RFP Response Template (Free, Word): Proposal Outline

About this template: This is an outline for a proposal that
answers a buyer’s request for proposal (RFP) for software, IT or
professional services. The buyer’s RFP comes first. If it sets a section
order, numbering, page limit, response form or pricing table, follow it
and move the content below into that structure. Text in [square
brackets] is for you to fill in, and the examples show the level of
detail to aim for. Instructions in italics are for your bid team: delete
them, and Section 17, before you submit.

1. Cover page

[Confidentiality marking, if the RFP allows one. For example: “This
proposal contains confidential information of [Your organization],
provided only for the evaluation of [RFP number].”]

Mark only material that is genuinely confidential, in the way the
RFP allows. Proposals sent to a public body may be subject to public
records laws.

1.1 Proposal
validity and authorized signature

This proposal is valid for [number] days after the submission
deadline [or: for the period required in Section [X] of the RFP].

Depending on the RFP’s terms and the law that applies, a proposal
can be treated as an offer that the buyer may accept. Have it signed by
someone with authority to commit your organization, and have your legal
team review it, especially Section 13, before you submit. If the RFP
includes its own signature or certification forms, complete those as
well.

2. Cover letter

Insert your signed cover letter here, on your letterhead, and
keep it to one page. It should name the RFP title and number, list every
addendum you received by number, confirm the validity period in Section
1.1, and name the person authorized to commit your organization and the
contact for questions. For a ready-made structure, start from RFPhub’s
free RFP cover letter template. If the RFP asks for a transmittal letter
or a specific form instead, use that.

[Cover letter]

3. Table of contents

Update this table after your final edit, or replace it with one
generated in Word. The third column shows evaluators where each part of
the RFP is answered.

4. Executive summary

Write this section last and keep it within [one or two pages /
the length the RFP allows]. Someone who reads nothing else should
understand what you propose, what it costs and why it fits. Back up
every claim elsewhere in the proposal, and make every price and date
match Sections 8 and 12.

4.1 Your goals

[In two or three sentences, restate what [Buyer] wants to achieve,
using the RFP’s own terms. Example: “[Buyer] wants to replace its
regional help desk tools with one service management system before the
current contracts end in [month and year], and to give its agents and
employees one place to raise and track requests.”]

4.2 Our proposed solution

[Summarize what you propose: the product or service, the
implementation and services, the timeline, and the total price over the
contract term. Example: “We propose [product], implemented in [number]
phases over [number] months, with [support level] support. The total
price over the [number]-year term is [amount], set out in Section
12.”]

4.3 Why [Your organization]

[Give the reasons that matter to this buyer. Tie each one to a
requirement or evaluation criterion in the RFP and back it with evidence
elsewhere in the proposal, such as a reference customer of similar size
and scope, a named team or a specific capability. Leave out claims you
can’t support, such as “industry-leading”.]

4.4 The outcome

[Describe what [Buyer] will have at the end of the project, and by
when, in terms of the goals in 4.1. Example: “By [date], every agent
will work in one system, requests from all regions will arrive in one
queue, and the service desk manager will be able to run reports without
help from IT.” Quote results only if you can support them.]

5. Understanding of
requirements

Restate the need in your own words rather than copying the RFP
back, and include what you learned from the buyer’s answers to questions
and from addenda.

5.1 Background and objectives

[Summarize the buyer’s situation, the problem this purchase solves
and the objectives stated in the RFP.]

5.2 Scope as we understand it

5.3 Key constraints and dates

[List the constraints that shape your proposal, such as the required
go-live date, end dates of current contracts, funding limits stated in
the RFP and regulatory requirements.]

If your understanding differs from the RFP, record it as an
assumption or exception in Section 13.

6. Requirements compliance
matrix

Copy every requirement from the RFP into this table, with the
buyer’s requirement IDs and exact wording, in the buyer’s order. Answer
every line. If the RFP supplies its own compliance form or spreadsheet,
complete that instead, attach it as an appendix and refer to it
here.

6.1 Response codes

If the RFP defines its own response codes, such as standard,
configuration, custom or roadmap, use those and delete this
table.

6.2 Compliance matrix

Keep explanations short and specific. A “Yes” with no explanation
is hard to score, and a “Yes” that turns out to be wrong can come to
light in a demo, a reference call or contract negotiation.

7. Proposed solution

Organize this section around the RFP’s requirement areas and
questions, in the RFP’s order, rather than around your product’s feature
list. Answer each question first, then explain how.

7.1 Solution overview

[Describe the products or services, editions or service tiers, how
the solution is hosted or delivered, and how it fits the buyer’s current
systems. Add a diagram if it helps.]

7.2 How the
solution meets your requirements

[For each requirement area in the RFP, explain how the solution meets
it, under the buyer’s own headings. Example headings: [Functional
requirements], [Reporting], [Integrations], [Administration].]

7.3 Integrations and data
migration

[List each system to be integrated, the method (standard connector,
API, file transfer or custom build) and who builds and maintains it.
Then describe the data to be migrated, where it comes from and how its
accuracy will be checked.]

7.4 Options

[Describe any optional items or alternative approaches. Keep them
clearly separate from the main proposal and price them separately in
Section 12. If an option is needed to meet a must-have requirement, say
so.]

7.5 What is not included

[List anything a reader might assume is included but isn’t, such as
hardware, third-party licenses, ongoing administration or changes to the
buyer’s other systems.]

8. Implementation
approach and timeline

8.1 Approach

[Describe how you will deliver the project: the phases, project
governance, how decisions and changes are handled, how testing and
acceptance work, and how you will report progress.]

8.2 Timeline

Plan back from the buyer’s required go-live date if the RFP gives
one. If that date isn’t achievable, say so here and in Section
13.

8.3 What we need from you

[List the buyer’s responsibilities: people and their time, access to
systems and data, decisions and approvals, and the date each is needed.
The plan depends on them, so list them as assumptions in Section 13 as
well.]

8.4 Risks and how we will
manage them

8.5 Training and handover

[Describe the training for each group (administrators, end users,
support staff), the format and materials, and how the buyer’s team takes
over at the end of the project.]

9. Project team

Name people only if they will actually work on the project, and
say how much of their time they will give it. Put full résumés in the
appendices.

[Describe how the team is organized, who the buyer escalates to, and
whether any of the work will be done by subcontractors or partners. Name
them.]

10. Support and service
levels

Describe the support you actually provide, and get sign-off from
your support and legal teams for any commitment beyond your standard
terms. If the RFP sets its own severity levels or targets, answer
against those.

11. Security and compliance

If the buyer sends a security questionnaire, complete it in the
buyer’s format and attach it. Claim only certifications and reports you
hold today, with their dates.

12. Pricing

Use the buyer’s pricing table exactly as issued: the same line
items, units, columns and contract term. If your pricing model doesn’t
fit it, complete it as closely as you can and explain the differences in
12.3 and Section 13. Use the tables below only where the RFP doesn’t
supply its own.

12.1 Pricing summary

Match the columns to the contract term in the RFP.

12.2 Detailed pricing

12.3 Pricing notes

• Currency and taxes. [Currency, and whether taxes
  are included or shown separately.]
• Pricing basis. [Fixed price or time and materials
  for services, and what the license metric counts.]
• Renewal terms. [How prices change at renewal, and
  any cap on increases.]
• Payment terms. [Invoicing schedule, for example
  annually in advance for subscriptions and on accepted milestones for
  services, and the payment period.]
• Expenses. [Whether travel and expenses are
  included, or how they will be charged.]
• Discounts. [Any discount, and the conditions
  attached to it.]
• Validity. [Prices are valid for the period in
  Section 1.1.]

13. Assumptions and
exceptions

13.1 Assumptions

List everything your solution, timeline or price depends on that
the buyer controls or hasn’t confirmed.

13.2 Exceptions

List every requirement, term or condition in the RFP that you
can’t meet or accept as written, with a proposed alternative for each.
Repeat any exception you’ve mentioned elsewhere, so the buyer finds them
all in one place, and write “None” if you have none. Read the RFP’s
instructions on exceptions closely: some buyers can reject a proposal
that takes exception to a mandatory requirement or term. Have your legal
team review this section.

14. References

Choose references that match the buyer’s size, industry and
scope, ideally delivered by the team you are proposing. Get each
reference’s permission and brief them before you list them.

[Optional: a short case study for each reference, in an appendix.
Include results only if the customer has agreed to share them.]

15. Company information

16. Appendices

Include only what the RFP asks for or what supports an answer,
and refer to each appendix from the main text.

17. Pre-submission checklist

For your bid team only. Work through every line before you
submit, then delete this section.