Use this short self-assessment to identify gaps in your proposal draft before submission. It covers the executive summary, requirements, technical approach, pricing and presentation.
This is a heuristic readiness score, not a win-probability estimate. It has not been calibrated against contract awards. The percentage is the share of the available self-assessment points you selected. It does not measure buyer scores, eligibility or your competitors.
How this assessment works
Answer ten questions using your current draft and evidence. Each answer receives zero to three points, with equal weighting across the questions. The result divides your selected points by the 30 available points.
- Up to 40%: major review gaps
- 41–70%: further review needed
- 71–100%: more items addressed in your self-assessment
These thresholds organize the checklist. They are not validated predictions, and a high overall score can still hide a mandatory requirement you have missed.
Assess your draft
Answer all 10 questions honestly based on your current proposal draft. The result is a self-assessment checklist score, not an estimated chance of winning.
Executive Summary
1. Does your executive summary lead with the client's problem (not your company history)?
2. Does it include quantified outcomes or proof points from similar projects?
Compliance
3. Have you addressed every mandatory requirement with explicit responses?
4. Do you reference RFP section numbers in your responses?
Technical Approach
5. Does each proposed feature or solution tie to a specific client need?
6. Do you include a realistic implementation timeline with clear milestones?
Pricing
7. Is every cost component itemized and explained (no bundled "lump sums")?
8. Have you shown total cost of ownership or multi-year projections?
Presentation
9. Is your proposal visually scannable (clear headers, bullets, tables, whitespace)?
10. Have you had someone outside your team review it for clarity?
Use the result to plan your review
Check the lowest-scoring areas against the actual solicitation. Assign each gap to an owner, verify evidence, and rerun the assessment after making changes. Never use this score alone for a bid decision or submission approval.
Use our free compliance matrix to track requirements and our RFP response pack to plan sections and final checks.
Review with Craxy AI
Craxy AI proposal tools can help analyze source documents, organize an outline and review drafts. Your team must verify the evidence and final submission. Watch the product demo to see the workflow.
Sources and review date
Reviewed October 3, 2026. This checklist is editorial guidance. Federal proposal evaluation uses the factors in the solicitation; see FAR 15.305.