Know-How Exchange : Student Questions

Short answer: It depends.

It depends on the industry/sector, the size and sophistication of the company that issued the RFP, cultural norms, and your writing skills. (And probably a few other things.)

Where are you located? What kind of new business? Serving whom? What makes you different from, and better than, others who do what you want to do?

I agree with the above, but I'd add that if you're going to be pursuing government contracts (State or Federal), you need to hire someone with that specific expertise. Those RFPs are a completely different beast, that require a completely specialized skill set. If you're just talking about B2B RFPs, you might be able to hire a less experienced marketer, but be sure that the person establishes great relationships across your entire company. They will need to have access to all of your senior staff in order to respond appropriately to any technical, cost, or schedule questions.

In addition to the considerations above, a big constraint on your proposed new venture will be the amount of startup cash you have. What level of effort can you finance for 6 to 9 months with zero revenue? Can you afford to hire a qualified person and keep them around that long?

In general, it is someone within the company making the proposal that will write it. Often it is a sales person or business development person who writes it, if the company is large enough to have these titles.

In a small company, the principal would write.

I would not hire someone to write it until your business is going and you have it systematized such that you can hand that off. The proposals are effectively contracts, and if written wrong, you could be liable for completing an unprofitable contract.