How to analyze an RFP

Start by recording the buyer, scope, submission deadline, clarification deadline, mandatory conditions, evaluation method, deliverables, contract terms, and every document the buyer requests. Then compare those requirements with verified company evidence and assign unclear findings to a person.

1. Confirm the document set, versions, and submission dates.
2. Separate instructions from technical, commercial, legal, and administrative requirements.
3. Mark explicit mandatory language and preserve its source page and section.
4. List requested evidence, templates, declarations, and certificates.
5. Compare factual thresholds with current company evidence.
6. Identify unanswered questions, dependencies, gaps, and potential blockers.
7. Review findings with bid, subject-matter, commercial, and legal owners as needed.
8. Record the bid/no-bid rationale and next actions.

If an RFP asks for three public-sector projects completed in the last five years, do not count every project in the company portfolio. Check sector, scope, dates, completion status, and the form of evidence the buyer requests. Preserve the RFP source and the matching reference documents.

Automated extraction can miss tables, annexes, cross-references, scanned pages, or ambiguous language. AI output should be treated as a review aid. The complete procurement pack and authoritative clarifications remain the source of truth.

• European Commission: Public procurement in EU countries
• Tenders Electronic Daily: About TED
• What is tender qualification?