How to write an RFP proposal that scores well

In a request for proposals, the price is only part of the score. The rest comes from what you write, judged by a small group of evaluators with a scoring sheet. The good news for small crews: evaluators reward specific, relevant answers over glossy marketing, and specific answers are what people who do the work can write best.

How is an RFP scored?

The RFP lists the criteria and how many points or what percentage each is worth. A typical service RFP might score experience, approach or methodology, staffing and equipment, safety, and price. Evaluators usually score each section on their own, then meet to agree on a score. Some RFPs set a minimum technical score you must reach before your price is even opened.

Evaluators can only score what's on the page. They're generally not allowed to give you credit for something they happen to know about you but you didn't write down. Inside the evaluation room goes deeper into how that works.

Mirror the RFP's structure

Make the evaluator's job easy:

• Use the RFP's section headings and numbering, in the same order as the evaluation criteria.
• Answer every question asked, in the place it's asked. If the RFP asks three things under "Approach", write three clearly labelled answers.
• Follow the format rules: page limits, font sizes, file types, required forms. Pages over a limit may simply not be read.

A proposal an evaluator can score quickly scores better than one they have to hunt through.

Answer with specifics, not adjectives

"We provide high-quality, reliable service" scores nothing. Compare:

We will clear the 14 priority sites listed in Appendix B within 4 hours of a 5 cm snowfall, starting with the two fire halls. We have three plow trucks and two loaders based 6 km from the works yard, with a fourth truck on standby from our Langford yard.

Specifics that score:

• Names and numbers: who will supervise, how many crew, which equipment, how far your yard is.
• This buyer's work: refer to their sites, their schedules and their service levels, not a generic description.
• How you'll handle what goes wrong: a sick crew member, a broken machine, a complaint, a big storm.
• How the buyer will know it's done: logs, photos, reports, inspections.

Show evidence

• Experience: similar contracts with the client, dates, size and what you did. Private clients count. Pick the most relevant few over a long list.
• References: people who will answer the phone and speak to the work you're describing. Ask them first.
• Staff: short bios focused on relevant experience and certifications.
• Safety: your program, training and record. COR if you have it. See how to get COR.
• Equipment: a list with type, size, age and ownership.

Write for a tired reader

Evaluators may be reading five or ten proposals on top of their day job. Help them:

• Lead each answer with the direct answer, then the detail.
• Use short paragraphs, lists and tables.
• Cut anything that doesn't help score a criterion.
• Proofread the buyer's name. Copying "City of Nanaimo" into a proposal for Ladysmith is noticed.

Don't forget the mandatory parts

The best-written proposal scores nothing if it's disqualified. Before you start writing, build a compliance checklist of every required form, signature and attachment, and tick it off before you submit.

Reuse, but don't paste blindly

Keep your best answers in a bid library and adapt them for each RFP. Evaluators can tell when a section was written for someone else.

After the result

Win or lose, ask for a debrief. It's the fastest way to learn how your writing actually scored. See how to get a debrief.