We take your RFPs from chaos to done.
Our professional roots are firmly planted in State, Local, Education, Federal, and Corporate Proposal Writing and Management, including Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and unsolicited proposals.
Because of our journey as a business—from solopreneur and 1:1 work to today as an agency supporting dozens of clients—we’ve developed a passion for supplier diversity.
Many of our small and mid-size clients hold diverse supplier certifications. We support them with all aspects of RFP-based Business Development (BD) and Grant Funding Proposals.
We help our Corporate, Government, and Nonprofit clients bring their diverse spending goals to life.
We are a diverse-certified business recognized by:
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE) by the US Small Business Administration (SBA)
- Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
- Disabled-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE) by Disability:IN
Finally, we are a diverse supplier, and offer services that bridge the gap between enterprises and their diverse spending goals.
Roots in RFP-based proposals and supporting the full lifecycle of RFP-based procurement.
Our services are designed to serve…
Small & Midsize
Corporation
Government & Non-Profit
Improve
Control
Tame
Stabilize
Grow
Change
Your Proposal Story
Once Upon an RFP partners with Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Government (B2G) organizations to tame the proposal chaos, stabilizing and growing revenues. We provide the right combination of people, processes, planning, and accountability that get your business to the next level.
How We Can Transform Your RFP Business
Save your team over 75% of their time responding to RFPs.
Increase your revenue by an average growth of 30-120%.
Deliver RFPs 100% compliant and on time.
Why choose us?
Wide range of clients results
We deliver results for clients across multiple industries and sectors.
True collaborator
More than a service provider, we aim to be a true collaborator.
Trained and certified experts
Our team of trained and certified experts is dedicated to enhancing your proposal and business processes.
Project management
Proficient project management that meets deadlines and compliance.
Working
Flexibility. We work around your people, processes, and schedules.
Let's Talk
Book your exploratory session to see if we might be the right fit.
We know we’re not your only option. If we’re not the right fit, we’re happy to make a referral.
I started Once Upon an RFP after 20+ years inside B2G/B2B corporations and witnessing a re-occurring theme: burnout. Our mission is to help you create a healthier balance to help you accomplish all the things you need to do while making time for the things you want to do.
Caryn Kent Dean
What Our Winning Clients Are Saying
"Caryn is BRILLIANT. I took three pages of notes in our 30-minute call and I have the whole thing in my "to-do" stack."
"Once Upon an RFP offers exceptional customized proposal support tailored to meet the unique needs of our team. They provide access to industry experts who offer valuable advice and strategic guidance, ensuring that we maximize our budget, timeline, and expertise. Their team's commitment to keeping us on track and within budget has been instrumental in submitting proposals on time. Thanks to their attention to our specific requirements, we have secured contracts and successfully scaled our company with the seamless assistance of Once Upon an RFP. They have become our go-to company for proposal services, and we highly recommend them to any company venturing into contracting for the first time, seeking comprehensive proposal assistance from start to finish."
"The Once Upon an RFP Team creates rigor around how we approach RFPs. They are effective at leveraging our team to dig in, and in ways that we have not previously. As a result, the proposals we submit are of the highest quality, beautifully written, RFP-compliant, and more client-focused than when we managed proposals in-house."
"The team worked on a proposal that was exceedingly difficult, confusing, and time-consuming. They did a tremendous job on the proposal and were committed to producing a top-quality product throughout. We could not have done this without them! Their submits are of the highest quality, beautifully written, RFP-compliant, and more client-focused than when we managed proposals in-house."
Once Upon an RFP created a very attractive Featured Services Proposal template to let organizations know about the various leadership development programs and support Cohesive Outcomes, LLC can provide. I approached Caryn wanting a template for raising awareness about a new program we were launching, and she expanded my vision to create a document that showcases all the various services we provide. The final deliverable is beyond what I initially envisioned and will be extremely useful in expanding our reach. I'm grateful that Caryn had a higher vision than I had for myself and could bring it to life.
"The Once Upon an RFP Team demonstrates a deep passion for excellence. They bring our team together, elevating our work and deliver the best proposals to our clients."
"Caryn's team has the unique ability to bring clarity to the most obscure bidding and RFP opportunities. She and her team wade through often voluminous documentation to extract and organize the "meat" that allows her clients' businesses to shine. With her vast and in-depth data science experience, Caryn has an extraordinary ability to present her clients' qualifications in concise and succinct messaging. She is a super pro in her field and should be considered for your business' next RFP opportunity.
Working on an RFP is so time consuming and tedious. You need to make sure you are providing what procurement officers need in exactly the manner requested. OUanRFP provided a proposal writer and solid process that helped us assemble a solid proposal that was both compliant and, also really well formatted. When I submitted it, I felt so proud of how professional and elegant it looked. OUanRFP gave me so much peace of mind knowing it would get done on time. Lastly, they were so nice to work with, always open to feedback and responsive. I will surely use them on all my future proposals.
The process working was very enjoyable. They were collaborative, patient, helpful, and very thorough-spending time to ensure they fully understood my business. The resulting document speaks directly to the goals and values of Cohesive Outcomes, in a voice that feels very authentic. I am proud to inform others about our various programs using this document. Thank you, Once Upon an RFP!
You don't have to do it all
Are you ready to stop wearing all the hats, or asking your team members to wear too many?
Growth and impact come from having the right people in the right seats.
Whether you’ve been in business for 20 years or recently established your consultancy, you deserve support with your business proposals.
We offer several levels of support. Our passion is lifting you and your business up, so you do the work you’re meant to do.
Take our assessment for recommendations tailored to where you and your business are today.
What's Your Story?
50 States of Opportunity
The purchasing website for each of the United States and DC, all in one place!
Just click where you want to work and go!
1) Path to Stability & Growth
2) Clarity
⦁ To whom you are selling
⦁ What you are selling
⦁ Your Value
3) Strategy
⦁ Ideal Client Identification
⦁ Client Attraction Strategy
⦁ Roadmap to Success
4) Foundation
⦁ Ideal Client Vendor Portal Registrations
⦁ Diverse Certifications Your Ideal Clients Accept (Diverse (Woman, Minority, Disadvantaged, Veteran, LGBTQ+) Owned Business Certification, etc.)
5) Consistency
⦁ RFx Opportunity Identification & Proposal Development
⦁ Sales Pipeline Tracking
⦁ Branding & Marketing Support