Understanding the Proposal Development Lifecycle

Solicitation Analysis

1
Initial Read-Through
Read the entire solicitation to understand scope, context, and major requirements. Note your initial impressions and questions. Identify sections that require deeper analysis.
2
Requirements Extraction
Systematically extract all requirements from every section. Capture shall statements, mandatory minimums, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions. Miss no requirement regardless of where it appears in the document.
3
Compliance Matrix Development
Create a matrix listing every requirement with the corresponding proposal section where you will address it. This ensures complete compliance and guides writing assignments.
4
Evaluation Criteria Analysis
Study evaluation factors, subfactors, and relative importance. Understand how your proposal will be scored. Allocate proposal emphasis based on evaluation weighting.
5
Questions Identification
Document ambiguities, conflicts, or unclear requirements. Prepare questions for submission during the Q&A period. Prioritize questions that affect your technical approach or pricing.

Identify three to five key discriminators that set you apart from competitors
Connect each discriminator to specific customer benefits and mission outcomes
Support discriminators with evidence including metrics, past performance, and proof points
Ghost competitors by addressing their weaknesses without naming them
Repeat win themes throughout the proposal to reinforce key messages
Ensure win themes align with evaluation criteria to maximize scoring impact

Pink Team: Early review of outlines and initial drafts for strategy and compliance
Red Team: Comprehensive review of near-final draft simulating government evaluation
Gold Team: Final executive review focusing on win strategy and major issues
Compliance Review: Line-by-line verification that all requirements are addressed
Pricing Review: Cost proposal accuracy, competitiveness, and consistency with technical approach
Production Review: Final check of formatting, pagination, and submission requirements

Missing requirements: Failing to address every solicitation requirement kills proposals
Generic content: Boilerplate text not tailored to specific requirements appears lazy
Unsubstantiated claims: Every claim needs evidence; unsupported assertions are not persuasive
Poor organization: Evaluators should find information where they expect it
Inconsistency: Technical and cost volumes must align; contradictions raise concerns
Missing deadlines: Late proposals are almost never considered regardless of quality
Ignoring instructions: Failure to follow submission instructions reflects poorly on capability