Creating an RFP
Create RFPs using Strutter's conversational AI wizard or build one manually. Describe your need, answer clarifying questions, and watch your RFP come together.
Strutter gives you two ways to create an RFP: a conversational AI wizard that builds one from a description, or manual creation for full control from the start. This guide covers both approaches.
Conversational AI wizard
The fastest way to create an RFP. Describe what you need, answer a few questions, and Strutter generates a complete RFP with sections, scored questions, and appropriate question types.
Start from the prompt bar
Type your procurement need in the prompt bar from any page:
"Create an RFP for cloud migration services"
Strutter navigates you into the generation wizard and starts the conversation. You can also click the hero input on the RFPs home page to get started.
Answer clarifying questions
Strutter asks a series of questions to understand your requirements. These appear as chat bubbles in a conversational flow:
- Selection chips. Most questions offer preset options you can click to answer quickly (e.g., "Cloud-hosted," "On-prem," "Hybrid").
- Free text. Type in the prompt bar to provide additional context or a custom answer.
- Skip questions. Click Skip remaining at any time to let Strutter fill in the gaps based on what you've already provided.
Each question builds on your previous answers. The more detail you provide, the more tailored your RFP will be.
Watch live generation
After you finish the questions, Strutter generates your RFP and shows progress in real time:
- Research phase. Strutter searches your past RFPs and question library for relevant patterns and questions.
- Writing phase. Sections are generated one at a time. You'll see a preview of each section as it's created.
- Assembly. The final RFP is compiled with all sections, questions, weights, and scoring criteria.
Most generations complete within 30 to 60 seconds.
Review the result
When generation finishes, Strutter shows a summary card with:
- The RFP title
- Number of sections and questions generated
- A link to open the RFP in the editor
Click Open in Editor to review and refine the generated RFP. You can also type follow-up requests in the prompt bar to make changes before navigating away.
Refine after generation
Not happy with something? Use the prompt bar to ask for changes:
"Add a section about data security" "Increase the weight on compliance questions" "Add 3 more questions about vendor experience"
Strutter updates the RFP based on your instructions.
Manual creation
Prefer to build your RFP from scratch:
- Click New RFP and enter a title and description
- Add sections to organize your RFP (e.g., "Technical requirements," "Pricing")
- Add questions to each section, choosing from 8 question types
- Set a weight for each question to control its impact on scoring
- Set a due date so vendors know the deadline
- Publish when ready
Starting from the prompt bar vs. the home page
You can start RFP generation from two places:
| Entry point | What happens |
|---|---|
| Prompt bar (any page) | Type "Create an RFP for..." and Strutter navigates you to the wizard with your description pre-filled. |
| Home page hero input | Type your description directly in the large input on the RFPs home page. The wizard starts on the same page. |
Both paths lead to the same conversational flow. The prompt bar is convenient when you're already working elsewhere in the app.
Tips for better AI-generated RFPs
- Be specific in your initial description. "Cloud migration for 200 servers from on-prem to AWS with SOC 2 compliance requirements" gives Strutter much more to work with than "cloud migration."
- Answer the clarifying questions. Each answer helps Strutter tailor the RFP to your needs. Skipping too many questions produces a more generic result.
- Refine after generation. Use the prompt bar or editor to adjust sections, add questions, or change weights. The AI output is a strong starting point, not a final product.
- Review weights and scoring. The AI assigns weights based on your description. Double-check that the most important questions have the highest weights.
What counts against your plan
AI-generated RFPs count toward your plan's quarterly RFP limit when published. The limit is separate from AI credits. See billing and plans for details on limits by plan tier.
Next steps
- RFP management. Edit, publish, close, and award your RFPs.
- AI features. Learn about auto-scoring, recommendations, and other AI capabilities.
- Strutter AI Assistant. Use the prompt bar to manage RFPs, vendors, and more from any page.