---
name: rfp-response
description: "Write a compliant, competitive response to an RFP/RFQ/ITT (government or enterprise procurement). Use when responding to a request for proposal, bidding on a tender, or answering a procurement questionnaire. Produces a compliance-matrix-driven response that answers every requirement, wins on evaluation criteria, and reads as low-risk to the buyer — structured to the scoring, not the seller's ego."
---

# 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
- [ ] Each scored evaluation criterion has a dedicated, evidence-backed response
- [ ] The exec summary speaks to the buyer's goals and frames you as low-risk best value
- [ ] Claims are backed by concrete past performance/metrics, not adjectives
- [ ] Format rules (page limits, forms, submission method, deadline) are all satisfied

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not skip any mandatory requirement — one missed "shall" can disqualify the whole bid
- [ ] Do not answer the criteria you wish they'd asked — answer their actual scoring rubric
- [ ] Do not lead with a company brochure — lead with the buyer's problem and outcomes
- [ ] Do not make unsupported claims — evaluators score evidence, not enthusiasm
- [ ] Do not ignore format/page rules — non-compliant submissions get rejected unread

## Based On

Government/enterprise procurement practice (compliance matrix, evaluation-criteria-driven writing, best-value framing).

## Example Trigger Phrases

- "Respond to this RFP."
- "Bid on this tender."
- "Answer this procurement questionnaire."
- "Build the compliance matrix for this bid."