Prompting Guide

A quick-reference guide for getting the best results from GovEagle AI across common proposal tasks.

For foundational concepts, see How to Chat with AI and Avoiding Bias & Hallucinations with the GovEagle Assistant.

Qualification & Bid/No-Bid

For a complete walkthrough, see Bid/No-Bid Analysis.

Analyze fit:

"Analyze this opportunity to see if I'm a good fit. Specifically, look at my content library to see if I have any past performance gaps and check the web to see if there's a strong incumbent."

Check specific criteria:

"Review the RFP requirements and identify any certifications or clearances we don't currently have documented in our content library."

Competitive landscape:

"Search the web for information about the incumbent on this contract and summarize their strengths."

Tip: Point GovEagle to a specific folder rather than searching your entire library:

"Check @Past Performances to see if we have relevant experience for the cybersecurity requirements in this RFP."

Outlines

Open your proposal template in MS Word and launch the GovEagle Add-In. Select your opportunity, then generate and refine.

Generate:

"Make an outline"

"Make an outline for the technical volume based on Section L instructions"

Refine:

"Add the RFP requirement numbers next to each heading like 'Project Management [PWS C.1.2]'"

"Create a dedicated innovation section in the Technical Approach that highlights our proprietary tools"

"Make sure the outline mirrors the question structure of the RFI"

Tip: Click "Insert & Match Formatting" when satisfied to add the outline to your Word document with your template's formatting.

Compliance Matrix

Use the GovEagle Add-In in Microsoft Excel to generate and organize compliance matrices.

Generate a matrix:

"Create a compliance matrix from the solicitation"

"Extract all requirements from Section L, Section M, and the PWS into a compliance matrix"

Focus on specific sections:

"Create a compliance matrix focusing only on the technical requirements in Section C"

Filter requirement types:

"Extract the compliance matrix but exclude administrative requirements—focus on technical and management requirements only"

Tip: After generating, use PDF Markup Mode to review, edit, or add requirements directly in the solicitation documents.

Gap Analysis

Gap analysis is typically performed in Microsoft Excel using the GovEagle Add-In.

Identify capability gaps:

"Compare the requirements in the PWS against our capabilities in @Corporate Capabilities and identify any gaps where we don't have documented experience"

Past performance gaps:

"Review the evaluation criteria in Section M and check @Past Performances to identify where we have strong examples and where we have gaps"

Staffing gaps:

"Compare the key personnel requirements in the RFP against @Resumes and identify any positions where we don't have a qualified candidate"

Generate a gap summary:

"Create a table summarizing our capability gaps for this opportunity. Include the requirement, what we have, and what's missing."

Tip: If your team has an existing gap analysis template, ask the AI to fill in the information within the excel sheet to preserve the template.

Technical Approaches

Draft a section:

"Please draft this section based on the requirements in section [section # and title] in the Performance Work Statement. Follow the structure in the PWS."

With constraints:

"Draft a technical approach for Section C.2 that incorporates our cybersecurity methodology and limit it to 500 words"

Using specific past work:

"Use the XYZ capability we demonstrated in [past performance name] to address requirements A, B, and C. Include specific metrics from that project."

Referencing a folder:

"Draft the data management approach using methodologies from @Technical Solutions folder"

Tip: Draft in sections rather than asking for the entire approach at once — the more specific the ask, the better the response.

Past Performance Narratives

Find the best fit:

"Based on this RFP, what would the best past performances be from @Past Performances?"

Draft a narrative:

"Draft a past performance for the [Project Name] in alignment with the tasks in the PWS."

Match a specific format:

1. Highlight the format or table in your Word document

2. Prompt: "Draft a past performance in the format highlighted for the [Project Name] project"

Tip: Use @folder references to point GovEagle to the right location:

"Search @Past Performances/Federal Contracts for our most relevant DoD experience"

Resumes

Find qualified candidates:

"Based on the key personnel requirements for this opportunity, which resumes from @Resumes would be the best fit?"

With specific criteria:

"List all resumes in @Resumes meeting the '5 years of experience' criteria from the RFP and provide direct quotes supporting each candidate's qualifications."

Match a specific format:

1. Highlight the format or table in your Word document

2. Prompt: "Draft a resume for [person's name] in the format highlighted based on their experience and expertise"

General Drafting

With length constraints:

"Draft a technical approach for Section C.2 that incorporates our cybersecurity methodology and limit it to 500 words"

Referencing specific sources:

"Draft a section about our subcontractor management approach and copy the format we used in @Proposals/XYZ-proposal.pdf with the same subcontractors"

Two-step approach when exploring your library:

Step 1: "Search @Past Performances for examples where we successfully delivered [specific capability] and present your findings for my review."

Step 2: "Use the [specific project names] examples to draft a response showing how we'll apply that experience to meet this requirement."

For novel requirements:

"This is a novel requirement for our team. Suggest industry best practices for [specific capability], and I'll review whether they align with our approach."

Follow-up prompts to refine:

"Shorten your last draft to two paragraphs while keeping the main points"

"Add specific metrics and quantifiable results from @Past Performances to strengthen credibility"

"Make the tone more confident and remove hedging language"

Reviews

Use the GovEagle Add-In in Microsoft Word to review proposal sections.

Compliance review:

"Please review this section for compliance against the RFP requirements. Make sure we've explicitly addressed the requirement without just restating it."

Style and voice:

"Review this updated section to ensure it matches the voice and style found throughout the rest of my document."

Requirements mapping:

"Map each requirement in PWS Section 3 to specific capabilities from @Corporate Capabilities. For any requirements without a direct match, flag them for my review."

Win theme check:

"Review this section and suggest ways to better incorporate our win theme about [specific differentiator]"

Tip: Break up review requests rather than combining them—separate requests lead to higher quality responses.

Other Tasks

Acronym list:

"Make an acronym list for this document"

Executive summary:

"Draft an executive summary for this proposal that highlights our three win themes and key differentiators"

Pricing support:

"Summarize the pricing instructions from Section L and identify all required cost elements"

Quick Reference: Using @ Mentions

Reference specific content by typing @ followed by the name:

Quick Tips