Overview
The Proposal Outline defines the structure and organization of your proposal response. 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.
If you started with Document Package, your outline may already be generated as part of the workflow. In this case, your primary task is to review, adjust, and refine the structure.
Before You Begin
Ensure your Compliance Matrix is complete and reflects all relevant solicitation requirements.
How is the Outline Created?
There are two ways to create an outline:
Option 1: Automatically via Document Package (Recommended)
If you used Document Package, the outline is generated automatically based on extracted requirements and document structure.
In this case:
Review section structure and hierarchy
Validate requirement mappings
Refine organization based on your proposal strategy
Option 2: Generate the Outline Manually
If you did not use Document Package, you can generate the outline directly within this tab.
Steps to Generate and Configure Your Outline
Step 1: Navigate to the Outline Workspace
Go to Proposals → Outline
Click Generate Outline, then select the solicitation documents to use as the basis for the outline.
Step 2: Generate the Outline
Select Create New Outline and complete the required fields:
Outline Name
Enter a name for your outline. Requirements and documents will be sourced from the Compliance Matrix.
Outline Type
Choose the appropriate type:
Proposal: For proposal responses
RFI: For RFI responses
Note: Proposal and RFI outlines use different formats. Selecting the correct type is required.
Source Documents
The solicitation documents listed are pulled from the Compliance Matrix and used to generate the outline.
When you click Create Outline, NextStage generates:
Sections aligned to solicitation requirements
Structured headings and hierarchy
Requirement mappings tied to proposal or RFI sections
Step 3: Review and Adjust Section Mapping
Review each section to confirm requirements are mapped correctly.
You may:
Move or reorganize sections
Adjust requirement mappings
Add or remove sections
This step ensures alignment with both the solicitation structure and your proposal strategy.
Step 4: Add Writer Guidance and Page Targets
Use Writer Guidance to provide direction to content authors.
This may include:
Response expectations
Key themes or win strategies
Compliance reminders
Required technical or management details
Set Page Targets for each section to guide content length. Fractional page values (for example, 0.5 pages) are supported.
You may also add:
Figures or placeholders
Additional instructional text
Section-specific notes
Step 5: Save Your Outline
Click Save to preserve your outline configuration.
Your saved outline will be used to guide proposal development and generate the Pink Team Draft.
Best Practices
If using Document Package, review the outline carefully before making edits
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.