Getting a taste of AI for proposal writing with ChatGPT

Fun fact: Before discovering Govdash, every single one of our customers initially used ChatGPT to aid in content development when crafting responses to RFPs, RFIs, or RFQs.

Here was their typical workflow:

1. Read through the solicitation to find pages that seem to have requirements, then upload those pages to ChatGPT.

2. Ask ChatGPT to identify the requirements on those pages.

3. Request ChatGPT to create an outline of sections to include in the proposal.

4. Prompt ChatGPT to generate text for one of the sections.

5. Manually find company information from files containing past performance and paste them into ChatGPT.

6. Iteratively prompt ChatGPT to refine the content to make it more accurate or compelling.

7. Copy parts of the generated text that they liked and paste it into Microsoft Word.

8. Manually edit the content in Word to sound less generic and more aligned with their company’s voice.

9. Repeat all previous steps for every other section.

10. Stitch together all sections in Microsoft Word.

11. Edit the combined document to ensure better flow and tailor it to any win-themes.

ChatGPT was helpful compared to the status quo; however, it left a lot to be desired for the government proposal writing use case.

Shortcomings of ChatGPT for government contractors

As we all know, government proposals are lengthy, nuanced documents that require you to carefully present company information like past performance in a way that is both compliant and compelling.

When using ChatGPT, customers faced challenges such as data loss at the start of new sessions, content generation that sounded super generic, limited text output, and a significant amount of manual tweaking to achieve satisfactory results.

Our customers saw the promise of AI, but soon realized that to truly create more compelling proposals and save time, they needed a solution designed around the needs of government contractors, leading them to Govdash.

How Govdash takes things to the next level

Govdash is the AI platform for proposals and capture management, built specifically for government contractors. With Govdash, you don’t have to worry about the workflow steps mentioned above. Simply upload a solicitation and receive a full-length proposal that opens right in Microsoft Word.

Govdash is an end-to-end solution that automatically identifies all solicitation requirements, finds the right company data to include in proposals, makes it easy to include win-themes or information discovered during pre-acquisition activities, and writes compelling content in your style.

So, how does it work?

Govdash understands and remembers your company’s offerings, writing style, personnel, and more. It leverages our proprietary embeddings architecture to create a private knowledge base of your company's past performance, resumés of team members, slide decks, or any other information that you typically use when writing proposals.

When you upload a solicitation (RFP, RFI, RFQ, etc.) to Govdash, our ranking engine is able to pinpoint the most relevant content from your knowledge base to use to respond. This ensures that every proposal you generate is compelling, company-specific, and well-positioned to capture the attention of federal customers.

AI built around your workflow

Govdash is built for the government contracting workflow, which is why it integrates perfectly with the Microsoft ecosystem. We output your entire proposal into a Word document that matches your company response template.

Furthermore, our integration with Microsoft Word allows you to use Govdash for any additional AI-powered editing directly in Microsoft Word itself, helping you swiftly refine your draft as needed and get it submission-ready.

A focus on quality

ChatGPT is helpful for generating content quickly, but more content does not mean better quality. Govdash focuses on quality AND speed, finding your most relevant information, guiding you to include information gained during capture, and carrying out win themes throughout your proposals.

Looking to take things to the next level? Reach out

ChatGPT is a competent generalist and a great way to get started. Yet, when the objective is to significantly streamline and enhance the proposal process, Govdash will take you to the next level. With Govdash, the mundane becomes automated, the complex becomes simple, and the generic becomes personalized. Book a time to learn how Govdash can boost your team's proposal workflow.