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 | Weight | What we're assessing | |---|---|---| | Capability / fit | 35% | meets mandatory + desirable requirements | | Price / TCO | 25% | total cost over the term, not just licence | | Support & SLAs | 15% | onboarding, support, uptime | | Security & compliance | 15% | data handling, certifications | | References / track record | 10% | proven delivery for similar orgs |

• 6. Submission instructions — format, page/section limits, what to include, and how/where to submit.
• 7. Timeline — issue date, questions deadline, submission deadline, evaluation, decision, and start.
• 8. Terms — confidentiality, that the RFP isn't a commitment, and how questions are handled.

Quality Checks

• ] Requirements are split into mandatory vs. desirable so bids can be screened and scored
• ] Evaluation criteria are explicit and weighted before responses arrive (not reverse-engineered to a favourite)
• ] Vendor questions are phrased to produce comparable, apples-to-apples answers
• ] Scope states what's explicitly out, not just what's in
• ] Submission format and limits are specified so responses are easy to evaluate
• ] A clear timeline with a questions window and deadlines is included

Anti-Patterns

• ] Do not leave evaluation criteria unstated — undefined scoring invites bias and disputes
• ] Do not write open-ended questions that produce incomparable marketing answers
• ] Do not blur must-haves and nice-to-haves — vendors (and evaluators) can't prioritise
• ] Do not omit out-of-scope — scope creep starts in a vague RFP
• ] Do not set the weights after seeing the bids — decide what matters up front

Based On

Procurement practice — requirement-driven scoping, weighted evaluation criteria set in advance, and structured questions for comparable bids.