Prompt Chain: RFP Analysis to First Draft in Under 2 Hours

What This Builds

You'll build a 5-step prompt chain — a saved sequence of AI prompts that takes a new RFP from initial drop to a complete first-draft outline and three fully drafted proposal sections in under 2 hours. Each step is saved in a reference document so you or any team member can run the same process consistently on any new opportunity, without reinventing the approach each time.

Prerequisites

• Comfortable using Claude or ChatGPT for RFP analysis (Level 3)
• A Word or Google Docs document to save your prompt chain (reusable reference)
• An active RFP or a past RFP to test on
• No paid subscription required for most steps — Claude free or ChatGPT free
• Cost: Free (Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus recommended for Step 5)

The Concept

A prompt chain is a pre-defined sequence of AI interactions where each step builds on the previous one. Instead of starting every proposal from scratch and reinventing your approach, you follow the same proven sequence: analyze → strategize → structure → draft → check. The chain gets faster with each use as you refine the prompts for your typical RFP types.

Think of it like the Shipley BD lifecycle — but compressed and AI-assisted:

• Step 1 = Requirements Analysis
• Step 2 = Win Strategy Development
• Step 3 = Outline Development
• Step 4 = Section Drafting
• Step 5 = Compliance Check

Build It Step by Step

Part 1: Create Your Prompt Chain Document

Open a new Google Doc or Word document. Name it "Proposal Kickoff Prompt Chain — [Firm Name]."

Create 5 sections. You'll copy the prompts below into each section, then customize them for your firm.

Part 2: Write and Save Each Prompt

Step 1: Requirements Analysis

Copy into your document under "Step 1":

I'm a proposal writer responding to a government RFP. I'll paste Section M (Evaluation Factors) and Section L (Instructions). Analyze them and give me:

1. Evaluation factors in priority order with weighting if stated
2. For each factor, what specific evidence or claims earn the highest rating based on the language
3. The 3 most important things a proposal MUST demonstrate to be competitive
4. Any unusual or high-risk requirements that I should flag immediately

Section M: [paste]
Section L summary or key requirements: [paste key paragraphs]

Step 2: Win Strategy Development

Copy into your document under "Step 2":

Based on the evaluation factors you just analyzed, help me develop a win strategy. I'll give you our firm's relevant differentiators and you'll tell me how to frame them as win themes.

Our differentiators for this bid:
- [list 3-5 specific differentiators — e.g., incumbency, certifications, key personnel, past performance]

For each differentiator, help me:
1. Connect it to a specific evaluation factor
2. Write a one-sentence "win theme" statement I can use as the lead for proposal sections
3. Identify what evidence I need in the proposal to support this win theme

Step 3: Volume Outline Generation

Copy into your document under "Step 3":

Using the win strategy we developed and the Section L compliance requirements, create a technical volume outline that:

1. Meets all compliance requirements from Section L
2. Leads each major section with the win theme connected to that section's evaluation factor
3. Includes recommended page allocations within a [X]-page limit
4. Notes which SME or team member should own each section

Format as:
Section [#]: [Title] — [Win Theme] — [Page Count] — [Owner]
  Subsection A: [topic] — [page count]
  Subsection B: [topic] — [page count]

Step 4: Section Drafting (Run 3x for Priority Sections)

Copy into your document under "Step 4":

Using the outline we developed, draft a complete [section name] section for the Technical Volume.

Key requirements from Section L this section must address: [list from compliance matrix]
Evaluation criteria this section is graded on: [Section M criteria]
Win theme for this section: [from Step 2]
Our relevant capabilities/differentiators: [brief description]
Page limit for this section: [X pages / ~[Y] words]

Use proposal voice: active, benefit-focused, no jargon, present tense. Lead with the win theme. Connect every capability to a government benefit. Do not invent specific metrics or past performance details — use [METRIC] as a placeholder where specific numbers are needed.

Step 5: Compliance and Quality Check

Copy into your document under "Step 5":

Review the draft proposal content we've generated and perform two checks:

1. COMPLIANCE CHECK: Based on the Section L requirements from Step 1, are there any requirements not addressed in the draft? List any gaps by requirement number.

2. QUALITY CHECK: From an evaluator's perspective scoring against the Section M criteria from Step 1, does this draft merit a "Exceptional" rating? What specific improvements would raise the score?

Draft sections to review: [paste your three completed section drafts]

Part 3: Run the Chain on a Test RFP

Pick a past RFP (won or lost) and run through all 5 steps in a single Claude or ChatGPT conversation. Keep all 5 steps in the same conversation — the chain works because context builds.

For each step:

1. Open your prompt chain document
2. Copy the Step [X] prompt
3. Fill in the bracketed fields with the RFP content or your firm's information
4. Paste into Claude/ChatGPT
5. Read the output — use it as input for the next step

Total runtime for a typical RFP: 60–90 minutes.

Real Example: Full Chain in Action

Starting situation: A new Navy IDIQ for IT services (30 pages, 25-page technical volume limit) dropped at 8am. Kickoff with the team is at 10am.

Step 1 (8:05am) — Requirements Analysis: Input: Section M factors + Section L key requirements Output: 4 evaluation factors, what earns top rating for each, 3 critical must-demonstrates, 2 flagged risks (certification required in proposal, specific page limit for past performance not the standard)

Step 2 (8:20am) — Win Strategy: Input: Our differentiators: 4-year incumbency, active Navy cleared team, CMMC Level 2 assessment in progress Output: 3 win themes connected to evaluation factors; evidence required for each; one-sentence theme statements ready to use as paragraph openers

Step 3 (8:35am) — Volume Outline: Input: 25-page limit, compliance requirements from Step 1, win themes from Step 2 Output: Complete outline with 5 major sections, subsections, page counts, and SME owner assignments

Step 4a (8:55am) — Technical Approach draft (first 8 pages): Input: Outline, Section L requirements, win theme, our cloud/cybersecurity capabilities Output: 8-page technical approach draft in proposal voice, win theme leads, compliance elements addressed

Step 4b (9:15am) — Management Approach draft: Input: Outline, management requirements, PM structure, staffing approach Output: 6-page management draft

Step 5 (9:30am) — Compliance check: Input: Both draft sections Output: 2 compliance gaps identified (Section L requirement 14 on quality reporting not addressed; Section L requirement 22 on transition timeline not mentioned); 3 quality improvements suggested to reach Exceptional

10:00am — Kickoff: You walk into the meeting with:

• Win strategy document
• Complete volume outline with owner assignments
• First draft of 14 pages already written
• Compliance gaps and improvement list for the team to address

What used to take the rest of the day is done in 2 hours.

What to Do When It Breaks

• Step 4 draft ignores the outline from Step 3 → Paste the outline explicitly in Step 4 and say "Follow this exact outline structure" — don't assume the chain retains structural memory
• Step 5 compliance check misses gaps → It's checking based on the requirements it extracted in Step 1; if Step 1 missed requirements, Step 5 will too. Always cross-reference the AI compliance check against your manually built matrix
• Chain loses context after Step 3 → Start Steps 4 and 5 with: "We're continuing the proposal chain from this session. The evaluation factors are [brief summary]. The win themes are [list]. Now..." to refresh context before the step
• Drafts are over the page limit → Add to Step 4: "This section must fit in [X] pages (~[Y] words). Cut ruthlessly — prioritize win themes and compliance over background."

Variations

• Simpler version: Run just Steps 1–3 (analysis + strategy + outline) as your kickoff prep, then write sections manually. The chain's biggest value is at kickoff, not necessarily full draft generation.
• Extended version: Add a Step 0 (opportunity research — ask Claude what similar contracts this agency has awarded in the past) and a Step 6 (oral presentation preparation — draft talking points for the technical approach sections)
• Team version: Run Steps 1–3 together; divide section drafting (Step 4) among 3–4 writers running the prompt in parallel for different sections; reconvene for the Step 5 compliance check

What to Do Next

• This week: Test the full chain on your most recent lost proposal RFP — see what the AI would have produced and compare to what you actually submitted
• This month: Refine the prompts after running the chain on 3 real proposals — the bracketed fill-in areas get tighter and more effective with each use
• Advanced: Combine this chain with the Claude Project content library (Level 4 guide) — Step 4 drafts pull from your approved boilerplate instead of generating from scratch

Advanced guide for Proposal Writer professionals. These techniques use more sophisticated AI features that may require paid subscriptions.