How to Build an Effective RFP Scoring System

How to Build an Effective RFP Scoring System

When evaluating RFP software opportunities, the difference between winning and wasting resources often comes down to one thing: your scoring system. Without a structured framework, AEs, Capture Managers, Pre-Sales, and the C-Suite spend countless hours debating bid viability instead of focusing on real opportunities.

A strong RFP scoring system enables your team to qualify and prioritize bids in seconds, not days—saving thousands of hours per year. Here’s how to build one that works.

Step 1: Define Key Scoring Criteria

Every RFP platform has different requirements, but the fundamental question remains: Should we pursue this bid? Establishing clear criteria ensures every RFP is measured against the same standard.

🔹 Strategic Fit – Does this align with company goals?
🔹 Customer Relationship – Do we have an existing relationship or a path to influence?
🔹 Competitive Position – Who else is bidding, and can we win?
🔹 Solution Fit – Do we meet the technical and security requirements?
🔹 Revenue Potential – Is the deal size worth the effort?
🔹 Resource Availability – Can we deliver without stretching the team too thin?

Assigning weights to these criteria prevents internal debates and ensures alignment between sales, leadership, and delivery teams.

Step 2: Implement a Weighted Scoring Model

Instead of a yes/no decision process, use a weighted scoring model to quantify bid viability.

📌 Example:

Set a threshold—for example, only pursue bids with a score of 3.5+. If a bid falls below, it’s a no-go unless leadership overrides.

Step 3: Automate RFP Scoring with AI

Manually applying a scoring model for every bid is slow and inefficient. AI-driven RFP response tools like Iris AI automate this process:

✅ Extracts key bid requirements in seconds
✅ Applies your custom scoring framework instantly
✅ Generates an AI-powered bid/no-bid recommendation
✅ Integrates with security questionnaire automation for compliance checks

Rather than waiting for multiple stakeholder reviews, your team can get a preliminary score in 30 seconds, then refine as needed.

Step 4: Standardize and Continuously Improve

Once an RFP scoring system is in place, refine it over time:

📊 Track historical win rates – Does high scoring correlate with wins?
📉 Identify low-value pursuits – If most low-scoring bids result in losses, reinforce the cutoff.
🔄 Adjust weights as needed – If security questionnaire response automation factors heavily into past losses, increase its importance.

The goal is to build a repeatable process that removes guesswork and lets sales teams focus on winnable deals.

Try Iris AI – Score Bids in Seconds

With Iris AI, you can move from RFP chaos to clarity in under a minute.

🔹 Sign up at  pro.heyiris.ai (5 free credits + 3 per referral)
🔹 Test AI-driven scoring for real RFPs
🔹 Automate qualification and optimize bid strategy

The fastest way to stop wasting time on the wrong RFPs? Let AI do the first pass.