Boost Your Win Rate: The Power of Integrated RFP Strategies

When most vendors approach the RFP process, they come armed with strict criteria:

While these considerations aren’t wrong, they are way too narrow for vendors serious about long-term growth in the K–12 space.

At Write Way Consulting, we’ve seen firsthand that real success comes from thinking bigger, removing artificial limitations, and treating RFPs like start-ups treat early opportunities—with hustle, strategy, and openness to building.

Here’s how innovative vendors create a powerful RFP footprint—and how you can too!

Stop Filtering Yourself Out of Opportunities

Many Texas RFPs, for example, are not about immediate massive orders. They’re licenses to hunt—vendor awards that may initially feel small but lead to six-figure wins over time.

We’ve seen tiny RFP awards turn into:

If you filter too tightly, you risk missing the opportunities that could quietly scale your organization.

How to Vet RFPs Like a Pro: Primary, Stretch, and Pass

Instead of asking “Is this big enough?” or “Is this funded enough?”—use a categorization strategy to make smarter moves without stalling your growth.

Here’s the framework we recommend:

Category	Description	Action
Primary Bids	Fully aligned with your current products or services	Respond aggressively
Stretch Bids	Close match but missing something (certifications, research studies, slight product gaps)	Participate in Q&A, evaluate adaptations, often worth the risk
Pass Bids	Cannot meet scope or major gaps exist (e.g., would require major product redevelopment)	Track carefully for future business intelligence

Tracking stretch and pass bids is not a waste of time. It’s an investment in market knowledge.

Example: If you pass on 50 bids a year because your software lacks a reporting feature that’s always requested, it’s time to develop that feature—because the market is demanding it.

Stretch Bids: The Smartest Risk You’ll Ever Take

Stretch bids are gold.

They push you to innovate, expand your services, and most importantly, get your name in front of buyers.

Participating in Q&A sessions on stretch bids—even if you don’t submit a final proposal—allows you to:

Stretch bids often pay off when you least expect it. A district may modify the scope based on vendor feedback, or reissue the RFP in a way that fits you perfectly.

Small Seeds = Big Trees

Don’t let arbitrary thresholds or “wait until we’re ready” thinking slow your momentum.
Building a true RFP footprint means planting seeds today that can grow into unexpected revenue tomorrow.

And remember: strategic expansion doesn’t mean reckless bidding. It means using real data from your pass/primary/stretch tracking to refine both your product and your long-term business strategy.

Ready to Level Up Your RFP Strategy?

Write Way Consulting helps vendors not just “apply for bids”—but build a system that supports sustainable K–12 growth.

From categorizing your opportunities, to developing product strategies that close gaps, to building a market footprint designed to scale—we know how to help you move with intention and ambition.