The Most Important RFP Section
Most RFPs are fifty+ pages long, sometimes several hundred pages, and it can be overwhelming to determine what section is most important for your response. While there are many key sections to pay attention to when reading the RFP, the most important section for winning the proposal is the evaluation criteria section.
Yes, the deadlines, solution-specific questions, required format, forms, and legal terms are absolutely critical to review and follow. However, understanding the evaluation criteria and how you can win the most points is what will take your company from simply being compliant to winning the proposal.
How to Review the Evaluation Criteria
Every organization handles the evaluation process differently, but many RFPs will outline the areas they will use to determine an award. Typically, the criteria includes either the maximum assigned points you can receive or a weighted percentage. When reviewing the criteria, take note of any explanation for how they will award points. For example, sometimes a “Qualifications” criteria will be evaluated based on the company’s overall experience or the experience shown on individual resumes. If this is described in the RFP, alter you content approach to match how it will be evaluated.
The evaluation criteria also helps you to set priorities for your proposal. Sometimes an RFP will include a section that is pass/fail but does not actually count towards the evaluation score. This is typically more legal or standard questions, such as registration status, location, minimum specifications, and so on. Because this section is pass/fail, focus on succinctly addressing the requirements and then turn your focus to refining high-scoring sections. Every section of the proposal should not receive the same amount of attention. By using the evaluation criteria as a guide, you will create a stronger proposal that more directly addresses the areas that matter to the customer.
What if the RFP Doesn’t Have Evaluation criteria?
While the evaluation criteria section is very important, unfortunately not every RFP discloses this information. This is especially common for private buyers where purchasing decisions are less strict. In this case, you will need to rely on your sales team to advise on the customer’s key pain points, challenges, and goals with this procurement. You can create your own set of evaluation criteria and use this as guidance for a Red Team or other content review. Whether the scoring method is listed or not, know that the customer has a set of factors they will be using to evaluate your proposal, and make sure to develop content that aligns with that goal.