By name: rfp-response
description: Respond to an RFP/RFI/RFQ — decide go/no-go before committing effort, then build a compliant, scannable requirement-by-requirement response matrix (comply / partial / roadmap / no-bid), thread the win themes, and run the compliance checklist so the bid isn't disqualified on a technicality. Reach for this when a formal RFP/RFI lands. Used by rfp-security-response-specialist (primary).
Skill: rfp-response
Invoked by:
rfp-security-response-specialist(primary).When to invoke: "we got an RFP — should we respond?"; "help me structure this RFP response"; "is this RFI worth answering?".
Output: a go/no-go verdict and, if go, a requirement-by-requirement response matrix + compliance checklist, using
../../templates/rfp-response-matrix.md.
Procedure
- Qualify the bid (go/no-go). Traverse the RFP go/no-go tree in
../../knowledge/se-engagement-decision-trees.md: Is there a relationship/champion, or is this a cold/compliance bid? Does the requirement set fit our strengths, or is it wired for an incumbent (over-specific requirements that match one competitor)? Is the effort justified by the win probability and deal size? A clean no-bid frees the team for a winnable one. - Decompose into requirements. Extract every stated requirement into the matrix, one row each. Don't summarize the document — answer it line by line; evaluators score on the matrix.
- Classify each requirement honestly: comply (shipped) / partial (with the workaround) / roadmap (with a date, marked as such) / no-bid (cannot meet). Never inflate roadmap to comply — it surfaces in the POC or the contract.
- Thread the win themes. From discovery (or the public record), weave the 2-3 reasons this buyer should pick you through the responses — not generic boilerplate.
- Run the compliance checklist. Page limits, section order/numbering, mandatory forms, format, and the deadline. Per
../../knowledge/security-questionnaire-and-trust.md. RFPs are disqualified on technicalities before the prose is ever read. - Route the security section to
security-questionnaire-response— it has its own evidence-mapping discipline.
Output
The go/no-go verdict (with reasoning) + the response matrix + the passed compliance checklist. Capture reusable answers into the trust-answer library.
Anti-patterns this skill prevents
- Reflexively bidding every RFP (burning the team on unwinnable, incumbent-wired bids).
- A narrative response that doesn't answer the requirements line by line.
- Inflating roadmap items to "comply."
- A great response disqualified on a format/deadline technicality.