FOR STATE, LOCAL, AND EDUCATION (SLED) SERVICE BUSINESSES, $500K TO $25M+
Win the SLED Contracts You Keep Losing.
76%+
Win rate
92%
Down Select Rate
30+
LISA’S RFP EXPERIENCE
$500M+
Client Wins
If you’ve been a finalist but keep losing, or you can’t get to the finalist round, we’ve built the playbook your team needs.
RFP-expert · Founder · 30+ years on all three sides of the RFP table
No commitment. No sales pitch. Just clarity.
76%+ Win Rate · $500M+ in Client Wins · RFP-expert Lisa Rehurek: 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating RFPs
Recognition & Credentials
Inc. 5000 Honoree (2023, 2024) · WBENC Certified · Goldman Sachs 10KSB Graduate
Selected Clients Across Industries
Founder · The RFP Success® Company
Author of 11 books · Lisa’s 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating RFPs.
FROM THE FOUNDER · WIN STRATEGIST SERVICES
“You’re not losing because you’re unqualified. You’re losing because you’re undisciplined.”
11 BOOKS
RFP SUCCESS PODCAST
GOLDMAN SACHS 10KSB
INC 5000 (2023, 2024)
SIGNED
SLED Win Strategy, Built for Service-Based Businesses.
Proprietary SLED proposal methodology
4x4 Framework™
01
02
D.A.R.E. Method
Evaluator scoring lens: Distinction, Answer the Questions for Impact, Readability, Evidence & Authority
03
RFP Success® Mastery Audit
Diagnostic review of past submissions
04
Win Strategist Team
In house experts who run the Audit, Strategy Review, and Content Refinement with you
The RFP Success® Company is the SLED Win Strategist firm for service-based businesses from $500K to $25M+ in revenue. Founded in 2016 by RFP-expert Lisa Rehurek. Lisa brings 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating RFPs. The company has a 76%+ client win rate and $500M+ in client wins. The work is delivered by an in-house Win Strategist team, and you can reach them through the contact page.
who we Are
You’ve built a great company. You deliver for your clients. Your team has the experience, track record, and qualifications to win.
But somehow, the proposals you submit do not reflect that.
GENERICSTRATEGIC
They sound generic when they should sound strategic.
CHECKING BOXESTELLING A STORY
They check boxes when they should tell a story.
CAPABILITIESEVALUATOR VALUE
They list capabilities when they should show evaluators exactly why you are the lowest-risk, highest-value choice on the table.
Every time you lose a contract you were qualified to win, it costs more than the contract itself. It costs momentum, morale, and market position.
You Know How to Do the Work. Your Proposals Just Don't Show It.
We’ve spent decades studying how state, local, and education evaluators read, score, and select winning proposals. The work centers on what evaluators actually reward.
Most teams can answer every question. They lose when the response never makes a clear, evaluator-ready case for why they are the best choice.
That's the gap we close.
WHY QUALIFIED TEAMS LOSE
You don't win SLED contracts by writing more.
You win by writing right.
RFP-EXPERT LISA REHUREK
FIND YOUR PATH
Three Paths, One Goal: Help You Win.
We built a path for each one. Find yours.
Every business that responds to government RFPs is in a different place. Some need a Win Strategist to strengthen how their expertise is presented. Some want a system they can run themselves. And some need the right resources to learn.
OUR FLAGSHIP TIER
Win Strategist
Your Team Writes It. We Strengthen It to Win.
$100K+ CONTRACTS · <20 RFPs/YR
Includes: 4×4 Framework™ + D.A.R.E. Method + Coaching
For businesses with teams already writing proposals who want a Win Strategist in their corner. Depending on where you’re losing, that’s an RFP Success® Mastery Audit of past proposals, a Win Strategy Review before the next pursuit, or Content Refinement on a live response. We guide your team and strengthen how your expertise is presented. We don’t take over your proposals.
You have a team writing proposals, but your win rate isn’t where it should be. You want honest, expert feedback and a clear roadmap to improve.
Guided System
Express Guided Response Platform
$1M to $5M REVENUE · <10 RFPs/YR
Includes: 4×4 Framework™ platform + templates
For smaller teams ($1M to $5M revenue) who want a proven framework and system to write stronger proposals on their own. The tools, templates, and strategy without the full service price tag.
You respond to fewer than 10 RFPs per year. You don’t have a dedicated proposal person. You want structure, not hand holding.
DIY Resources
Books, Courses, and Playbooks
$500K to $1M REVENUE · <5 RFPs/YR
Includes: Self paced 4×4 Framework™ training
For solo proposal writers and small businesses ($500K to $1M revenue) who want access to the same frameworks and insights our clients use. Learn at your own pace, on your own budget.
You’re the person responsible for proposals at your company. You want to get better at this, and you want to learn from the best.
Take the RFP Assessment
Not sure which path fits? Take the 2 minute RFP Assessment and we’ll point you to the right starting place. No pressure, no pitch.
They Came to Win More. They Did.
Our clients have won $500M+ in state, local, and education contracts. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
FROM THE FOUNDER
“Anyone can help you submit a proposal. Very few can help you win one.”
Lisa Rehurek
Optumas
Healthcare Consulting86% win rate · 6 of 7 RFPs
“RFP whisperers”
Technology
Highstreet IT
Won $8.5M contract
Down select rate ↑ 77% · Win rate 43%→50%+
Education
Modern Learners
$500K → $1M revenue
“50% win rate on 8 RFPs changed the entire game”
Fleet Management Software
RTA Fleet
50% → 80% finalist rate
Revenue on pace to 2 to 3x
See how the 4×4 Framework™ delivered Optumas’s 86% win rate, Highstreet’s $8.5M contract, and Modern Learners’ revenue growth
It's not luck. It's a system.
The Framework
A Proven System. Not Guesswork.
Most companies approach RFPs the hard way: start from scratch, write under pressure, hope for the best, and wonder what went wrong when they lose.
We built something better.
The 4×4 Framework™ is our proprietary methodology for winning government contracts. It covers the four pillars that determine whether a proposal wins or loses: Strategy, Content, People, and Process. Each pillar has four subcomponents, with best practices grounded in Lisa Rehurek’s 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating RFPs.
The 4×4 Framework™ drives every service we offer. It’s why our win rate is 76%+.
Inside the Content pillar lives the D.A.R.E. Method: Distinction, Answer the Questions for Impact, Readability, and Evidence & Authority. It’s the tactical writing system that turns generic proposals into evaluator ready responses that score.
76%+
CLIENT WIN RATE
Across $500M+ in client wins
INSIDE THE CONTENT PILLAR
D.A.R.E. Method
- Distinction: what sets you apart
- Answer the Questions for Impact: direct and complete
- Readability: clear, organized, easy to navigate and score
- Evidence & Authority: proof, stats, references
STRATEGY
· Foundation
· Positioning
· Mindset
· Beyond RFP intel
CONTENT
· Distinction
· Answer the Questions for Impact
· Readability
· Evidence & Authority
PEOPLE
· Right roles
· Teamwork
· Specialized seats
· Management cadence
PROCESS
· Go/No Go selectivity
· Planning
· Repeatable workflows
· Review rigor
FROM LISA
State and local evaluators don't reward the same proposals buyers do. SLED is its own game.
Why The RFP Success® Company
Purpose-Built for SLED. Accountable to Wins.
SLED specialists. Founded by Lisa Rehurek, who brings 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating RFPs.
Specialized where the scoring is different.
State, local, and education contracts are the only contracts we work on. That focus sharpens how your proposal handles evaluator priorities, risk flags, and award confidence.
A strategist inside the process.
Your Win Strategist guides positioning, strengthens the story, and refines the content. Your expertise stays at the center. The proposal becomes easier to score and harder to dismiss.
Measured by wins, not submissions.
Anyone can help a team turn in a proposal. The work here is built around winning, backed by a 76%+ client win rate and $500M+ in client wins.
A real SLED body of work.
Lisa Rehurek brings 30+ years across every side of the RFP table, 11 books (including 5 on RFP strategy), the industry’s longest-running SLED-specific RFP podcast, and two Inc. 5000 honors.
This isn’t a side hustle. It is the whole company.
We embed into your process as your Win Strategist, guiding your team, strengthening your positioning, and refining your content so every proposal is built to win. We don’t take over your proposals. We strengthen how your expertise is presented. Anyone can help you submit a proposal. Very few can help you win one. We don’t measure success by submission. We measure it by win rate.
Built for State and Local Government. That's All We Do.
The RFP Success® Company is a SLED specialist. State, local, and education government contracts are the only contracts we work on. That focus means we understand how SLED evaluators think, how they score, what triggers a risk flag, and what makes them confident enough to recommend your proposal for award.
We host the longest-running podcast in the industry. Lisa Rehurek has published 11 books, including 5 on RFP strategy. The RFP Success® Company has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list two years running, and clients have won $500M+ in contracts using our methods.
This isn’t a side hustle for us. This is the whole company.
SLED SPECIALIZATION
Built only for state, local, and education contracts.
The RFP Success® Company
SLED specialists. No commercial-market guesswork.
Typical alternatives
Multi-vertical generalists or no public-sector specialty.
ENGAGEMENT MODEL
A strategist beside your team, not another vendor handoff.
The RFP Success® Company
A Win Strategist works directly with your team.
Typical alternatives
Self-guided software, project-based support, or general consulting.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Measured by wins, not by pages delivered.
The RFP Success® Company
76%+ win rate across $500M+ in client wins.
Typical alternatives
No published win-rate data or outcome accountability.
EVALUATOR LENS
Three decades of perspective from every side of the RFP table.
RFP-expert Lisa Rehurek
30+ years responding to, developing, and evaluating RFPs.
Typical alternatives
Generic frameworks, pattern matching, or broad business advice.
Lisa Rehurek in the Media
11 books published · The RFP Success® Show, longest running podcast
Meet the Founder
Meet Lisa Rehurek. 30+ Years on Every Side of the RFP Table.
Lisa Rehurek has spent 30+ years studying, writing, managing, evaluating, and winning government proposals. She’s been the person writing the response. She’s been the person developing the RFP. She’s been the person evaluating the submissions and scoring them. And she’s built a company around the insights those three perspectives create.
Recognition also includes Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and Tempe Chamber Business Woman of the Year (2024). Lisa hosts The RFP Success® Show, the longest-running podcast dedicated to government proposals.
But credentials don’t win proposals. Frameworks do. Discipline does. Knowing what evaluators actually care about does. That’s what Lisa built The RFP Success® Company to deliver.
WHY CLIENTS HIRE THE RFP SUCCESS® COMPANY.
CLIENT VOICES · WHAT SLED + ENTERPRISE BUYERS SAY
Every result below comes from a named client, chosen by evaluators on merit, not price. Real names, real outcomes, across SLED healthcare, transportation, education, and technology.
“They are RFP whisperers. We engaged them and won 6 of our last 7 SLED pursuits inside one year. The methodology repositioned how we read every RFP.”
FEATURED · HEALTHCARE CONSULTING CLIENT
Optumas
Healthcare Consulting (SLED Medicaid agencies)
WIN RATE
86%
Sustained across SLED Medicaid agency pursuits. Six wins out of seven submissions during a 12 month engagement.
50% → 80%
FINALIST RATE
RTA Fleet
Fleet Management / Transit
TRANSPORTATION
Finalist rate climbed from 50% to 80% in one engagement cycle. Same submission volume, more wins.
Finalist rate moved from 50% to 80% inside one quarter. Revenue trajectory now 2 to 3× pre engagement baseline.
2×
REVENUE GROWTH
Modern Learners
Education / Learning
EDUCATION
“changed the entire game.”
50% win rate across 8 RFPs. Revenue scaled from $500K to $1M during the engagement.
-60%
WRITING TIME
Myers & Stauffer
Healthcare Consulting
HEALTHCARE CONSULTING
“Training exceeded all expectations.”
60% reduction in proposal writing time. Internal team now produces evaluator ready content without outside help.
$8.5M
CONTRACT WON
Highstreet IT
Technology
TECHNOLOGY
Win rate climbed 43% to 50%. Down selected at 77% on shortlist round. Won $8.5M contract.
WHY VERIFIED RESULTS MATTER
“Named clients. Specific outcomes. Public results. That is what evaluators trust, and that is what these clients now produce.”
Lisa Rehurek · Founder, The RFP Success® Company
WE'RE A SLED SERVICE BUSINESS. ARE YOU THE RIGHT FIRM? WHAT ABOUT FEDERAL CONTRACTS?
Yes. The RFP Success® Company works exclusively with service-based businesses pursuing State, Local, and Education (SLED) contracts. We do not support federal procurements; federal rules, timelines, and evaluation patterns differ from SLED. If your target is a state agency, regional authority, municipality, K-12 district, or university, you’re in the right place.
HOW IS THE RFP SUCCESS® COMPANY DIFFERENT FROM A PROPOSAL WRITER OR RFP CONSULTANT?
A proposal writer writes. A consultant advises. The RFP Success® Company works across Strategy, Content, People, and Process against the evaluation criteria buyers use. Lisa Rehurek brings 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating RFPs. Our Win Strategist team applies that experience to the way each proposal will be scored.
WHICH ENGAGEMENT TIER FITS US? DIY, EXPRESS, OR WIN STRATEGIST?
Tier maps to your annual contract value range. DIY Resources: $500K to $1M. Express Platform: $1M to $5M. Win Strategist engagements: $5M to $25M+. The right fit depends on RFP volume, pursuit complexity, and how much of the work your internal team owns versus what we run.
HOW FAST CAN AN ENGAGEMENT START? OUR NEXT RFP DROPS IN THREE WEEKS.
The RFP Success® Mastery Audit typically takes 2 to 3 weeks from kickoff to debrief. Active RFP engagements are built around the submission deadline, while other services are scoped based on the work involved. For an RFP due in 3 weeks, a Win Strategy Review may be the realistic path. Take the RFP Assessment and our team will tell you whether the timing is workable.
WHAT DOES PRICING ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? TIERED, PROJECT BASED, OR RETAINER?
Project based, by service. Typical pricing: $3,500 for the RFP Success® Mastery Audit, $4,500 to $8,500 for a Win Strategy Review, $6,500 to $12,000 for Content Refinement, $7,500 for a Play to Win Consult, and Library Content Development starting at $4,200. No hourly billing and no retainer. Each engagement is scoped as a defined project.
WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED IN AI WRITING TOOLS. WHY HIRE THE RFP SUCCESS® COMPANY ON TOP OF THAT?
AI is a powerful tool inside the engagement, not a strategy on its own. Our own Express platform puts AI to work for DIY teams. What a Win Strategist adds on top is the strategy layer: reading evaluator scorecards, diagnosing why past responses lost, and building win themes that match how procurement officers, operations directors, and finance reviewers score. That strategy layer is what evaluators reward.
HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS? WHAT IF WE DO NOT WIN THE CONTRACT?
We measure finalist rate, win rate, and contract value won. Across SLED clients, our average win rate is 76%+. RTA Fleet improved its finalist rate from 50% to 80%, and other client outcomes vary by starting point and engagement. We do not promise every pursuit will win. Every engagement has a defined scope and deliverable.
CAN WE HIRE YOU FOR TRAINING ONLY, OR FOR HANDS ON HELP ON A LIVE PURSUIT?
Both. Internal team workshops build your team’s in-house capability, while Library Content Development creates a reusable, evaluator-ready content foundation. For an active pursuit, a Win Strategist works alongside your team to strengthen strategy, positioning, and content. We don’t take the proposal over or write it for you. Some clients combine hands-on support on an initial pursuit with training and reusable content their team can carry forward.
FREQUENTLY ASKED · evaluator-aware ANSWERS
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING WITH THE RFP SUCCESS® COMPANY.
Real questions from service-based businesses pursuing state, local, and education (SLED) government contracts. Answered by Lisa Rehurek.
Email support@rfpsuccess.com
Question not on the list?
Email support@rfpsuccess.com and the team will get you an answer.
76%+
AVG WIN RATE
92%
DOWN SELECT RATE
30+
YEARS · LISA REHUREK
$500M+
CLIENT WINS
WHY VERIFIED RESULTS MATTER
Stop Losing. Start Winning.
Every Win Strategist engagement is scoped to a single pursuit. Take the RFP Assessment and our Win Strategist team will recommend the right tier for your situation: pursuit size, RFP volume, win rate baseline, and incumbent status.
“We don’t guarantee awards. We strengthen what your team submits and show you where evaluators are likely to reward or withhold points.”
Lisa Rehurek
Founder, The RFP Success® Company