2025 Buyer’s Guide: What to Look for in the Best RFP Software

If your SE team is stretched thin - or enjoying a well-earned vacation—the last thing you want is to lose momentum on high-value RFPs. In 2025, RFP software isn’t just about efficiency - it’s your safety net when internal bandwidth drops.

The best RFP software platforms don’t just offer speed, you need quality and personalization to cut through all of the noise. They help your team scale personalized, compliant responses - without needing the entire team online 24/7. Whether you're replacing a legacy system or starting from scratch, this guide outlines the must-haves for modern, AI-powered RFP tools built for lean, distributed teams.

1. True AI-Powered Response Automation

Not all “AI” is created equal. Look for platforms that go beyond autofill tools and static Q&A banks. The best AI RFP software uses large language models trained on your own institutional knowledge—so it can generate relevant, accurate responses even if your SMEs are on PTO.

What to look for:

• Generative AI that learns from your past responses
• Smart suggestions based on context and question type
• Built-in editing guardrails so humans stay in control
• The ability to personalize responses at scale

Iris uses AI to automate more than just content retrieval - it enables thoughtful, on-brand responses while reducing SME dependency.

2. Asynchronous Collaboration That Works

Your legal reviewer is in Italy. Your SE is booked solid. And your product lead is buried in roadmap planning. Welcome to summer. Your RFP tool should support distributed, asynchronous collaboration—without forcing the team to wait on each other.

Top features:

• Role-based editing and commenting
• Real-time version control
• Status tracking across sections
• Slack/Teams/email alerts for updates

Your team shouldn’t have to scramble just to meet a deadline. A platform like Iris enables seamless collaboration, even when contributors aren’t working at the same time.

3. Granular Permissions for Secure, Intentional Collaboration

RFPs often involve sensitive information—security details, customer pricing, legal disclosures. In 2025, your software should support granular, role-based permissions to ensure the right people have access to the right content—and nothing more.

Iris now includes:

• View, edit, or admin access by user or team
• Restriction of specific sections or portals
• Fully customizable roles and permissions
• Audit-friendly access controls

Why it matters: If your SME is out, you shouldn’t have to expose your entire workspace to a junior team member. Granular permissions allow collaboration to continue—securely and intentionally.

4. Seamless Integrations (Including Chrome)

Your RFP tool should work where you do. The best software integrates directly with the rest of your sales stack—not only for input, but for output as well.

In addition to CRM, knowledge base, and document tool integrations, Iris now offers a Google Chrome extension that makes responding inside customer procurement portals easier than ever.

Use cases:

• Copy responses directly into portals without toggling tools
• Surface saved answers and AI-suggested content inside the browser
• Keep formatting clean and consistent

For teams working across Ariba, Coupa, SAP, and custom vendor portals, this extension is a game changer. It saves time, reduces errors, and ensures RFP responses stay high-quality—even when submitted manually.

5. Built-In Content Intelligence

Content reuse is only valuable if you know what works. In 2025, RFP software should include usage and performance tracking to help your team learn and improve over time.

Look for:

• Content performance dashboards
• Smart suggestions based on win/loss data
• Auto-tagging by use case, persona, and industry
• Insights to help enable new reps faster

This helps eliminate outdated content, reduce over-reliance on SMEs, and continuously refine what gets used in high-win-rate deals.

6. Flexibility for All Use Cases—Not Just RFPs

RFPs are just one piece of the deal desk puzzle. The right software should also support security questionnaires, due diligence documents, RFIs, and one-off custom asks.

Iris supports:

• DDQs and Excel-based vendor forms
• RFIs and one-pager customization
• Output formatting for web portals, PDFs, and emails
• Centralized visibility into all requests by status and owner

Buyers don’t always follow your ideal process. Your software should flex to meet them wherever they are.

7. Pricing Clarity, Fast Time-to-Value

Long onboarding, unclear pricing, and hidden services are dealbreakers. Your RFP platform should be fast to implement and transparent about value.

What to prioritize:

• Flat or usage-based pricing
• Time-to-value under 30 days
• Implementation support and documentation
• Clear ROI tracking: hours saved, win rate improvement, cycle acceleration

Ask vendors to show not just what their product does, but what it will do for your numbers.

TL;DR: Your 2025 RFP Software Checklist

✅ AI-powered, context-aware response generation
✅ Asynchronous collaboration and task management
✅ Granular permissions to protect sensitive data
✅ Chrome extension for easier portal responses
✅ Content intelligence and usage analytics
✅ Security + compliance for enterprise readiness
✅ DDQs, RFIs, and more—not just RFPs
✅ Transparent pricing and proven ROI

Bonus: Plan for Summer Slack

Let’s face it—your SEs and SMEs are going to be out this summer. Your deal flow doesn’t stop. Iris was built for this moment.

With Iris, you can:

• Route requests to available team members without delays
• Use AI to draft responses even when SMEs are unavailable
• Limit content access with role-based controls
• Submit through any portal with our Chrome extension

Whether you’re mid-pitch or buried in procurement forms, we help you stay on track.

Ready to Future-Proof Your RFP Workflow?

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