you have will help lead to a winning proposal, or be more trouble than it’s worth. Apply the Boilerplate/Re-Use Checklist to any content you intend to re-use. Either correct the boilerplate or insert instructions for how to correct it. This is the final iteration. At its completion, the Content

Instructions for the seventh step: If in order to respond to an RFP you must make assumptions, establish limits, set boundaries, etc., then you want to capture that information.  Insert statements regarding the assumptions that have been made. If any issues (resolved or unresolved) come up that need to be understood or remembered, capture them by writing statements into the Content Plan. If you are preparing your proposal in a collaborative environment, you

Instructions for the sixth step: Insert placeholders for graphics. For each graphic that needs to be rendered, identify (in text): The primary objective of the graphic, or the conclusion you want the reader to reach. The audience for the graphic, including their needs/preferences. The questions that the graphic should answer. The subject matter being described. Finally, use the conclusion you want

Instructions for the fifth step: Think of this iteration as summarizing your offering. You can take different approaches, depending on how your company decides what it will propose. If a team will collaboratively decide what to propose they can use the Content Plan to document the framework of the offering prior to writing about it. If the Proposal Manager knows what will be proposed, then it can be put into the Content Plan and passed on to wr

Instructions for the fourth step: Add instructions that explain to the Proposal Writers how to incorporate the intelligence you have gathered and what you have learned about the customer, opportunity, and competitive environment. Add instructions to your Content Plan to put the instructions in context, explain things, add detail, provide examples, reflect customer preferences, and otherwise implement the intelligence you have collected regarding the customer and opportu