Red Flags In Agency Proposals Aren’t Just About the Agency

When the Proposal Looks Polished, But Something Feels Off

Even a well-written RFP won’t guarantee perfect proposals, although it should make off-base ones less likely. When the responses start coming in, it’s worth reading with two lenses: What does this proposal reveal about the agency? And what might red flags in agency proposals be telling you about your own process?

Not all red flags point to the agency. Some reflect ambiguity, mixed signals, or missteps in the way the RFP was framed, structured, or issued. Here’s how to read the signals in both directions.

1. Missing the Mark on Experience. An agency that lacks relevant experience and doesn’t address it may not be thinking critically about fit. But it might also suggest: The RFP didn’t clearly define what kind of experience mattered, or didn’t require respondents to make the connection explicit.
2. Failure to Follow Instructions. Submissions in the wrong format, over the page limit, or routed to the wrong contact can reflect carelessness. But it might also suggest: Instructions were easy to miss – buried in fine print, inconsistent, or unintentionally vague.
3. Typos, Errors, and Sloppy Presentation. Obvious mistakes in a proposal can raise concerns about quality control and care. If you’re seeing this across submissions: Consider whether your timeline necessitated speed at the expense of precision. (Here’s what we had to say about building a better timeline.)
4. Off-Target in Scale, Scope, or Fit. When a proposal lands far outside your expectations (too complex, too simplistic, exceeding scope) it may be that the agency was throwing a Hail Mary. But it could also be a sign that: The RFP didn’t sufficiently define the engagement, leaving room for mismatched assumptions. For more on this, read about where specificity matters most in your RFPs.
5. Overpromising or Under Explaining. A proposal full of bold claims and buzzwords but light on how it all happens may be cause for skepticism. And it may be a sign that: The RFP didn’t press for enough specificity – about methods, metrics, or roles – or left key areas open-ended.
6. Tone or Team That Doesn’t Fit. A mismatch in tone, approach, or team structure can be a gut-check moment, even if everything else looks good on paper. Which might point to: An RFP that focused on tasks and deliverables but didn’t say much about culture, collaboration style, or values. For more on this, see our post about how getting the right team starts with the right RFP.
7. Responses That Miss the Mark in Strange but Consistent Ways. When multiple proposals feel oddly off – emphasizing the wrong things, glossing over key details, or answering the same questions in wildly different ways – it might be tempting to blame the agencies. But it could also suggest: the RFP’s evaluation criteria weren’t clearly defined or sufficiently prominent, leaving agencies to guess at what really mattered. When no one knows how they’ll be scored, they aim in different directions. (For more on this, see our post discussing why better evaluation criteria lead to better proposals.)

Final Thought

Red flags aren’t always dealbreakers. But they’re always invitations: to look closer, ask questions, and reflect on the process that shaped the response. The proposals you receive are a form of feedback. And what you do with that feedback, whether it’s silent, reactive, or constructive, can shape every RFP that follows.

Next up: RFP or not? When might a brief be the better path?

Smart organizations know that stronger RFPs lead to better partnerships. We help teams clarify what they really need, sharpen their evaluation criteria, and structure the RFP to attract the right response from the right partners. Whether you’re looking for a topline diagnostic, a strategic rewrite, or a full-process tune-up, we can help. Let’s talk.

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