RFP Writer Skill

A good RFP gets you proposals you can actually compare; a vague one gets a pile of incomparable sales decks. The trick is to specify the problem and the evaluation criteria clearly enough that vendors answer the same questions the same way. This skill writes that RFP — scoped, requirement-driven, and weighted — so selection is a defensible comparison, not a gut call.

Working from a brief

Given "we need an RFP for a new CRM", produce the full RFP anyway — infer a sensible scope, requirements, and evaluation weights for that category, label assumptions, and bracket org-specifics (budget, dates, contacts) to fill in. Never withhold for missing detail.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label):

• What you're buying — the product/service/project and the problem it solves.
• Scope — what's in and explicitly out, deliverables, and any integration/constraints.
• Requirements — must-haves vs. nice-to-haves (functional, technical, security, compliance).
• Evaluation priorities — what matters most (price, capability, support, security, timeline) for weighting.
• Logistics — budget range (if shared), timeline, submission format, and contact.

Output Format

Request for Proposal: [project]

• 1. Introduction & background — who you are, the problem, and the goal of this RFP.
• 2. Scope of work — deliverables, what's in/out of scope, and success criteria.
• 3. Requirements — organised, and split into mandatory and desirable (so non-compliant bids screen out fast).
• 4. Vendor questions — the specific questions every vendor must answer (capability, approach, team, security, references, pricing model) — phrased so answers are comparable.
• 5. Evaluation criteria — the weighted scoring model:

Criterion