Table of Contents
Introduction and Awarded AI Tools
Awarded AI Tools for the Proposal Manager
1. Pre-Proposal Preparation
Analyze the RFP/RFQ/RFI
Customer Research
Questions & Answers
Competitive Analysis
Develop a Capture Plan
Win Strategy
Establish Teaming Agreements
Capture Team
Conduct a Kick-Off Meeting
2. Proposal Planning
Develop a Proposal Schedule
Create a Compliance Matrix
Storyboarding
3. Proposal Development
Writing The Proposal
Color Team Reviews
Incorporating Feedback
4. Proposal Submission
Final Compliance Check
Submission Process
5. Post-Submission Activities
Debriefing
Continuous Improvement
Conclusion
Introduction and Awarded AI Tools
Welcome to the Proposal Manager's Playbook, a dedicated guide designed to standardize and elevate our proposal development processes. This document serves as a comprehensive resource for managing the entire proposal lifecycle, from the initial decision to bid, through planning and development, to final submission and post-submission activities. Its purpose is to equip you with a structured methodology, best practices, and the full suite of Awarded AI tools to consistently produce high-quality, compliant, and winning proposals.
This playbook is a critical component of our broader business acquisition strategy. While its primary focus is on the tactical execution of proposal management, it is essential to understand its place within the larger Business Development and Capture Management lifecycle. A well-managed proposal is the culmination of diligent business development efforts and strategic capture planning. Success is not achieved in a vacuum; it is the result of a coordinated, organization-wide effort. This introduction provides an overview of that larger context and details the powerful AI tools at your disposal to achieve excellence in your role.
Awarded AI Tools for the Proposal Manager
To empower our Proposal Managers and streamline the proposal development process, our company provides access to the Awarded AI platform. This suite of integrated tools is designed to automate repetitive tasks, enhance strategic analysis, and improve the overall quality and efficiency of our proposal efforts. As a Proposal Manager, mastering these tools will enable you to focus on strategic direction and team leadership rather than getting bogged down in administrative minutiae.
The table below outlines the key Awarded AI tools and their primary applications within the proposal management lifecycle.
Tool Name | Capability & Application for Proposal Managers |
Pipeline | Comprehensive Opportunity Management: Use the Pipeline to get a single source of truth for the proposal development progress. Track key milestones, manage proposal schedules, and monitor team activities from kickoff to submission, ensuring alignment with the overall capture strategy. |
AI Chat | Real-Time Document Analysis & Research: Securely upload and analyze RFPs, SOWs, and other solicitation documents to instantly extract key requirements, identify compliance risks, and clarify ambiguities. Use it to brainstorm proposal section content, research agency priorities, and get instant answers on contracting best practices. |
AI Draft | Accelerated Content Generation: Accelerate the writing process by automatically generating first drafts of proposal sections. AI Draft can help you create compliant Past Performance write-ups, initial Technical and Management Approaches, and other narrative sections based on RFP requirements and your company's knowledge base. |
AI Review | Automated Quality & Compliance Assurance: Before initiating a Color Team review, use AI Review to check proposal drafts against RFP requirements. It identifies non-compliant language, assesses the consistent messaging of win themes, and flags weak or ambiguous areas, providing objective feedback to improve win probability. |
Knowledge Base | Centralized Company Expertise: Instantly access and leverage approved corporate information, including Past Performance write-ups, company certifications, and technical capabilities. By toggling on relevant knowledge categories, you ensure the AI uses the most current and accurate company data when generating content. |
AI Graphics | Professional Visualizations: Enhance the visual appeal and clarity of your proposals by generating professional graphics. Create process flow diagrams, organizational charts, and conceptual illustrations* (*commercial cloud customers only) that effectively communicate complex ideas without requiring extensive use of graphic design resources. |
Custom Assistants | Specialized Task Automation: Leverage pre-built or custom-designed AI assistants to automate specific, repeatable proposal tasks. Use assistants for shredding solicitations, generating questions for the government (Q&A), creating compliance matrices, and even filling out standardized forms like the SF 330. |
Workflows | Multi-Step Process Automation: Automate complex, multi-step tasks such as generating a comprehensive, cross-referenced compliance matrix from multiple RFP documents. Workflows chain together different AI capabilities to streamline your most time-consuming processes. |
CRM | Contact & Teaming Partner Management: Access centralized information on customer contacts and teaming partners. When building your proposal team, use the CRM to review partner capabilities and manage subcontractor relationships, ensuring you assemble the strongest possible team for every bid. |
Web Search/Deep Research | Integrated Competitive & Market Research: Perform real-time research on competitors, customer agencies, and industry trends directly within the platform. Gather intelligence to refine your win strategy and differentiate your solution without having to switch between multiple tools. |
Prompts, Assistants, Workflows by Use Case & User Role
To effectively operationalize the strategies outlined in this playbook, this section provides a detailed mapping of specific Awarded AI featured prompts, global assistants, and automated Workflows to the distinct use cases and user roles inherent in the business development and capture lifecycle. By organizing these powerful resources contextually, we provide a practical, actionable guide that enables every proposal team member to rapidly deploy the right tool for the task at hand, thereby ensuring consistency, accelerating strategic execution, and embedding best practices directly into their daily activities.
FEATURED PROMPTS FOR PROPOSAL MANAGERS & WRITERS:
Prompt | Relevancy | Primary Use Case |
Proposal Development Schedule | Core PM Task | This directly aligns with Section 2 of the playbook, "Develop a Proposal Schedule." It automates the creation of the master timeline, outlining milestones, color team reviews, and deadlines. |
PROPOSALS: Executive Summary Creator | Core Writing Task | Directly supports the creation of the Executive Summary, a key element described in Section 3 of the playbook. |
Proposal Outline / Create Proposal Outline | Core Planning Task | This is fundamental to the "Storyboarding" phase in Section 2. It helps structure the entire response to be compliant and logical before writing begins. |
Win Themes (both prompts) | Core Strategy & Writing Task | Aligns with the "Win Strategy" development process in Section 1. This is crucial for defining and articulating the proposal's core message. |
Strengths Table (both prompts) | Core Writing Task | Directly supports the "Writing The Proposal" phase (Section 3) by creating a structured way to articulate the proposal's strengths against the customer's evaluation criteria. |
Risk Table / Risks Table | Core PM & Strategy Task | Directly supports the "Risk Assessment" step in Section 1 of the playbook, helping to identify and plan mitigations for potential issues. |
PROPOSALS: Requirement Response Creator | Core Writing Task | This is a fundamental tool for a proposal writer, designed to efficiently draft compliant and persuasive responses to individual RFP requirements. |
RFQ Response | Core Writing Task | This prompt is designed to generate a complete response to a specific type of solicitation (RFQ), a common task for any proposal team. |
Small Business Subcontracting Plan | Core PM & Writing Task | This is a specific, and often required, proposal volume. The playbook mentions this in Section 1 under "Team Alignment," making this prompt highly relevant. |
Proposal Kickoff Slide Deck | Core PM Task | Directly supports the "Conduct a Kick-Off Meeting" stage in Section 1 by creating the necessary materials to align the team. |
Color Review Evaluator Scoresheets (all prompts) | Core PM Task | Core PM Task. Essential for managing the "Color Team Reviews" in Section 3. These prompts create the tools needed to conduct structured, objective reviews. |
Successful Pink/Red/Gold Team Tips | Core PM Task | Provides best-practice guidance for the Proposal Manager on how to execute the critical "Color Team Reviews" detailed in Section 3 of the playbook. |
Evaluate a Response / Evaluating a Response to a Requirement 2 | Core Review Task | This is the essence of a color team review. It allows managers and writers to critically assess sections of the proposal for compliance, clarity, and persuasiveness. |
PROPOSALS: Compliance Checker and Smart Recommendations | Core PM & Review Task | Directly supports the "Final Compliance Check" in Section 4 and the review process throughout. This is a critical tool for minimizing submission risks. |
CSM: Defined Acronym Checker | Core Writing & Review Task | Supports the creation of the "Appendices" as noted in Section 3 by ensuring all acronyms are properly defined, a key element of a professional submission. |
Resume Reduction / Resume and Doc Reduction | Core Writing Task | Essential for the "Key Personnel" section (Section 3), where tailoring resumes to meet page limits and specific requirements is a common and critical task. |
Resume and Biographies / Resume and BIOs | Core PM & Writing Task | Supports the "Key Personnel" section by helping to prepare for and write compelling resume and biography sections. |
PROPOSALS: Make response less/more technical | Core Writing/Editing Task | These prompts are invaluable during the revision process (Section 3, "Incorporating Feedback") to tailor the proposal's tone to the intended audience (e.g., technical evaluators vs. executive decision-makers). |
Condense / Improve Sentence Structure | Core Writing/Editing Task | Supports the "Revisions" and "Proofreading" stages by helping to improve clarity, conciseness, and overall quality. |
Past Performances Library Search | Core Writing Task | Directly supports the "Past Performance" element in Section 3 by enabling writers to quickly find the most relevant corporate experience. |
Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) / QASP | Core Writing Task | While often a post-award deliverable, a QASP is frequently required as part of the proposal's management or quality approach. |
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) | Core Writing Task | Directly supports the "Management Approach" element in Section 3, where a WBS is often required to detail the project execution plan. |
GENERAL: Any Persona | Highly Relevant Utility | Extremely useful for reviews. A Proposal Manager can ask the AI to act as a "customer evaluator" or "Red Team reviewer" to get objective feedback on the draft. |
SME Analysis of Proposal | Core Review Task | This allows a writer or manager to get a subject matter expert's perspective on a technical section, enhancing its accuracy and credibility. |
CSM PROMPTS: Debriefing and RFP/RFQ comparison | Core PM Task | Directly supports the "Post-Submission Activities" (Section 5) by helping to analyze customer debriefs to inform future efforts. |
GLOBAL ASSISTANTS FOR PROPOSAL MANAGERS & WRITERS:
**Tip: To activate an assistant, select it, type “start” in the AI Chat box, and press enter. Then follow the instructions!
Assistant Name | Relevance to Proposal Manager/Writer Role |
Proposal Manager Assistant | This assistant is explicitly designed for the role, supporting the end-to-end management of the proposal process, from resource coordination to compliance and strategic oversight. |
Proposal Writer Assistant | This assistant is tailored for the writer, focusing on the creation and optimization of compelling, compliant, and persuasive proposal content. |
Executive Summary Creator / Wizard | Directly supports the creation of the executive summary, a key element of the proposal as noted in Section 3 of your playbook. This is a critical task for both writers and managers. |
Proposal Editing and Proofreading Assistant | Aligns perfectly with the final review stages (Gold Team, White Glove) and the "Proofreading" step in Section 4 of the playbook, ensuring a polished, professional submission. |
Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Solicitation Shredder | This is a foundational tool for the "Analyze the RFP/RFQ/RFI" step in Section 1. It automates the extraction and prioritization of requirements, which is the starting point for any proposal. |
Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Q&A Assistant | Directly corresponds to the "Questions & Answers" key stage in your playbook, helping the team generate clarifying questions for the government based on the solicitation. |
Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Capabilities Matrix | This is explicitly mentioned in your playbook in Section 1. It is a crucial tool for performing gap analysis and ensuring the proposal demonstrates full capability to meet requirements. |
Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Win Themes Generator | Directly supports the "Win Strategy" section of the playbook by helping to define and articulate the key themes and discriminators that will differentiate the proposal. |
Proposal Strategy Optimization Assistant | A strategic tool that helps generate win themes, keywords, and value propositions, aligning with the "Win Strategy" development process in Section 1. |
Win Theme and Value Proposition Creator | Similar to the assistants above, this provides direct support for one of the most critical strategic functions in proposal development. |
Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Proposal Outliner | This is essential for the "Storyboarding" and "Outline" phase in Section 2 of your playbook, providing the structural framework for the entire proposal document. |
Amendment Comparer | Invaluable for Proposal Managers who must track and incorporate changes from solicitation amendments to ensure the final proposal remains compliant. |
Proposal Writing - Past Performance Writeup Generator | Directly supports the "Past Performance" element described in Section 3, automating the creation of one of the most important proposal sections. |
Recruiting - Key Personnel (All Assistants) | The "Key Personnel" section is a critical proposal element. These assistants (Resume Generator, Conformer, Gap Analyzer, LCAT Matcher) are vital for ensuring resumes are tailored, compliant, and meet all RFP requirements. |
SF 330 | Essential for proposals requiring this specific form (typically for A-E services). Its inclusion in your playbook draft under Section 3 highlights its direct relevance. |
Proposal Writing - Acronym Identifier | Directly supports the creation of the "Appendices" as noted in Section 3, a standard requirement for ensuring clarity and professionalism in government proposals. |
DOGE Banned Word / Proposal Language Compliance Checker | Crucial for the "Final Compliance Check" in Section 4. These assistants help mitigate risks by ensuring the proposal language adheres to all explicit and implicit guidelines. |
Proposal Writing - Strengths Statement Extractor | A valuable tool for writers to develop compelling, evidence-based arguments that align with the "Customer Focus" principles in Section 3 of the playbook. |
Proposal - Stakeholder Interview Question Generator | Supports the "Team Alignment" and information-gathering process by helping to structure interviews with internal SMEs to extract the necessary details for the technical and management sections. |
15 Min RFI / White Paper Writer | Proposal teams are often tasked with responding to RFIs, Sources Sought notices, and White Paper requests. While not a full RFP response, these are common and relevant tasks. |
BD/Capture - ID & Qual (Go/No-Go, Opportunity Fit) | While primarily for BD and Capture roles, the Proposal Manager is often part of the Go/No-Go discussion and needs to understand the strategic reasoning for pursuing the bid. |
Proposal Writing - Past Performance Relevancy Scorer | This is a strategic tool that bridges the Capture and Proposal phases. It helps the team select the most relevant past performance, a decision that heavily influences proposal strategy. |
GSA Advisory Expert Assistant | This is highly relevant, but only conditionally—if the proposal is for a GSA Schedule or an associated task order. |
WORKFLOWS FOR PROPOSAL MANAGERS/WRITERS:
Workflow Name | Relevancy | Primary Use Case |
Create RFP Win Strategy | Directly Relevant | While the Capture Manager often owns the initial win strategy, the Proposal Manager is responsible for ensuring it is executed and infused throughout the proposal. A writer must understand the strategy to craft persuasive content. This workflow provides the strategic foundation (win themes, discriminators, value proposition) upon which the entire proposal is built, directly supporting the "Win Strategy" section of your playbook. |
Document Shredder | Critically Relevant | This is a cornerstone tool for both roles. It automates the "Analyze the RFP" and "Create a Compliance Matrix" stages from your playbook. For a Proposal Manager, it's the primary tool for ensuring 100% compliance. For a Proposal Writer, the output of this workflow is their checklist to ensure every requirement is addressed in their assigned section. |
Create Response Outline | Critically Relevant | This directly automates the "Storyboarding" and "Outline" phase of your playbook. A Proposal Manager uses this to establish the proposal's structure and ensure it aligns with the RFP's instructions. For a Proposal Writer, this workflow creates the essential blueprint they will follow to build their narrative, ensuring a logical flow and compliant structure from the very beginning. |
Draft RFI/RFP Response | Critically Relevant | This workflow is a massive accelerator for the entire "Proposal Development" phase. For a Proposal Writer, it automates the creation of the first draft, saving significant time and overcoming writer's block. For a Proposal Manager, it drastically shortens the time to a Pink Team review, allowing the team to focus more on refining content and strategy rather than starting from a blank page. |
Fast Document Shredder | Critically Relevant | This is a more focused version of the Document Shredder. By targeting RFP Sections L (Instructions), M (Evaluation Criteria), and C (SOW), it allows the proposal team to rapidly generate the most critical components of the compliance matrix. This provides an immediate, actionable checklist for the Proposal Manager and Writers to begin their work. |
1. Pre-Proposal Preparation
Analyze the RFP/RFQ/RFI
Key Stage Elements
Extract all Solicitation requirements to thoroughly understand what the customer issuing the RFP/RFQ/RFI for.
Rank the requirements based on the customers' main priorities.
Thoroughly review the solicitation documents to understand the requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission deadlines.
Highlight key sections such as Statement of Work (SOW), evaluation criteria, and compliance requirements.
Prompt
Please provide a detailed and well-organized analysis of the Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation documents. Your analysis should include a schedule outlining key action items and deadlines, such as the RFP release date, proposal schedule, and important milestones. Additionally, please include a comprehensive summary of the mission and goals of the RFP, highlighting key sections such as the Statement of Work (SOW), evaluation criteria, and compliance requirements. Your analysis should be thorough and structured, providing clear insights into the RFP solicitation documents. Please ensure that your analysis is comprehensive, organized, and highlights all relevant details to inform decision-making and planning.
Assistant Name: Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Understand Customer Requirements – Solicitation Shredder
Description: Use this assistant to extract all the requirements from a SOW and rank them by priority to the customer/Agency.
How to Access: Click “Select Assistant” to open the Assistants dialog box -> Select the “Global” filter -> Select the Solicitation Shredder Assistant -> Type “start” into the AI Chat box and press enter to activate the assistant. Then just follow its instructions!
Customer Research
Key Stage Elements
Conduct in-depth research on the customer’s mission, goals, challenges, and procurement history.
Review the agency’s strategic plans, annual reports, spending plan for the fiscal year, Small Business and Large Corporation goals for the fiscal year, and public statements.
Identify key stakeholders and decision-makers.
Contact the SBLO associated with the office the requirement is associated with.
Engage with the customer through Business Development Outreach, Marketing Strategies, Industry Day’s, and other means of communication to better understand the customer and to develop a rapport with the customer.
Prompt
As my AI Assistant, your role is to collaborate with me in crafting a detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for my project. Together, we will articulate the project scope clearly to ensure a comprehensive and organized breakdown of all project tasks, deliverables, and milestones. Your assistance should involve guiding me through the process of identifying and categorizing project components and defining the scope of each component in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, I need you to help ensure that the WBS aligns with the project objectives and facilitates effective project management and execution. Your guidance should focus on promoting a systematic and comprehensive approach to delineating the project scope and tasks, allowing for a detailed and well-organized WBS.
Questions & Answers
Key Stage Elements
Provide the AI with the entire solicitation by directly injecting the solicitation into the chat.
With the questions that are provided, analyze each question comparing it back to the section of the solicitation.
Make sure the questions are specific and descriptive as they relate to the solicitation, ensuring that there are no areas of confusion for the customer.
Ensure that you submit your questions in reference to the correct section of the solicitation document.
Ensure that you submit the Q&A response in the proper formatting that the customer issued.
Prompt
Please analyze the entire solicitation file attached and generate questions based on specific sections of the solicitation. These questions will be used to prepare a Q&A response for the customer. Ensure that the questions are tailored to address key sections of the solicitation and facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the requirements. Your questions should be clear, concise, and cover important aspects of the solicitation to provide valuable insights for the customer.
Assistant Name: Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Understand Customer Requirements - Q&A Assistant
Description: Use this assistant to generate a list of Questions you may want to ask an Agency/customer given their Solicitation.
How to Access: Click “Select Assistant” to open the Assistants dialog box -> Select the “Global” filter -> Select the Q&A Assistant -> Type “start” into the AI Chat box and press enter to activate the assistant. Then just follow its instructions!
Competitive Analysis
Key Stage Elements
Identify key competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and their past performance.
Identify the incumbent and the incumbent's history on the work being performed.
Analyze competitors' previous contract wins, pricing strategies, and technical approaches.
Develop strategies to counteract competitors' strengths and exploit their weaknesses.
Prompt
Please provide a detailed summary of the key insights and takeaways regarding [Competitor Name]’s launch of their new [Product Name] product on [Date]. Your summary should encompass essential elements such as noteworthy features, target audience, pricing strategy, marketing plans, business strategy implications, and evaluation of the product's success or impact. Your summary should also be detailed and thorough, providing a comprehensive analysis of valuable insights into the competitive landscape, the product's positioning, and the potential implications offered. Additionally, please ensure that your summary is well-structured, offering a clear and coherent overview of the key aspects of the launch and its significance.
Develop a Capture Plan
SWOT Analysis
Key Stage Elements
Perform a SWOT analysis to understand your company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Identify internal and external factors that could impact the capture effort.
Prompt
Conduct a SWOT analysis for our company, specifically highlighting our internal strengths, weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats in relation to the upcoming proposal. Please provide a comprehensive analysis that identifies and explains each aspect clearly, with relevant details and examples.
Capabilities Matrix
Key Stage Elements
Run the analysis through the AI Chat by providing the AI with the RFP and SOW along with your company’s capabilities statement and past performances that are directly related to the solicitation.
Identify any gaps in your company’s capabilities to fulfill the requirements being solicited where your company may need to consider having a teaming partner for.
Prompt
Compare the requirements of the RFP and SOW to [Company Name]'s capabilities and past performance to identify any gaps. Provide a detailed analysis that highlights areas where [Company Name]'s abilities align with the requirements and where there are discrepancies. Your analysis should consider how [Company Name] can address any gaps and demonstrate a clear understanding of the RFP and SOW.
Assistant Name: Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Understand Customer Requirements - Capabilities Matrix
Description: Use this assistant to generate a Capabilities Matrix.
How to Access: Click “Select Assistant” to open the Assistants dialog box -> Select the “Global” filter -> Select the Capabilities Matrix Assistant -> Type “start” into the AI Chat box and press enter to activate the assistant. Then just follow its instructions!
**Tip 1: If this global assistant does not work for your company’s unique format, template, or process(es), reach out to your dedicated CSM – they can work with you to create a custom Assistant to automate the capabilities matrix process!
**Tip 2: To extract a comprehensive list of requirements in an excel table, navigate to the File Viewer in the top right corner of your Awarded AI screen, select the source document or PWS from which you wish to extract the requirements, right click on it, and click “Generate Compliance Matrix.”
**Tip 3: Utilize our Workflows tool:
Document Shredder: Generate a cross-reference compliance matrix from RFI/RFP documents with selected extractors
Fast Document Shredder: Generate a compliance matrix from pre-extracted RFP sections L, M, and C
Win Strategy
Key Stage Elements
Develop a win strategy that aligns with the customer’s needs and differentiates your solution from competitors.
Define key win themes and discriminators.
Create a value proposition that clearly articulates why your solution is the best choice.
Prompt
Develop a win theme using the CVD formula to tailor a capability that meets the customer's specific needs (C), emphasizes the lasting value of your solution (V), and highlights a distinctive differentiator (D). Your response should be tailored to the attached file and clearly articulate a theme that captures the essence of your capability to meet the customer's specific needs, highlights the lasting benefits and value of your solution, and emphasizes a unique feature that sets your solution apart from others in the market.
Assistant Name: Proposal Writing - Pursuit/Pre-Acquisition - Win Themes Generator
Description: Use this assistant to generate a list of Win Themes given information about the Agency/customer, competitors, and your business.
How to Access: Click “Select Assistant” to open the Assistants dialog box -> Select the “Global” filter -> Select the Capabilities Matrix Assistant -> Type “start” into the AI Chat box and press enter to activate the assistant. Then just follow its instructions!
Establish Teaming Agreements
Key Stage Elements
Analyze the key factors that arose from the summary to comprehend what partners you should consider adding to your team.
Research and identify potential partners (if needed) to join your team for the proposal submission.
Establish a teaming agreement (if necessary) and debrief teaming partners on the solicitation.
Prompt
Using the identified weaknesses and threats from the SWOT Analysis, as well as the gaps identified in the Gap Analysis, provide me with a summary of those weaknesses, threats, and gaps so that I can find and establish relationships with potential Teaming Partners who can help bring additional value to our proposal team.
Capture Team
Key Stage Elements
Assemble a capture team with clear roles and responsibilities.
Include members from business development, technical, pricing, and proposal management.
Ensure team members are aligned with the win strategy and capture plan.
Assign specified coverage areas to team members responsible for each section of the response.
Prompt
Compare the procurement strategies and engagement metrics of [Competitor A] and [Competitor B] in a comprehensive and structured manner. Your comparison should provide detailed insights into the procurement strategies of each competitor. Additionally, analyze the engagement metrics utilized by both competitors, such as customer satisfaction, retention rates, and customer interactions. Ensure that your comparison is detailed, insightful, and provides a comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape.
Conduct a Kick-Off Meeting
Agenda
Key Stage Elements
Prepare an agenda that covers the proposal outline and storyboard, proposal schedule, review of the RFP/RFQ/RFI, roles and responsibilities, compliance requirements, and key milestones, risk management, a communication plan, action items, Q&A session.
Send out a kickoff meeting invite to all team members and teaming partners in advance to ensure all key players can attend the meeting.
Include a review of the RFP, win strategy, and compliance requirements, teaming strategies, review process.
Prompt
Create a proposal kickoff meeting template that encompasses sections for opportunity overview, win themes and solutioning, roles and responsibilities, and schedule. Your template should facilitate a structured discussion to explore the opportunity, identify win themes and solutions, define roles and responsibilities, and establish a clear schedule. Please ensure that the template encourages active participation and collaboration among the team members and promotes a comprehensive understanding of the proposal requirements.
Team Alignment
Key Stage Elements
Ensure all team members understand the win strategy, proposal themes, and compliance requirements.
Discuss the proposal outline, storyboard, and compliance matrix.
Assign clear roles and responsibilities to the team.
Establish a detailed proposal schedule for the team to understand the key milestones, timelines, and deadlines for their respective responsibilities.
Review the SWOT Analysis and Capture Plan.
Develop a communication plan to ensure open lines of communication and establish regular reoccurring meetings for the team to address any issues and share progress updates.
Address any questions or concerns from the team.
Prompt
As a professional consultant specializing in federal contracts, your task is to compose a detailed Small Business Subcontracting Plan to be submitted for the attached (INSERT FILE NAME) file. The plan should outline specific strategies and procedures for subcontracting with small businesses, including goals, target percentages, methods for identifying potential small business subcontractors, and the types of support that will be offered to ensure their participation.
Assistant Name: Proposal - Stakeholder Interview Question Generator
Description: Use this assistant to generate a list of employees needed to complete a Solicitation and questions to ask them.
How to Access: Click “Select Assistant” to open the Assistants dialog box -> Select the “Global” filter -> Select the Stakeholder Interview Assistant -> Type “start” into the AI Chat box and press enter to activate the assistant. Then just follow its instructions!
Risk Assessment
Key Stage Elements
Conduct a risk assessment to identify potential issues and challenges.
Address any potential risks that the team may face.
Strategize action items to develop a solution for any identified challenges.
Develop mitigation strategies to develop identified risk.
Assign responsibility for monitoring and managing risks.
Prompt
Run a Risk Assessment referencing the teams' capabilities compared to the requirements being asked in the solicitation to identify any potential challenges or issues that can occur throughout the proposal process.
2. Proposal Planning
Develop a Proposal Schedule
Key Stage Element
Identify key milestones such as initial drafts, internal reviews, color team reviews, compliance check, proofreading and quality assurance, and final revisions/ submission.
Include due dates and deadlines for all Milestone reviews.
Deadlines:
Set realistic deadlines for each milestone to ensure timely completion.
Allow buffer time for unexpected delays or issues.
Realistically estimate the duration of each task, to ensure that the quality of work is uncompromised.
Monitor and adjust your schedule and deadlines as necessary and inform all members of the team if any changes occur.
Prompt
After a full in-depth review of the selected [INSERT NAME OF FILE] attached file, please provide me with a detailed and strategic outlined proposal schedule that identifies key milestones such as initial drafts, internal reviews, color team reviews, compliance check, proofreading and quality assurance, and final revisions/ submission.
Create a Compliance Matrix
Key Stage Element
Map each requirement from the solicitation to the corresponding section of the proposal.
Ensure all requirements are clearly identified and addressed.
Identify and score your company’s ability to fulfill each section of the solicitation.
Use the compliance matrix to track the status of each requirement throughout the proposal process.
Update the matrix regularly to reflect progress and changes.
Prompt
With the selected section of the attached RFP/ SOW file, provide me with a detailed and specific compliance matrix based on my company’s attached past performance files that directly maps our capabilities and past performance to the sections of the proposal that best corresponds to the requirements presented.
Storyboarding
Outline
Key Stage Element
Develop a detailed outline of the proposal sections, including key messages and supporting evidence.
Use a template that includes sections for headings, key messages, graphics, data, and compliance points.
Ensure the outline aligns with the RFP structure and evaluation criteria.
Prompt
I need to develop a highly compliant, precisely structured outline for responding to a government RFP. I have access to the RFP document that contains Sections L and M and Section C (the Scope of Work). My goal is to create a proposal outline that strictly adheres to all solicitation instructions without any deviations. Please analyze the following documents that I will provide: First, I will share the RFP document, focusing on Section L (Instructions to Offerors) and Section M (Evaluation Criteria), and after you've reviewed those sections of the RFP, I will provide the PWS containing detailed technical requirements, performance expectations, and deliverables/milestones. After receiving both documents, please cross-analyze the Sections L, M, and C to identify all response requirements, noting all formatting and structural instructions from Section L, identifying evaluation criteria weightings and priorities from Section M, mapping SOW requirements to the appropriate sections of the proposal structure, and flagging any potential compliance issues. Please generate a comprehensive proposal outline that strictly follows the organization and section structure mandated in Section L, includes all required components, sections, and subsections, aligns with evaluation criteria emphasized in Section M, incorporates all technical requirements from the PWS in appropriate sections, specifies page limitations for each section, includes guidance notes for section content development, identifies cross-referencing requirements between sections, and notes any specific formatting requirements. The outline must follow the government's instructions exactly without additions, subtractions, modifications, or deviations, maintain the precise section numbering and hierarchy specified in the RFP, respect all page limitations and formatting requirements, and address every requirement from both documents in the appropriate section. To begin this process, please provide the RFP document with Sections L and M so I can analyze the proposal instructions and evaluation criteria.
Graphics*
Key Stage Elements
Plan the use of graphics, charts, tables and diagrams to enhance the proposal’s readability and impact.
Ensure visuals are clear, relevant, and professional.
Identify the most applicable use-case for a graphic in each section of the RFP.
Assign graphic development tasks to team members with the necessary skills.
Prompt
Generate specific graphics that relate to XYZ in the proposal outline.
*Note: GovCloud customers can only create charts, tables, and diagrams in Awarded AI. They are not currently able to generate full graphics.
3. Proposal Development
Writing The Proposal
Customer Focus
Key Stage Elements
Tailor the proposal to address the customer’s needs, priorities, and evaluation criteria.
Use language that resonates with the customer and demonstrates understanding of their challenges.
Clear and Concise:
Use clear and concise language to convey your solution’s value.
Avoid jargon and overly technical language unless necessary.
Themes and Discriminators:
Highlight proposal themes and discriminators that differentiate your solution.
Ensure these themes are consistently reinforced throughout the proposal.
Prompt
As an advanced proposal writer, your task is to create a detailed strengths table using the provided (INSERT DOCUMENT NAME) attached file that is tailored to the customer's needs for issuing this RFP. In the table be sure to include the customer's needs, priorities, and evaluation criteria highlighting areas that could provide (ENTER COMPANY NAME) insight on key proposal themes and discriminators that can help differentiate our solution.
Elements of The Proposal
Key Stage Elements
Executive Summary: Using AI Chat, insert your Company’s profile to develop an executive summary that provides a brief introduction to your company and the proposal.
Understanding of the Requirements: Using AI Chat and Direct Injection prompting, provide the AI with specific sections of the RFP and ask the AI to demonstrate an understanding of the customers’ needs and challenges, and summarize the key requirements based on their mission and goals.
Technical Approach: Ask the AI to develop an outline specific to the approach and methods you plan to use to address the challenges that the customer is facing. Be specific when referring to the technologies and tools that will be employed, mentioning any new innovations and techniques that differentiate your solution to the customer.
Management Approach: Use the AI Chat to develop your Management Approach by prompting the AI to use your company’s profile to outline your Project Management Plan (including organizational structure, roles and responsibilities, and your Work Breakdown Structure), Risk Management Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, and your Communication Plan.
Past Performance: Using documents and files of your own past performances similar in scope to the RFP you are responding to, instruct the AI to outline a past performance response that relates to your relevant experience, case studies, performance metrics/ CPARS, and client testimonials.
Key Personnel: Use Direct Injection prompting to provide the AI with your project teams information to develop a response that addresses your teams structure, resumes of the key personnel, experience and qualifications, and their roles and responsibilities that address and fulfill the requirements of the solicitation.
Cost Proposal: Utilize the AI Chat to assist you in structuring your Cost Proposal by utilizing its tools to automate data collection, data organization, and template creation. AI can also be useful to conduct cost analysis, visualization and narrative generation to help generate charts, graphs, tables, and draft the narrative sections of your cost proposal.
Compliance and Legal: Use the AI Review tool to input the RFP and your draft response to ensure that your response is in compliance with the RFP requirements, includes any relevant certifications and accreditations, and addresses any regulatory and legal considerations.
Appendices: Use the AI Review tool to input the RFP and your draft response to ensure that your response includes any additional information that supports your proposal, any supporting documents that are required, a glossary of terms, and a defined list of any acronyms used in the proposal.
Prompt
Draft an outline for each key element of the attached solicitation documents, utilizing our company's profile and past performance. This includes the RFP/RFQ/RFI, PWS/SOW, and other relevant documents. Your response should provide a clear and organized outline for each key element, incorporating relevant details from our company's profile and past performance to align with the requirements outlined in the solicitation documents. Ensure that the outline demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the solicitation requirements and effectively showcases our company's capabilities and qualifications in relation to each key element of the documents.
Assistant Name: SF 330
Description: Use this assistant to help fill out SF 330 forms.
How to Access: Click “Select Assistant” to open the Assistants dialog box -> Select the “Global” filter -> Select the SF 330 Assistant -> Type “start” into the AI Chat box and press enter to activate the assistant. Then just follow its instructions!
Color Team Reviews
White Team Review
Key Stage Elements
Utilize the AI Review tool to assist you with reviewing your defined win themes ensuring that they are aligned with the customers' requirements.
Ask the AI to assist you in identifying your company’s discriminators that set you apart from competitors.
Ask the AI to assist you in developing a comprehensive outlined draft of your Solution Strategies that directly addresses the customers’ needs.
Ask the AI to conduct a competitive analysis on a specific company using the web search tool to determine a competitor's strengths and weaknesses.
Utilize the AI Review tool to ensure that your response aligns with the customers evaluation criteria.
Use the AI to assist you in developing and reviewing your comprehensive compliance matrix.
Prompt
Conduct a White Team Review.
Pink Team Review
Key Stage Elements
Conduct an early review to assess the proposal’s structure, compliance, and initial content.
Utilize AI Review to assist you in assessing the quality of the content in your response.
Identify any gaps, weaknesses, and missing pieces of your initial draft response.
Focus on the alignment with the RFP requirements and win strategy.
Collect feedback and identify areas for improvement
Prompt
Conduct a Pink Team Review.
Red Team Review
Key Stage Elements
Perform a detailed review to evaluate the proposal’s completeness, compliance, and persuasiveness.
Assess the technical and management approaches, pricing strategy, and overall presentation.
Provide actionable feedback for revisions.
Conduct any further evaluations of your response using the AI Review tool.
Prompt
Conduct a Red Team Review.
Gold Team Review
Key Stage Elements
Conduct a final review to ensure the proposal is polished, error-free, and ready for submission by inputting the final draft into AI Review again.
Ask the AI to proofread and check for any grammatical errors and assess the visual appeal of your response.
Verify compliance with all RFP requirements and check for consistency and clarity.
Ensure the proposal presents a compelling case for your solution.
Conduct a final walkthrough with your team to ensure that no critical elements are missing in the response.
Prompt
Conduct a Gold Team Review.
White Glove Review
Key Stage Elements
Assemble the Review Team, ensuring that the team has a thorough understanding of the proposal content.
Prepare the proposal document gathering all necessary documents and attachments.
Conduct a page-by-page review checking for content accuracy and consistency throughout the document.
Conduct a final review of the compliance matrix.
Evaluate visual appeal of any graphs, charts, and tables throughout the whole response.
Verify pagination and navigation through the response.
Make any necessary changes and prepare for final submission.
Prompt
Conduct a White Glove Review.
Incorporating Feedback
Review Feedback
Key Stage Elements
Collect and analyze feedback from each review team.
Prioritize feedback based on its impact on compliance, clarity, and persuasiveness.
Prompt
As an expert government proposal evaluator, your task is to review the provided requirements and respond to each requirement with specific feedback to help improve the draft. Your feedback should address each requirement individually, highlighting strengths and suggesting improvements where necessary. Please ensure that your feedback is constructive, detailed, and aimed at enhancing the overall quality and effectiveness of the proposal draft.
Revisions
Key Stage Elements
Make necessary revisions to improve the proposal’s clarity, compliance, and overall quality.
Make necessary formatting and grammatical revisions to ensure the readability of the response and that the response is all in the proper tense.
Ensure all feedback is addressed and incorporated into the final proposal.
Prompt
Enhance the coherence, clarity, and overall quality of the provided proposal while maintaining a professional tone. Your task is to improve the organization, structure, and language of the given proposal to ensure it is clear, logical, and of high quality. Please maintain a professional tone throughout the document and focus on improving the flow of ideas, the clarity of the content, and the overall coherence of the proposal. Your enhancements should aim to elevate the professionalism and effectiveness of the proposal.
4. Proposal Submission
Final Compliance Check
Checklist
Key Stage Elements
Use a checklist to verify that all solicitation requirements are met, and all documents are included.
Ensure all sections of the proposal are complete and compliant.
Prompt
As a proposal manager, I am finalizing our proposal response and performing final reviews. I want to do a last thorough evaluation. Using the attached solicitation document, can you tell me some areas of concern and focus, things they want respondents to emphasize, or things they scored as important? The goal is to create a list of thorough review questions and evals to run against our proposal response. Ensure the list of questions and sections align with and are categorized by the organization of the proposal outline provided below. {attach source solicitation document} {copy/paste proposal outline}
Proofreading
Key Stage Elements
Conduct a final proofreading to eliminate any errors or inconsistencies.
Check for grammar, spelling, and formatting issues.
Prompt
Fix all the grammar errors in the text below. Only fix grammar errors, do not change the text style. Also ensure that the text is in the proper tense, whether that is past, present, or future.
Submission Process
Key Stage Elements
Follow the submission instructions meticulously, including format, delivery method, and deadlines.
Ensure all required forms and attachments are included.
Confirm receipt of the proposal with the contracting officer and address any last-minute questions or issues.
Keep a copy of the submitted proposal for your records.
Prompt
Analyze the attached RFP and develop a submission plan based on the proposal submission instructions.
5. Post-Submission Activities
Debriefing
Customer Debrief
Key Stage Elements
Schedule a debrief with the customer to gain insights into the proposal’s strengths and weaknesses.
Use the feedback to improve future proposals and strategies.
Prompt
Review the proposal from the perspective of the customer and provide me with any constructive criticism and feedback on where our response can be improved.
Internal Review
Key Stage Elements
Conduct an internal debrief to discuss lessons learned and areas for improvement.
Document key takeaways and action items for future proposals.
Prompt
Generate an agenda and a presentation outline for a meeting to debrief and identify areas of improvement in our proposal development process.
Continuous Improvement
Process Evaluation
Key Stage Elements
Use AI Review to evaluate the proposal development process to identify areas for improvement.
Gather feedback from the proposal team on what worked well and what could be improved.
Prompt
Evaluate the proposal development process to identify areas for improvement.
Training
Key Stage Elements
Provide training and resources to the proposal team to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Stay updated on best practices and industry trends in proposal management.
Prompt
Provide me with ideas for training and resources that the proposal team can use to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Conclusion
This playbook provides the comprehensive framework and structured methodology required to navigate the complexities of proposal development. By consistently applying these best practices and leveraging the full capabilities of the Awarded AI platform, you will significantly enhance the quality, compliance, and persuasiveness of every submission. Your diligent application of this guide is fundamental to our collective success, directly driving our ability to secure new business and achieve our strategic growth objectives.