Multi-Section Proposals
The 18-section catalog Cothon generates from, organized by category and generation phase
Multi-Section Proposals
Cothon builds proposals from a catalog of 18 professional sections, organized into five categories. When you generate a proposal, all 18 are selected by default and you deselect what the RFP doesn't require.
The section catalog
| Section | Category | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary | Overview | High-level proposal overview and key differentiators |
| Company Overview | Overview | Company background and corporate profile |
| Understanding of Requirements | Technical | Demonstration of understanding the client's needs |
| Technical Approach | Technical | Detailed methodology and solution architecture |
| Methodology | Technical | Step-by-step approach and processes |
| Work Plan | Management | Work breakdown structure and tasks |
| Project Timeline | Management | Schedule, milestones, and deliverables |
| Team Qualifications | Team & Experience | Team structure and qualifications |
| Key Personnel | Team & Experience | Profiles of key team members |
| Past Performance | Team & Experience | Case studies and references |
| Quality Assurance | Management | QA processes and standards |
| Risk Management | Management | Risk identification and mitigation |
| Management Approach | Management | Project governance and oversight |
| Pricing Rationale | Commercial | Pricing structure justification |
| Value Proposition | Commercial | Unique value and differentiators |
| Compliance Matrix | Commercial | Requirements mapping table |
| Certifications | Commercial | Licenses and credentials |
| Conclusion | Overview | Closing summary and call to action |
Generation phases
Sections are written in six phases, so later sections can build on earlier ones:
- Overview — Executive Summary and Company Overview
- Technical — Understanding of Requirements, Technical Approach, Methodology
- Planning & team — Work Plan, Project Timeline, Team Qualifications, Key Personnel
- Delivery assurance — Past Performance, Quality Assurance, Risk Management, Management Approach
- Commercial — Pricing Rationale, Value Proposition, Compliance Matrix, Certifications
- Conclusion — written last, once the rest of the proposal exists to summarize
You can follow the phases live on the generation progress page.
Sections worth special attention
Compliance Matrix
The compliance matrix maps the RFP's extracted requirements to your responses in a table. On exports, it is rendered as a proper table in both DOCX and PDF. Evaluators often read it first — verify every row before submitting.
Executive Summary and Conclusion
These are the sections evaluators are guaranteed to read, and also the ones most worth rewriting in your own voice. Treat the generated versions as a scaffold for your win themes.
Pricing Rationale
Generation can justify a pricing structure, but it does not know your actual numbers. Always replace placeholder figures with your real pricing before export.
Warning
Always mirror the RFP's own structure in your final document. If the solicitation prescribes a section order or volume structure, follow it exactly — deselect sections that don't apply and reorganize the exported document to match. Cothon's catalog is a best-practice default, not a substitute for the RFP's instructions.
Matching sections to the RFP
- Full-service RFPs (professional services, IT) — most of the catalog applies.
- Goods/supply tenders — often need only Overview, a short technical description, Past Performance, Pricing Rationale, and the Compliance Matrix.
- Standing offers and supply arrangements — usually weight Certifications, Past Performance, and the Compliance Matrix heavily.
After generation, sections can be edited individually but not reordered, hidden, or added inside the viewer — do your structural rearranging in the exported DOCX. See Editing Proposals and Exporting.
Related Articles
Was this page helpful?