RFP Response Outline

Outline a response to an RFP. Win on compliance and clarity. Do not spray adjectives at the scoring rubric. RFP Buyer: [ORG] What they are buying: [SUMMARY] Due: [DATE] Questions we may still ask, and the deadline for questions: [DATE] Evaluation criteria if stated: [PASTE OR "not stated"] Mandatory requirements we meet: [LIST] Mandatory requirements we do not meet: [LIST] Our differentiator that is real: [ONE] Page or word limits: [LIMITS] DELIVER 1) A compliance matrix: requirement, our response (meet / partial / do not meet), where the proof lives in the response. Partials must say what is missing. Do-not-meet stays visible. Hiding it is how responses get thrown out. 2) Proposed outline mapped to their section numbers, with a word budget per section. 3) Executive summary, 250 words, written last in the instructions but placed first. It states who we are, the requirement we are best at, and the requirement we do not meet. 4) A list of claims that need a customer citation or a number before we submit. 5) Questions worth asking before the deadline. Only ones that change scope, risk, or price. Do not invent past clients, certifications, or headcount.