What is a Proposal Response?
Definition
Vendor's formal reply to an RFP with proposed solution, pricing, and capabilities. A proposal response includes executive summary, company overview, product capabilities addressing RFP requirements, implementation approach, pricing breakdown, customer references, security documentation, and contract terms. Responses demonstrate how vendors meet specified requirements and differentiate their offerings. Evaluation teams score responses against established criteria to create vendor shortlists and inform final selection.
Why This Matters
Response quality indicates vendor professionalism, product fit, and implementation approach. Generic, marketing-heavy responses suggest lack of understanding or product limitations. Detailed, specific responses with evidence (screenshots, customer examples, technical specifications) demonstrate genuine capabilities. Evaluation teams should score response quality as it predicts vendor performance throughout the relationship.
Related Terms
Showing semantically related terms from our RFP knowledge graph. Priority connections are highlighted.
Essential Connections
RFP Response
RFP Fundamentals
Complete vendor submission addressing all RFP requirements, questions, and evaluation criteria.
Vendor Response
RFP Fundamentals
Formal submission from vendors answering all RFP questions with documentation, certifications, pricing, references, and supporting materials.
Request for Proposal
RFP Fundamentals
RFP stands for Request for Proposal—a formal business document used to solicit vendor proposals for products or services.
RFP Submission
RFP Fundamentals
The act of vendors delivering completed proposals by the specified deadline in the required format (PDF, Word, online portal).
Proposal Submission
RFP Fundamentals
Act of delivering completed RFP response according to specified requirements and deadline.
RFP Answer
RFP Fundamentals
Vendor's specific response to individual RFP questions addressing requirements, capabilities, and approach.
Evaluation Criteria
Vendor Management & Evaluation
Standardized requirements used to assess and compare software vendors including product capabilities, security certifications, implementation methodology, support SLAs, and pricing structure.
Vendor Evaluation
Vendor Management & Evaluation
Comprehensive assessment of software vendors across product fit, security compliance, implementation capabilities, company qualifications, and total cost of ownership.
Vendor Proposal
Vendor Management & Evaluation
Comprehensive submission from vendors detailing how they meet RFP requirements.
Showing 9 semantically related terms ·Browse all 200 terms
Related RFP Templates
Explore our top RFP templates - all 75 templates include questions about proposal response