Free template · Excel + Markdown · For response teams
RFP tracker template
An RFP tracker is a single log of every bid request the team receives: who sent it, what kind it is, when it is due, who owns it, where it stands and how it ended. It replaces the inbox search and the "which one is due Friday?" message with one sheet everyone can read.
Updated Oct 2026
Download the RFP tracker template
One row per bid: deadlines with a days-left countdown, owners, hours, outcome and a live dashboard.
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
This template logs RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, DDQs and security questionnaires in one pipeline with a days-left countdown, then rolls the rows up into a dashboard: counts by status, win rate on decided bids, value won and hours spent. Start it today with the bids already in flight. After a quarter, the outcome and hours columns tell you which kinds of requests are worth the effort.
Use it when
- More than a handful of RFPs or questionnaires are open at once.
- Nobody can say how many bids you submitted last quarter, or how many you won.
- You want evidence for headcount or software decisions (hours per response, win rate by type).
Skip it when
- Your response platform or CRM already tracks intake to outcome, and people actually update it: one source of truth beats two.
What is inside the template
The workbook opens on an Instructions sheet, followed by 2 working sheets: Pipeline, Dashboard. Shaded cells are inputs; cells marked Auto below are formulas.
Sheet: Pipeline
One row per request received. Dates must be real dates for Days left to work. Example rows are illustrative: overwrite them.
| ID | Buyer | Title | Type | Received | Q&A deadline | Due date | Days left | Bid decision | Owner | Status | Est. annual value | Questions | Hours spent | Outcome date | Win or loss reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-101 | Northwind Health | Patient scheduling platform | RFP | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-25 | 2026-10-16 | Auto | Bid | A. Rivera | Drafting | 120000 | 146 | |||
| B-102 | Fabrikam Bank | Annual vendor security review | Security questionnaire | 2026-09-22 | 2026-10-09 | Auto | Bid | J. Chen | Review | 60000 | 312 | ||||
| B-097 | Tailspin Capital | Operational due diligence | DDQ | 2026-08-03 | 2026-08-21 | Auto | Bid | J. Chen | Won | 45000 | 188 | 22 | 2026-09-10 | Complete evidence pack; fastest turnaround of three bidders. | |
| B-095 | County of Alder | Records digitization services | RFP | 2026-07-28 | 2026-08-08 | 2026-08-29 | Auto | Bid | A. Rivera | Lost | 210000 | 64 | 61 | 2026-09-30 | Price 18% above winner per debrief. |
Preview shows 4 of 5 pre-filled rows.
Sheet: Dashboard
Calculated from the Pipeline sheet. Win rate = Won / (Won + Lost).
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requests: Intake | Auto | |
| Requests: Go/no-go | Auto | |
| Requests: Drafting | Auto | |
| Requests: Review | Auto |
Preview shows 4 of 14 pre-filled rows.
How to fill it in, section by section
Identification columns
ID, buyer, title and type identify each request and let you filter by kind.
- Give each request an ID when it arrives, even if you later decline it. Declines are data too.
- Use the Type dropdown so RFPs, DDQs and security questionnaires can be compared separately.
Dates and days left
Received, Q&A deadline and due date drive a live countdown so nothing sneaks up on the team.
- Enter dates as real dates (Excel and Google Sheets will recognize 2026-10-01). Days left calculates from today.
- Record the Q&A deadline: it usually falls well before the due date and is the last chance to ask the buyer anything.
Decision, owner and status
Shows whether you are bidding, who is accountable and what stage the response is in.
- Owner is one named person. Status moves through Intake, Go/no-go, Drafting, Review and Submitted, then to an outcome.
- Use Declined for requests you chose not to answer, and No decision when the buyer cancels or goes silent.
Value, size and effort
Estimated value, number of questions and hours spent show where effort goes.
- Log hours at submission while memory is fresh, even roughly. Without it you cannot judge whether automation pays off.
- Use the buyer’s question or requirement count rather than page count: it predicts effort better.
Outcome and reasons
Records the result and the reason, ideally from the buyer’s debrief.
- Ask for a debrief on every loss and most wins, and write the buyer’s stated reason, not your guess.
Dashboard sheet
Counts, win rate, value won and hours, calculated from the pipeline.
- No input needed. Win rate divides wins by decided bids (won plus lost), so open and declined bids do not distort it.
Common mistakes
Only logging the bids you answer
If declined requests never make it into the tracker, you cannot see how much inbound you are turning away or why. Log everything at receipt.
Text instead of dates
"Fri 16th" cannot count down. Enter real dates so the days-left column and the next-seven-days count work.
Guessing the loss reason
"Price" is the default guess and often wrong. Ask for a debrief and record what the buyer said, then compare across losses.
Skipping hours
Hours are the one number that justifies more people or better tools. A rough figure entered at submission beats a precise one nobody remembers.
Two trackers
A spreadsheet and a CRM stage that disagree will both be ignored. Pick one source of truth and link to it from the other.
Tools that automate parts of this
A spreadsheet tracker works until the volume or the number of editors grows. Response platforms and capture tools keep the pipeline next to the work, with assignments, deadlines and reporting built in.
- RE
Responsive: Intake-to-submission workflow engine, with unlimited response projects on every edition.
- LO
Loopio: Analytics on response progress and content health alongside the answer library.
- AR
Arphie: Collaboration with deadlines and approvals around AI first drafts.
- SW
Sweetspot: Pipeline management from federal opportunity discovery to award.
Free on this site: RFP ROI Calculator.
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 should an RFP tracker include?
At minimum an ID, buyer, title, request type, received date, due date, owner, status and outcome. Adding the Q&A deadline, estimated value, question count, hours spent and win or loss reason lets you measure effort and win rate.
How do you calculate RFP win rate?
A common way is wins divided by decided bids (wins plus losses), which this template uses. Some teams divide by all submitted bids instead; pick one definition and keep it consistent over time.
Can I track DDQs and security questionnaires in the same tracker?
Yes. Use the Type column to separate them, because questionnaires usually have different volumes, effort and outcomes than full RFPs.
Does this RFP tracker work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the Excel file to Google Drive and open it in Google Sheets; dropdowns, dates and formulas carry over.
When should a team move from a spreadsheet tracker to software?
When several people update the tracker daily, deadlines are missed because the sheet is stale, or you need intake, assignments and reminders tied to the response itself. Response platforms and CRM integrations cover those jobs.