Free template · Excel + Markdown · For response teams
Bid/no-bid template (RFP go/no-go scorecard)
A bid/no-bid template (also called a go/no-go scorecard) is a short, structured way to decide whether an RFP is worth answering before the team spends days on it. It has two parts: knockout questions that end the discussion on their own (you cannot meet a mandatory requirement, you are not eligible, you cannot make the deadline) and weighted criteria that score how winnable and how valuable the opportunity is.
Updated Oct 2026
Download the Bid/no-bid (go/no-go) template
Knockout gates, a weighted 11-criterion scorecard and a decision record, with formulas built in.
Direct download, no form. Works in Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice Writer. The Markdown copy is plain text for wikis, Notion or an AI assistant.
What it is and when to use it
Run it within a day or two of receiving the RFP, with sales, the bid lead and someone who owns delivery in the room. The score does not make the decision for you. It makes the reasoning visible, so a "no bid" is a deliberate choice and a "bid" comes with eyes open about the gaps.
Use it when
- RFPs arrive faster than the team can answer them well.
- Bid decisions are made by whoever shouts loudest, and you want a record of why.
- You want to compare win rates later by the score you gave at the start.
Skip it when
- Renewals and existing-customer questionnaires you will answer regardless: skip straight to the work.
- Very short, low-effort requests where the meeting would take longer than the response.
What is inside the template
The workbook opens on an Instructions sheet, followed by 3 working sheets: Knockouts, Scorecard, Decision. Shaded cells are inputs; cells marked Auto below are formulas.
Sheet: Knockouts
Any "No" answer suggests no-bid. Unsure answers need an owner and a date.
| # | Gate question | Answer | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Can we meet every mandatory (shall or must) requirement, or get an accepted exception? | |||
| 2 | Are we eligible: required certifications, registrations, insurance, location or size status? | |||
| 3 | Can we deliver a complete, compliant submission by the deadline, including all required forms? | |||
| 4 | Are the contract terms acceptable, or credibly negotiable? |
Preview shows 4 of 6 pre-filled rows.
Sheet: Scorecard
Score 1 (poor) to 5 (strong). Weights are a starting point: edit them to match your business, keeping the total at 100%. Example scores are illustrative.
| Criterion | Question to answer | Weight | Score (1-5) | Weighted | Evidence and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relationship | Have we met the buyer’s decision makers before this RFP arrived? | 12% | 3 | Auto | Two calls with the IT director in Q1. |
| Shaping | Did we influence the requirements, or are we reading them for the first time? | 8% | 2 | Auto | |
| Requirement fit | How many scored requirements do we meet fully today? | 15% | 4 | Auto | Compliance matrix: 41 of 46 Full. |
| Competitive position | Do we know who else is bidding, and do we beat them on the heaviest criteria? | 10% | 3 | Auto |
Preview shows 4 of 11 pre-filled rows.
Sheet: Decision
Thresholds are editable starting points, not industry standards. Review them after every ten decisions.
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weighted score (out of 5) | Auto | From the Scorecard sheet. |
| Knockout gates answered No | Auto | Any value above zero suggests no-bid. |
| Bid threshold | 3.5 | Edit to suit your history. |
| Discuss threshold | 2.5 | Scores between the two thresholds go to a discussion. |
Preview shows 4 of 10 pre-filled rows.
How to fill it in, section by section
Knockouts sheet
Pass/fail gates that stop a bid regardless of score.
- Answer each gate Yes, No or Unsure. Any No means no-bid unless an executive overrides it in writing on the Decision sheet.
- Turn every Unsure into a clarification question to the buyer or an owner with a deadline.
Scorecard: weights
Sets how much each criterion matters to your business. Weights should total 100%.
- Agree weights once for a type of deal (for example commercial software, or public-sector services) and reuse them, so scores are comparable over time.
- The total row shows the weight sum: fix it if it does not read 100%.
Scorecard: scores and evidence
Scores each criterion from 1 (poor) to 5 (strong) with a note on what the score is based on.
- Score from evidence, not hope. "We met the CIO twice" is evidence; "they will love our product" is not.
- Weighted values and the total out of 5 calculate automatically.
Decision sheet
Records the suggested outcome, the actual decision, who made it and any conditions.
- The suggested outcome uses the weighted score, the knockout count and the two editable thresholds. Calibrate the thresholds against your own past wins and losses.
- Write down conditions for a conditional bid (for example "only if legal accepts a liability cap"), and who checks them.
Common mistakes
Treating every RFP as a must-bid
Answering everything spreads the same people across more bids and lowers the quality of the ones you could win. A documented no-bid is a productive outcome.
Scoring with optimism
Sales scores relationship a 5 because they once spoke to the procurement inbox. Ask for the evidence column to be filled before the score counts.
Changing weights per deal
If weights move every time, the score just ratifies whatever the team already wanted. Fix them per deal type and change them deliberately, not mid-meeting.
Deciding too late
A go/no-go held a week before the deadline only decides whether to waste the remaining week. Decide within a day or two of receipt.
Never looking back
The scorecard becomes useful once you compare scores against outcomes. Keep each decision sheet with the bid record and review them every quarter.
Tools that automate parts of this
A spreadsheet handles the decision itself. Some AI response tools now read the incoming RFP and produce a go/no-go assessment, which helps with the requirement-fit and timeline criteria.
- IR
Iris: Go/No-Go scoring for RFP fit alongside AI first drafts with cited sources.
- RE
Realm: Go/No-Go scoring of incoming RFPs and tenders, plus AI agents that fill RFPs.
- TE
Tenderbolt: Go/No-Go analysis of tender documents with scored, source-linked reasoning, hosted in the EU.
- TE
Tendrio: Go/no-go recommendations built from an automatically generated compliance matrix.
Capabilities above are restated from each vendor’s profile, where the sources are listed. Confirm current features and pricing with the vendor before you buy.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
What is a bid/no-bid decision?
It is the decision, made early, about whether to respond to an RFP at all. Teams weigh whether they can win, whether the deal is worth winning and whether they have the capacity to respond and deliver.
What criteria go into a go/no-go scorecard?
Common criteria include your relationship with the buyer, whether you shaped the requirements, fit to the requirements, competitive position, incumbent strength, pricing position, strategic value, response and delivery capacity, contract risk and timeline. Knockout questions such as eligibility and mandatory requirements sit alongside them.
What score should trigger a bid?
There is no universal number. This template starts with editable thresholds of 3.5 to bid and 2.5 to discuss; adjust them once you can compare past scores with wins and losses.
Who should be involved in a bid/no-bid meeting?
The account owner, the bid or proposal manager, someone who can commit delivery resources and, for risky terms, legal or finance. Keep it small enough to decide in one meeting.
Is go/no-go the same as bid/no-bid?
Yes. The terms are used interchangeably for the decision on whether to pursue an opportunity. Some teams hold more than one gate, for example before capture starts and again when the final RFP is released.
Can software score RFPs for go/no-go automatically?
Some response tools analyze an incoming RFP and produce a go/no-go score or recommendation. Use it as input to the meeting; relationship and strategic value are things your team knows better than any document.