Purpose
Produce a structured, procurement-grade RFP or RFQ document that clearly defines scope, sets apples-to-apples submission requirements, and specifies weighted evaluation criteria — so bids come back comparable, complete, and legally defensible. Eliminates the vague scope statements that cause bid confusion, scope-gap change orders, and non-comparable proposals.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when the user asks to:
- Create an RFP or RFQ for a construction, renovation, or facility buildout project
- Solicit bids from general contractors or specialty subcontractors (electrical, HVAC, plumbing, structural)
- Request proposals from architecture, engineering, or design firms
- Standardize how bids are requested so proposals are comparable
- Turn a rough project scope or SOW into a formal procurement document
- Rebid a project after previous submissions came back non-comparable or incomplete
Inputs Required
Before starting, collect:
- Project description: 3–5 sentences on what's being built, renovated, or designed
- Trade or discipline: General contractor, specific trade (electrical, HVAC, etc.), or design professional (architect, MEP engineer)
- Location & site conditions: Facility address, occupied vs. vacant, any access or operational constraints
- Budget posture: Firm budget, target range, or "not to exceed" — and whether it's disclosed to bidders
- Timeline: Desired start, required completion, and any hard milestones (production shutdown windows, occupancy dates)
- Document type: RFP (evaluated on approach + qualifications + price) or RFQ (price-driven with defined specs)
- Compliance requirements: Insurance minimums, bonding, licensing, safety certifications, prevailing wage, or company procurement policies
If budget posture or compliance requirements are missing, apply standard commercial construction defaults (COI with $1M/$2M general liability, valid state license, OSHA compliance) and flag the assumption in the document notes.
Instructions
Step 1: Determine Document Type and Set the Frame
Decide RFP vs. RFQ based on the input:
- RFQ when the scope is fully specified and price is the primary differentiator (e.g., replace 4 rooftop HVAC units to spec)
- RFP when approach, means-and-methods, or design quality matter and will be scored alongside price (e.g., office buildout, phased renovation, design services)
Set the document header: project name, issuing organization, RFP/RFQ number placeholder as a clearly labeled fill-in field, issue date, and question/submission deadlines.
Step 2: Write the Project Overview
2–4 paragraphs covering: what the project is, why it's being done, the physical/operational context, and what a successful outcome looks like. Include site conditions and constraints (occupied facility, production-critical areas, restricted work hours). This section orients bidders and reduces clarifying questions.
Step 3: Build the Detailed Scope of Work
This is the core. Break the scope into numbered work items grouped by phase or system. For each item specify:
- What: The specific deliverable or installation
- Standard: Applicable code, spec, or performance requirement
- Inclusions/exclusions: What's in this contract vs. by others (owner-furnished materials, permits, disposal)
Include an explicit Scope Exclusions subsection listing what bidders should NOT price — this is where change orders are prevented. Address demolition, permits, cleanup, warranty, and as-built documentation responsibility.
Step 4: Specify Submission Requirements
Define exactly what every proposal must contain, so submissions are comparable:
- Pricing format: Lump sum, unit pricing, or line-item breakdown by scope section (specify which)
- Schedule: Proposed timeline with milestones and duration
- Qualifications: Company profile, relevant project references (specify number, e.g., 3 comparable projects), key personnel
- Approach (RFP only): Means and methods, sequencing, how site constraints will be managed
- Compliance documents: COI, license numbers, bonding capacity, safety record (EMR)
- Assumptions and clarifications: A required section forcing bidders to state their assumptions
Step 5: Define Evaluation Criteria with Weighted Scoring
Present a scoring table so bidders know how they'll be judged:
- RFP typical weighting: Price 40%, Relevant experience/references 25%, Technical approach 20%, Schedule 10%, Compliance/safety 5%
- RFQ typical weighting: Price 70%, Qualifications 20%, Schedule 10% Adjust weights to the project priorities in the input. State whether award goes to lowest responsive bid (RFQ) or best-value (RFP).
Step 6: Set Contract Terms and Conditions
Specify: contract type (lump sum, GMP, T&M, unit price), payment schedule and retainage (typically 5–10%), insurance and bonding requirements, change order process, warranty period, liquidated damages if applicable, and dispute resolution. Note where the buyer must insert their own legal/procurement standard terms.
Step 7: Provide the Bidder Q&A and Timeline Structure
Include a procurement timeline: RFP issue date, mandatory site walk (if applicable), question submission deadline, answer distribution date, proposal due date, evaluation period, award notification, and anticipated start. Include Q&A submission instructions and a statement that answers will be distributed to all bidders to maintain fairness.
Output Format
- Structure: Formal procurement document with numbered sections and a table of contents
- Length: 1,400–2,000 words
- Format: Structured document — numbered sections, sub-numbered scope items, a scoring table, and a timeline table
- Sections: Header/Document Control → Project Overview → Scope of Work (with Exclusions) → Submission Requirements → Evaluation Criteria & Scoring → Contract Terms → Timeline & Q&A Process → Bidder Certification/Signature block
- Tone: Professional procurement — precise, neutral, unambiguous. No marketing language; scope statements are directive and specific.
Quality Checklist
Before delivering output, verify:
- [ ] Document is correctly framed as either an RFP or RFQ, matching the scope's price-vs-approach reality
- [ ] Scope of work is broken into numbered items with explicit inclusions AND a dedicated exclusions subsection
- [ ] Evaluation criteria weights sum to exactly 100%
- [ ] Submission requirements enumerate every element bidders must return (comparable across all proposals)
- [ ] A procurement timeline with distinct question, submission, and award dates is present
- [ ] Insurance, licensing, and compliance requirements are stated with specific minimums (not left blank)
Notes
- The scope exclusions section prevents more change orders than any other part of the document — always populate it, even for tightly specified RFQs.
- A mandatory site walk is strongly recommended for occupied facilities and any project touching existing MEP systems; include it in the timeline when site conditions are non-trivial.
- Fill-in fields (RFP number, buyer legal terms, signatory) are marked as clearly labeled input fields, not silent placeholders — the buyer should know exactly what to complete before issuing.
- For design professional RFPs, weight qualifications and approach higher than price; low-bid selection for design work tends to raise total project cost downstream.
How to use this skill
This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.
Installing in Claude Code:
~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)<your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)
Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.
Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:
- Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
- Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits
For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills