Decide whether to bid an RFP, then answer it well

What does this setup do?

Score an RFP against a bid-or-skip checklist, then draft a compliant proposal section by section from the RFP's own structure, with you approving every claim.

Who is it for?

Small firms staring at an RFP wondering whether it is worth the effort and how to respond without missing requirements.

How do you set it up?

Tools

• A ChatGPT or Claude account (free tier works)
• The full RFP document, read end to end
• Your facts: past projects, team resumes, pricing model, certifications
• A compliance checklist built from the RFP's instructions and forms

Steps

1. Read every page of the RFP before deciding anything; check eligibility, qualifications, and prerequisites first.
2. Score the bid-or-skip decision: can you deliver 100 percent, do you have relevant past work, and does the pricing work at your costs?
3. If you skip, say no fast and move on; a weak bid wastes more than the hours, it burns positioning.
4. If you bid, outline every required section and volume from the RFP, including all compliance forms and attachments.
5. Draft section by section with the AI, answering each requirement exactly and keeping language simple.
6. Run a red-team review: have someone fresh check compliance, clarity, and pricing accuracy before submission.
7. Submit before the deadline and confirm receipt with the contracting officer.

Help me decide whether to bid this RFP, and if yes, outline the proposal.

RFP facts:
- Issuer and contract type: [who, what]
- Scope summary: [2-3 sentences]
- Key qualifications required: [list]
- Deadline: [date]
- My relevant past work: [2-3 examples]
- My team capacity: [who would deliver]
- My rough pricing: [range or model]

First, give me a bid-or-skip verdict with reasons: eligibility fit, delivery capacity, past-performance fit, and pricing viability. Be blunt; a weak bid wastes my week.

If the verdict is BID, outline the proposal mirroring the RFP's section structure, listing what goes in each section and which compliance items and forms are required.

Rules: use only my facts and the RFP. Do not invent past performance, certifications, or pricing. Mark anything uncertain with [VERIFY]. Show me the verdict and outline first; I write and approve the final proposal.

Which chat tools work with this prompt?

Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).

• ChatGPT
• Claude

What tips make it smoother?

• Build a proposal library as you go: resumes, past performance write-ups, company bio, pricing models. Each bid gets faster.
• Evaluators read many proposals; headings, bullets, and tables beat dense paragraphs.
• If you are new, subcontracting under a prime contractor builds the past performance you need for future bids.

Where do the claims come from?

Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.

• Read Hinz Consulting’s write-up (hinzconsulting.com)

  Hinz Consulting: Proposal anatomy for small businesses: timeline and deliverables, staffing plan, past performance, pricing breakdown, compliance and certifications, red-team review.

• Read The RFP Firm’s write-up (therfpfirm.com)

  The RFP Firm: Outline every required section and volume first, cover every item including compliance requirements, and keep responses exact and differentiated.