RFP Response Skill

Proposals lose on compliance far more than on quality — a missed mandatory requirement or an unaddressed evaluation criterion is an automatic deduction. This skill builds a response that maps to the RFP's own structure: every requirement answered, every scored criterion addressed with evidence, and risk framed down for a cautious buyer.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• The RFP — the requirements, mandatory criteria, evaluation/scoring rubric, format rules, page limits, deadline.
• The offering — what you're proposing, and your relevant capability/experience/differentiators.
• Proof — past performance, references, certifications, metrics you can cite.
• Constraints — price/budget guidance, terms you can/can't meet.

Output Format

RFP response: [solicitation name/number]

1. Compliance matrix — a table mapping every requirement to how/where you meet it. This is the backbone; missing rows lose points:

Req #	Requirement	Compliant?	How we meet it (section ref)

2. Executive summary — the buyer's problem, your solution, and why you're the low-risk best-value choice — in their language, tied to their goals (not a company brochure).

3. Response by evaluation criterion — a section per scored criterion (technical approach, management/delivery, past performance, price). Answer what the rubric rewards, with concrete evidence and outcomes — not adjectives.

4. Past performance / proof — relevant work, references, and results that de-risk you.

5. Assumptions, risks & clarifications — what you assumed, how you mitigate delivery risk, and any questions to raise before the deadline.

Format check — confirm page limits, required forms/attachments, submission method, and deadline are all addressed.

Quality Checks

• A compliance matrix covers every requirement (esp. all mandatory/"shall" items) with a section reference