Overview
The Proposal Outline is your proposal organized into volumes and sections, ready to assemble into a draft. It aligns solicitation requirements with proposal sections, assigns writer guidance, and establishes page targets to support compliant and well-structured content development.
The outline serves as the foundation for content generation and Pink Team Draft creation.
Proposal Outline is the sixth and final item NextStage AI builds as part of the Kickoff Package workflow, generated after the Compliance Matrix, Win Themes, Key Personnel, Past Performance, and Technical Solution, since it draws on all of them.
Once generated, your primary task is to review, adjust, and refine the structure, section mapping, writer guidance, and page targets.
Before You Begin
Ensure your Compliance Matrix is complete and reflects all relevant solicitation requirements, since the outline is built from those requirements and from the content generated in the earlier Kickoff Package items.
Source Documents & Compliance
At the top of the outline, this panel tracks requirements mapping progress (e.g., "19 of 19 mapped") and lists the source document(s) the outline was built from, along with a link to view the requirements pulled from each and the date they were added.
Outline Structure
The left-hand Outline Structure panel shows the full volume and section tree. Click any item to navigate directly to it. Above the outline itself, a toolbar offers:
Collapse Sections / Expand Sections
Expand Requirements / Collapse Requirements
View All Requirements
Search Sections
Reviewing Volumes
Each volume (e.g., "Volume I - Technical Proposal") shows:
Who added it and when (e.g., "Added by Nexus AI on July 22, 2026")
Current page count against its page limit (e.g., "15 / no page limit"), editable inline
Controls to move the volume up or down, delete it, download it, or edit it
Volume Requirements: an expandable count of requirements mapped at the volume level, with an Edit option
A Table of Contents card, automatically generated based on the final outline structure, with an Add Table of Contents button if one hasn't been added yet
Reviewing Sections
Each section (e.g., "1.0 Executive Summary and Understanding of the Requirement") shows:
Page count (e.g., "1 pages") and who/when it was added
Controls to move, edit, or delete the section
Writer Guidance: an AI-generated callout with direction for whoever writes this section, often referencing specific win themes, certifications, past performance, and strategic points to hit
Content: draft content blocks (tagged "Text") suggesting specific points to include
Requirements: an expandable, linked count of the Compliance Matrix requirements mapped to this section, with an Edit option
Add Subsection: to insert a new subsection under this one
Adjusting Section Mapping
Review each section to confirm requirements are mapped correctly. You may:
Move or reorganize sections and subsections
Adjust requirement mappings
Add or remove sections
Click View All Requirements to open the Requirements Overview window, which lists every requirement across the outline along with its Page, Category, and where it's currently Mapped To (the specific volumes and sections it's tied to). Use the search bar or the All Documents / Category filters to narrow the list, and click Map on any requirement to open the Map Requirement panel, a navigable tree of every volume and section. Select a section or volume to map the requirement to it; click the same item again to disassociate it. The outline updates automatically to reflect any mapping changes you make here.
Not every requirement will be mapped automatically. Instructional requirements, things that tell you how to format or submit the proposal rather than something that needs its own response, often won't be mapped to a section, since there's no proposal content required to satisfy them. Use the Requirements Overview to check for anything that should be mapped but isn't, and map it manually if needed.
Important: if you change a requirement's mapping, or map a requirement that was previously unmapped, after a draft has already been created, that existing draft will not automatically reflect the change. You'll need to go to the Drafts page and use Create Drafts again to regenerate it against the updated outline.
This step ensures alignment with both the solicitation structure and your proposal strategy.
Refining Writer Guidance and Page Targets
Edit the AI-generated Writer Guidance for any section to sharpen direction to content authors, covering response expectations, key themes or win strategies, compliance reminders, or required technical/management details.
Adjust Page Targets inline for each volume or section to guide content length. Fractional page values (for example, 0.5 pages) are supported.
Creating a New Outline
If you need an alternate version of the outline, click Create new outline at the top of the page. Use Revisions to view outline version history.
Marking the Outline as Reviewed
Once you're satisfied with the structure, mappings, writer guidance, and page targets, check the Reviewed box at the top of the page. Since Proposal Outline is the last item in the Kickoff Package sequence, once it's reviewed you'll be able to move on to creating your draft.
Best Practices
Review the AI-generated outline carefully before making edits, rather than restructuring from scratch
Keep the solicitation document open while validating mappings
Ensure all sections align with solicitation requirements and evaluation criteria
Use Writer Guidance to maintain consistency and compliance across authors
Confirm page targets align with page limitations and proposal strategy
Why This Matters
The Proposal Outline ensures your proposal structure is compliant, organized, and ready for content development.
A well-configured outline reduces rework, improves writer efficiency, and strengthens overall proposal quality.
Expected Outcome
A structured, compliant outline with mapped requirements, clear writer guidance, and defined section targets ready for draft generation.
Have a question not answered here? Use the chat bubble in the lower right corner of NextStage or email hello@nextstage.ai.