Video Overview:
This guide explains how to create a Proposal in NextStage and link it to an existing Opportunity. Creating a Proposal allows your team to manage proposal development, assign contributors, organize documents, and track progress through the proposal lifecycle.
Step 1: Navigate to the Proposals Section
Log into your NextStage account
Click Proposals in the left navigation menu
This will open the Proposals workspace, where you can create and manage proposal records.
Step 2: Click Create Proposal
Click the Create Proposal button.
This will open the Proposal creation window.
Step 3: Select the Opportunity
Search for or browse the Opportunity associated with your Proposal.
Select the correct Opportunity from the list.
Linking the Proposal to an Opportunity ensures that capture data, team assignments, and supporting information are connected.
Step 4: Select the Proposal Stage
Choose the appropriate Proposal Stage based on your current phase of development.
Examples may include:
Draft
Pink Team
Red Team
Gold Team
Final
Proposal stages help track review cycles and proposal progress.
Step 5: Create the Proposal Record
Click Create Proposal to generate the Proposal.
NextStage will automatically create the Proposal and link it to the selected Opportunity.
Step 6: Verify Automatic Linking and Information Transfer
Once created, the Proposal will automatically inherit relevant information from the Opportunity, including:
Opportunity name
Customer and agency information
Capture team assignments
Associated documents
Pipeline and capture data
This ensures consistency between capture and proposal records.
Step 7: Review and Update Proposal Team (Optional)
You can review and modify Proposal contributors as needed.
To update the Proposal Team:
Open the Proposal
Navigate to the Team tab
Add or update contributors, including:
Proposal Manager
Volume Leads
Subject Matter Experts
Reviewers
Team assignments help ensure proper ownership and accountability during proposal development.
What Happens Next
After creating the Proposal, you can:
Build your Proposal outline
Assign proposal tasks
Add documents and supporting materials
Manage reviews and contributors
Track progress through the proposal lifecycle
Best Practices
Create a Proposal as soon as your team makes a Bid decision or enters active proposal development. This ensures:
Proper team coordination
Structured proposal development
Document organization
Accurate proposal tracking
Maintaining a linked Opportunity and Proposal ensures full visibility across the capture and proposal lifecycle.