Blog
Business development for AEC teams.
Guides, benchmarks, and best practices for teams who win proposals.
How RFP Matching Works: Finding Opportunities That Fit Your Firm (Better Than Loopio)
RFP matching vs keyword filtering: How Stepscale's intelligent matching outperforms traditional tools like Loopio and Responsive AI by understanding your firm's unique business, past projects, and competitive advantage.
How Canadian AEC Firms Turn One Federal RFP Into a Multi-Year Revenue Pipeline
A single federal task authorization isn't a project, it's the entry point to a multi-year AEC relationship. Here's how Canadian engineering and architecture firms use supply arrangements, standing offers, and incumbent knowledge to compound one win into years of revenue.
ChatGPT, Homework & AI at Work: Why RFP and Procurement AI Comes Next
ChatGPT & homework stats (Pew, Chegg), workplace AI use (Pew), and why RFP discovery beats generic chat for public procurement in Canada (MERX, BC Bid, Alberta PC).
Average RFP Win Rates & Key Benchmarks for 2026
What is a good RFP win rate? Industry benchmarks, the factors that move it, and how top-performing proposal teams consistently outperform the average.
How to Write a Winning RFP Response: A Practical Guide
A step-by-step guide to writing RFP responses that win: from the bid/no-bid decision through final submission, with specific tactics for each stage.
How Engineering and Architecture Firms Win Multi-Year Government Contracts in Canada
MERX isn't where Canadian government work lives, it's where it gets advertised. Here's how AEC firms actually win multi-year federal, provincial, and municipal contracts through the right mix of supply arrangements, vendor-of-record programs, and proposal infrastructure.
RFP Response Checklist: 15 Steps Before You Submit
A practical 15-step RFP response checklist covering compliance, content quality, and final formatting—so nothing gets missed before the deadline.
RFP vs RFQ vs RFI: What’s the Difference?
RFP, RFQ, and RFI are three distinct procurement documents with different purposes, evaluation criteria, and response strategies. Here’s how to tell them apart and respond to each.
7 Reasons RFP Teams Lose Bids (And How to Fix Them)
The most common reasons proposal teams lose RFPs—from poor bid/no-bid discipline to generic content and missed compliance requirements—and practical fixes for each.
Best AI Tools for RFP Responses in 2026: What to Look For
What the best AI tools for RFP responses actually do in 2026—and the key features that separate genuinely useful tools from ones that just generate generic text.
How to Score and Select References for RFPs
A practical framework for scoring and selecting the most relevant past project references for each RFP—one of the most impactful and underinvested parts of the proposal process.
How to Structure an RFP Response Team That Wins
The roles, responsibilities, and workflow design that high-performing RFP response teams use—from solo proposal managers to enterprise bid teams.
The RFP Response Process: A Step-by-Step Breakdown
A complete walkthrough of the RFP response process—from the moment an RFP drops to post-submission follow-up—with timelines, tools, and decision points at each stage.