Buyer’s Guide: What to Look for in Modern Proposal Software

Modern proposal teams—especially in government contracting—face intense pressure to move fast, stay compliant, and win more bids with fewer resources. But with a flood of proposal tools claiming everything from “10× speed” to “compliance-first AI,” how do you know which platform is actually right for your team?

Modern proposal teams—especially in government contracting—face intense pressure to move fast, stay compliant, and win more bids with fewer resources. But with a flood of proposal tools claiming everything from “10× speed” to “compliance-first AI,” how do you know which platform is actually right for your team?

This guide cuts through the noise. Whether you're part of a federal capture team, managing RFPs at scale, or just tired of cobbling together answers in Google Docs, here’s what to look for in proposal software that’s built for today’s pace—and tomorrow’s stakes.

1. Built-in Speed, Not Just Automation

It’s not enough to “automate.” The right tool should help your team slash response timelines—not just shift the work. Look for features that:

  • Auto-generate outlines from uploaded RFPs
  • Offer pre-filled answers from your content library
  • Enable teams to draft responses in minutes, not hours

💡 McCarren customers report cutting development time by up to 70%, freeing teams to pursue 30% more bids each quarter.

2. Compliance You Can Count On

For federal contractors, compliance isn't optional—it’s existential. Choose a platform that doesn’t just track changes but actively helps you:

  • Auto-build compliance matrices
  • Ensure alignment with FAR/DFARS or CMMC 2.0 frameworks
  • Run red-team-ready drafts and catch gaps before submission
“A non-compliant proposal is a losing proposal—no matter how persuasive.”

— Head of Capture, Top 5 DoD GovCon

‍

Build detailed compliance and gap matrices to create a single source of truth. McCarren’s AI transforms solicitations into clear, trackable milestones ensuring successful execution.

‍

3. Collaboration That’s Not a Bottleneck

Chasing SMEs for input, dealing with version sprawl, and managing handoffs across teams? These are where proposals go to die.

What to prioritize:

  • Live, role-based collaboration
  • Secure, AI-powered editing environments (not just shared docs)
  • Ability to assign reviewers, track changes, and approve in real time

Show how a team co-authors responses, assigns sections, and monitors status.

4. AI That Understands Your Business

Many platforms now advertise “AI,” but only a few actually deliver meaningful output.

Your chosen software should:

  • Use private AI models trained on your past content
  • Help craft section-by-section responses that match your tone
  • Flag inconsistencies or compliance risks in real time

Be wary of tools that produce vague or generic output. The best solutions go beyond buzzwords—offering adaptive intelligence that learns how you win.

5. Platform, Not Patchwork

Lastly, ensure you're choosing a platform—not a point solution. Strong proposal tools don’t just help with writing—they support the entire pursuit lifecycle, including:

  • Capture planning & go/no-go analysis
  • Proposal schedule management
  • Analytics dashboards for team performance and win rate trends

‍

‍

Final Thoughts

Buying proposal software is a strategic decision—one that impacts your pipeline velocity, your compliance posture, and ultimately your win rate. Look for a partner, not just a product.

At McCarren, we’re helping GovCon and enterprise teams reimagine their proposal process—turning compliance chaos into clarity, and red-team rewrites into rapid wins.

👉 Explore McCarren.ai to see how modern proposal software should work.