20 proven principles for writing winning proposals. Each includes before/after examples and practical application tips. Master these rules to write proposals that evaluators love.
Why it matters: Evaluators care about outcomes for their organization, not your capabilities list.
"Our company has 15 years of experience and uses cutting-edge technology including AI, machine learning, and cloud platforms."
"You'll reduce proposal response time by 85% while improving quality, allowing your team to bid on 4x more opportunities without adding headcount."
The bad example lists features (years, tech stack). The good example quantifies client outcomes (85% time savings, 4x capacity).
Why it matters: Active voice is stronger, clearer, and takes less space. Passive voice sounds bureaucratic and weak.
"The project will be managed by our certified PMP, and weekly status reports will be provided to stakeholders."
"Our certified PMP will manage the project and provide weekly status reports to stakeholders."
Active voice identifies who does what. It's more direct and confident. 'We will deliver' beats 'will be delivered by us.'
Why it matters: Numbers are credible and memorable. 'Significantly improved' is vague. '42% reduction' is proof.
"Our solution will significantly improve your team's efficiency and reduce costs while enhancing quality."
"Our solution will reduce proposal development time from 40 hours to 6 hours (85% savings), cut labor costs by $34,000 annually per writer, while increasing win rates from 15% to 23%."
Specific numbers make claims credible. They also make your proposal memorable compared to vague competitor claims.
Why it matters: Match the client's terminology. If their RFP says 'deliverable,' don't say 'artifact.' They're searching for their words.
"We'll implement an agile SDLC leveraging our proprietary DevSecOps pipeline to accelerate velocity."
"We'll use agile development with integrated security testing to deliver working software every 2 weeks."
The bad example shows off vocabulary. The good example communicates clearly using simple language.
Instead of manually checking every sentence against these 4 principles, Bidara's AI writes proposals that follow all best practices from the start. Upload your company info, and generate proposal sections that are already client-focused, quantified, and properly structured.
See How AI Writes Proposals →Why it matters: Anyone can claim 'excellent communication.' Proving it with an example is convincing.
"We have excellent communication skills and always keep clients informed throughout the project lifecycle."
"On our recent project with [Client], we provided daily 15-minute standups, weekly written status reports, and monthly executive briefings. When we identified a risk to the timeline, we notified the client within 2 hours with mitigation options."
The good example provides specific evidence (daily standups, 2-hour response) instead of vague claims.
Why it matters: Evaluators skim. Put your best stuff first - in every document, section, paragraph, and sentence.
"After conducting extensive research and consulting with industry experts, considering multiple approaches and methodologies, we determined that the optimal solution would be to implement a phased approach."
"We recommend a 3-phase implementation. After analyzing 5 approaches, this delivers fastest time-to-value while minimizing risk."
Get to the point immediately. Background can come after you've stated your position.
Why it matters: Specific examples differentiate you from competitors making vague claims.
"Our team has extensive experience with similar projects across multiple industries and can handle complex requirements."
"Our team has delivered 12 federal RFP automation projects in the past 24 months, including a 3,000-user deployment at GSA and a classified system for DOD. Average implementation: 6 weeks from contract to production."
The specific version (12 projects, GSA, DOD, 6 weeks) is memorable and verifiable. Generic could be anyone.
Why it matters: Don't make evaluators hunt for whether you meet requirements. State compliance clearly.
"Our approach incorporates best practices for security throughout the development lifecycle."
"Requirement 3.2.1: 'Contractor shall implement NIST 800-53 controls.' ✓ Compliant. We implement all NIST 800-53 Moderate baseline controls using our automated compliance framework, with quarterly audits by third-party assessors."
The good version quotes the requirement number, states compliance, and explains how. Makes evaluator's job easy.
Instead of manually checking every sentence against these 8 principles, Bidara's AI writes proposals that follow all best practices from the start. Upload your company info, and generate proposal sections that are already client-focused, quantified, and properly structured.
See How AI Writes Proposals →Why it matters: Page limits are real. Every word should add value. Concise writing is more persuasive.
"It is our belief that we have the ability to provide you with a solution that will help you to achieve your goals and objectives."
"We will help you achieve your goals."
The bad version uses 27 words to say what 8 words communicate better. Padding wastes page limits.
Why it matters: Evaluators scan before reading. Clear structure helps them find evaluation criteria quickly.
"[Large paragraph discussing project approach, team qualifications, past performance, timeline, and deliverables all in one 300-word block]"
"Project Approach [150 words] Team Qualifications [150 words] Past Performance [150 words]"
Breaking content into labeled sections with white space makes it skimmable and easier to score.
Why it matters: Past performance is usually 30-40% of evaluation score. Vague descriptions lose points.
"We successfully completed a large-scale implementation for a major client and they were very satisfied with our performance."
"Client: Federal Agency X | Contract: FA-2023-8832 | Value: $2.3M | Period: Jan 2023 - Dec 2024 Delivered enterprise proposal platform to 400 users. Reduced their proposal time from 35 hours to 8 hours (77% savings). Delivered 3 weeks early, under budget. CPARS: Exceptional rating (all categories)."
The good version provides verifiable details, quantified outcomes, and official ratings.
Why it matters: Evaluators spot copy-paste. Generic proposals signal you don't care about their specific needs.
"[Your company] is a leading provider of innovative solutions for organizations seeking to improve their business processes."
"The Department of Veterans Affairs' requirement for proposal automation directly aligns with our specialized experience. We've delivered 8 federal proposal systems, including 3 for VA medical centers in the past 18 months."
The good version mentions specific client (VA), specific requirement, and directly relevant experience.
Instead of manually checking every sentence against these 12 principles, Bidara's AI writes proposals that follow all best practices from the start. Upload your company info, and generate proposal sections that are already client-focused, quantified, and properly structured.
See How AI Writes Proposals →Why it matters: If you lack something, address it. Don't ignore it hoping evaluators won't notice - they will.
"[Say nothing about the fact that you don't meet the 'preferred 10 years experience' requirement]"
"While our company was founded 5 years ago (vs. preferred 10 years), our leadership team brings 45+ combined years of industry experience. Our past 3 government contracts (valued at $8M) demonstrate mature processes and proven performance."
Acknowledging a gap with strong mitigation is better than letting evaluators dock points silently.
Why it matters: Your proposal should flow logically. Technical approach, past performance, and team should reinforce same themes.
"[Technical approach emphasizes agile speed, but past performance examples are all waterfall, and team has no agile certifications]"
"[Technical approach emphasizes agile. Past performance shows 5 agile projects. Team has 8 CSMs and PSMs. Management plan includes daily standups and 2-week sprints. Everything aligns.]"
Inconsistencies make evaluators doubt your credibility. Coherent story is persuasive.
Why it matters: Evaluators under time pressure appreciate visual cues for important information.
"[Key differentiator buried in middle of paragraph 3 on page 8]"
"[Callout box with icon] Why This Matters: We're the only bidder with existing FedRAMP authorization, saving you 6-9 months and $400K in compliance costs."
Callout boxes make key selling points impossible to miss during rapid evaluation.
Why it matters: It's the most important section - written first, it's speculation. Written last, it's synthesis.
"[Generic 2-page executive summary written before rest of proposal, not updated]"
"[1-page executive summary written after proposal is complete, pulling best elements: key differentiators, quantified benefits, compelling past performance, and explicit statement of compliance]"
You don't know what your best arguments are until you've written the full proposal.
Instead of manually checking every sentence against these 16 principles, Bidara's AI writes proposals that follow all best practices from the start. Upload your company info, and generate proposal sections that are already client-focused, quantified, and properly structured.
See How AI Writes Proposals →Why it matters: Evaluators have scoring sheets matching RFP sections. Don't make them hunt for where you addressed requirements.
"[RFP asks for: 1) Technical Approach 2) Management Plan 3) Past Performance. You organize as: 1) Our Company 2) Methodology 3) Team]"
"[Your proposal sections exactly match RFP: 1) Technical Approach 2) Management Plan 3) Past Performance]"
Evaluators literally have a checklist matching RFP structure. Using different structure loses points.
Why it matters: Superlatives and puffery waste space and hurt credibility. Evaluators read hundreds of proposals.
"We are the industry-leading, award-winning, innovative provider of cutting-edge solutions, and we're passionate about delivering world-class results that exceed expectations."
"We've delivered 47 proposal automation systems with 94% client retention rate and average time savings of 82%."
The bad version is all adjectives, zero proof. Good version is all facts, zero adjectives.
Why it matters: Good graphics communicate complex information faster than text. Bad graphics waste space.
"[Stock photo of people shaking hands. Generic clip art. Decorative graphs with no data labels.]"
"[Org chart showing project team structure. Gantt chart showing actual timeline. Process flow diagram showing your methodology.]"
Every graphic should communicate information that's hard to convey in text.
Why it matters: Typos signal carelessness. If you're careless in proposals, you'll be careless in delivery.
"[Proposal with client name spelled wrong, inconsistent formatting, 'their/there/they're' errors, wrong dates]"
"[Zero typos, consistent formatting, all dates/numbers match across sections]"
A single typo can cost you the contract if it's in a critical area like the executive summary.
Instead of manually checking every sentence against these 20 principles, Bidara's AI writes proposals that follow all best practices from the start. Upload your company info, and generate proposal sections that are already client-focused, quantified, and properly structured.
See How AI Writes Proposals →Why it matters: Even in formal proposals, you want to project confidence and prompt next steps.
"We appreciate your consideration of this proposal and hope to hear from you soon."
"We're ready to begin immediately upon contract award. Our proposed kickoff is within 5 business days of notice to proceed. Contact [Name] at [phone/email] to discuss any questions or schedule the project start."
Confident close reinforces you're ready to execute. Weak close sounds uncertain.
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Want AI to rewrite this following all 20 principles?
See How AI Writing Works →These 20 principles apply across industries, but each sector has unique requirements:
FAR/DFARS language, past performance, compliance requirements
Methodology, team qualifications, case study presentation
Technical specifications, design approach, project delivery
Clinical quality, patient outcomes, regulatory compliance
Looking for more efficiency? Our ROI calculator shows how much time you could save with AI proposal automation, or explore our comparison of AI proposal tools.
Manually checking every sentence against this style guide takes hours. Bidara's AI writes proposals that follow these best practices from the start - client-focused, quantified, specific, and persuasive.
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