Decide whether to bid before the team loses a week to an RFP you were never going to win. Score eight questions, weight what matters to you, flag the deal-breakers, and get a clear bid, discuss or do-not-bid result you can print or export.
Score each criterion from 0 (no, or unknown) to 5 (a clear yes).
Criterion
Weight
Knockout
Score (0 to 5)
Remove
We can meet the mandatory requirementsEvery must-have, without exceptions you would have to explain away.
3
Yes
Not scored
We knew the buyer before the RFP landedA real conversation with someone who will score or decide, not just a download.
3
No
Not scored
The deal fits who we want to sell toSize, industry, use case and region match the customers you win and keep.
3
No
Not scored
The RFP is genuinely openThe requirements are not written around another vendor or an incumbent.
2
No
Not scored
We know the competition and have an edgeYou can name who else is bidding and why the buyer would pick you over them.
2
No
Not scored
We can win at a price that worksBudget, margin, payment terms and contract risk are acceptable.
2
No
Not scored
We have the people and time to do it wellWriters and experts are free before the deadline, without dropping a better deal.
2
Yes
Not scored
We have the proof they will ask forRelevant references, case studies and certifications you can actually share.
2
No
Not scored
Decision thresholds
These defaults are a starting convention, not an industry benchmark. Set them to fit your pipeline.
Weighted score0%
RecommendationScore the criteria
How to use the scorecard
Fill it in with the account owner and the person who will run the response, ideally within a day of the RFP landing. Score what you know, not what you hope: if nobody has spoken to the buyer, the relationship score is 0, not a 3 because "they liked our webinar".
Read the mandatory requirements first. If you cannot meet one, the knockout makes the call for you.
Score each criterion from 0 to 5. Leave nothing unscored; blanks count as zero.
Adjust the weights once, for your business, and reuse them. Changing weights per deal to reach a "bid" defeats the point.
Treat "Discuss before committing" as a meeting, not a maybe. Name what would move the score and who will find out.
Print or export the result and keep it with the opportunity, so you can check later whether the scorecard called it right.
How the score works
Each criterion's score is multiplied by its weight, and the total is shown as a share of the maximum. With the default weights, the first three criteria (requirements, relationship and fit) carry 9 of the 19 weight points, because those are the ones a great proposal cannot fix. The result is "Bid" at 70% or more, "Discuss before committing" from 50%, and "Do not bid" below that, unless a knockout is triggered.
The defaults are a reasonable starting point, not a statistic. This tool does not claim that bidding above any threshold wins a particular share of deals. Your own history is the only benchmark worth using: export each scorecard, record the outcome, and tune the weights after a quarter.
It is the call a bid team makes before writing: is this RFP worth the hours? A scorecard turns that call into a few honest questions about fit, relationship, competition, price and capacity, so the answer does not depend on who shouts loudest in the meeting.
How is the go/no-go score calculated?
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 and multiplied by its weight. The total is shown as a percentage of the maximum possible (every criterion at 5). Unscored criteria count as zero, so an unfinished scorecard reads low on purpose.
Where do the 70% and 50% thresholds come from?
They are a starting convention for this tool, not an industry benchmark or a win-rate statistic. Set them to match your own pipeline: a team with spare capacity might bid lower, a stretched one higher. Both thresholds are editable, and so is the knockout level.
What is a knockout criterion?
A question that ends the conversation on its own. If a knockout criterion is scored 1 or lower, the result is "Do not bid" whatever the total. By default, failing the mandatory requirements and not having the people to respond are knockouts.
Can I change the criteria and weights?
Yes. Rename any criterion, change its weight, mark it as a knockout, delete it, or add your own. The share link stores the whole scorecard, so the next opportunity can start from your version.
Is my scorecard data stored anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. The share link carries your scorecard inside the address itself, and the CSV download is created on your device.