Case Study:
Proposal Support & Consulting for Technology Solutions Provider

Once Upon An RFP provides Proposal Support & Consulting for a technology solutions provider and administrator in the Education industry.

Company Overview: 

Our client is a technology solutions provider providing administrative and payment management services to states implementing publicly funded education programs. This technology solutions provider is the first company to develop a program focused solely on effectively managing all aspects of these programs. The client’s platform offers a comprehensive solution, enabling states to manage and track applications, approvals, contracts, payments, and purchases within one secure solution.   

Though our client is a newer industry player, its expertise is unparalleled. As a small business, the client can provide comprehensive services while remaining agile and providing fully customized solutions for every client.  

Proposed Project Overview: 

With a growing client base and a recent uptick in these publicly funded programs, the client sought Once Upon an RFP’s expertise in responding to the influx of public sector RFPs.  

RFPs for these programs are wrought with security, financial, insurance, capacity, and customer support requirements, thus prioritizing the need for comprehensive compliance checks, an intimate understanding of broader industry fluctuations, and responsive content tailored for each program.  

Once Upon an RFP aimed to take much of the administrative burden of proposals from the client’s principals, allowing the client’s team to focus on efficiently serving their existing clients and researching new developments in the industry. The client also sought our assistance in generating content library material that outlines the company’s mission and developing proactive differentiators for future opportunities.  

Methodology:

  • The client shared past RFP wins and losses, brand guides, and company background information.  
  • The Once Upon an RFP team reviews initial RFP documents and provides a time estimate.  
  • The Once Upon an RFP team schedules a kickoff meeting with principals.  
  • The Once Upon an RFP team creates a project plan, schedule, and proposal draft for each project, outlining all requirements, including submission information.  
  • The Once Upon an RFP team meets with key client stakeholders and SMEs, including customer support personnel, the technical team, and financial experts, to gather relevant information for the opportunity.  
  • The Once Upon an RFP team generates responsive written and graphic content for the opportunity, adhering to proposal requirements involving formatting, page counts, and volume numbers.  
  • The Once Upon an RFP team engages with relevant submission portals, required registrations, and other administrative tasks ahead of the proposal submission date.  
  • The Once Upon an RFP team meets regularly with the client’s team to share drafts, incorporate edits, and provide updates regarding the opportunity, amendments, addenda, and industry changes.  
  • Once the client approves the final draft, the Once Upon an RFP team finalizes the proposal documents, providing editing, proofreading, and document clean-up; the Once Upon an RFP team then exports the file(s) to the specified format and sends final documents to the client.  
  • For online portal submissions, the Once Upon an RFP team schedules a live call with the client’s team to share and video-record the submission process.  
  • For email submissions, the Once Upon an RFP team coordinates with the client’s team to confirm who will send the email. Once sent, the sender forwards either the original email or a confirmation of receipt for company records.  
  • For physical submissions, the Once Upon an RFP team coordinates with the client’s team to confirm who will print and package the proposal and whether to hand in or mail the proposal.  
  • Once submitted, the Once Upon an RFP and the client’s teams check for award announcements, follow-up questions, or date changes.  

Conclusion: 

With Once Upon an RFP’s assistance, our client has won two State contract awards for program implementation, facilitation, and management. The States have chosen our client for its comprehensive services, innovative platform, and state-of-the-art ecosystem.   

Challenges and Lessons Learned: 

  • Each state and its respective program has different legal and administrative requirements. We must carefully tailor RFP responses to address every nuance and adhere to all program requirements. 
  • Because of the complex nature of these programs, the state departments frequently retract, rerelease, and extend submission deadlines. As such, we must stay vigilant and regularly check portals or other methods of communication.  
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