Stronger RFP Responses to Earn Your Way to More Shortlists
Make your value impossible for evaluation committees to overlook — and start winning the business you deserve.
The path from problem to possibility
Every RFP represents years of relationship-building — and real revenue on the line
When an evaluation committee is reviewing multiple responses, the organizations that get shortlisted aren't always the most qualified — they're the ones whose response stands out and tells a memorable, compelling story.
Each lost opportunity costs more than the deal itself
Behind every lost bid lies hundreds of hours of internal effort, real revenue that never came through the door, and a team that gave it everything — only to come up short again.
Stronger responses win more business — and grow your market share
When your response is built around a clear value proposition and a compelling narrative, you don't just answer the questions — you make the decision easy. More shortlists. More wins. Revenue that compounds.
Your sales and relationship teams are strong. They understand your clients and your market.
The gap shows up specifically when RFPs arrive:
- Your distinct value gets buried in technical jargon and detailed product language
- Evaluation committees can't clearly see what makes you different from the next bidder
- Internal coordination — chasing subject matter experts, and seeking approvals — drains time that should go toward the response itself
- Bidding decisions are made on relationship or gut feel, not on a disciplined view of win probability
The bottom line: you're losing winnable business to competitors who are positioning themselves to win.
Niche expertise gained from inside the industry
Hurdle1's perspective comes from years spent inside one of Canada's most complex, regulated procurement environments — building, leading and reinventing the RFP function from within.
That experience means we understand exactly how evaluation committees think, what procurement offices flag, and where most submissions quietly lose — long before the scores are tallied.
Built from within
Experience earned inside major Canadian Group Benefits and Retirement organizations — not as an outside observer
Hundreds of proposals
Across a highly regulated, committee-driven market where the stakes are high and the margin for error is low
Six domains that determine RFP performance
Hurdle1's diagnostic framework evaluates your organization across every dimension that drives proposal outcomes — from strategy to submission to learning.
Bidding strategy
Do you pursue RFPs selectively, based on your strategic roadmap, or do you respond to everything that lands on your desk?
Opportunity planning
Is the groundwork done to understand the buyer's unstated needs, the competitive field, and the incumbent's vulnerabilities?
Team, culture and governance
Is your RFP function properly resourced, positioned, and clear on roles and accountability?
Case-level process
Does each individual proposal follow a disciplined planning, drafting, review and approval process?
Submission quality
Would your final proposal hold up as compelling and credible in front of a sophisticated evaluation committee, procurement office or consulting firm?
Post-submission learning
Do you systematically capture win/loss insight and use it to compound your advantage across procurement cycles?
Choose the right entry point for your organization
Diagnostic and Roadmap
Hurdle1's diagnostic delivers prioritized recommendations and a phased improvement roadmap — including quick wins you can action right away.
Content Modernization
Hurdle1 can identify your unique differentiators and transform your response content to make your value unmistakable.
RFP Process Transformation
Hurdle1 can streamline the RFP workflow to reduce drag on your organization, smooth processes and improve turnaround.
High-stakes RFP Support
If you have a must-win case, Hurdle1 can provide direct strategic guidance on opportunities as they arise.
Let's talk about how Hurdle1 can help you win more of the business you're competing for
Book a discussion — or reach us directly at [email protected]
Hurdle1 RFP Success is a service offered by 10Marketing Consulting Inc., a specialized B2B marketing consultancy supporting Group Benefits, Group Retirement and HR organizations.