Skip to main content

[Report] The 10th Annual State of the Proposal Industry Benchmark Report. Download Now

- Report

The 10th Annual State of the Proposal Industry Benchmark Report

Benchmark-Study-Mock-Up

What high-performing proposal teams need to do in 2026

Every year, we survey proposal, sales, and revenue leaders to understand how organizations are managing proposal and RFP work in real conditions. The 10th Annual State of the Industry Benchmark Report reveals what’s changed, what’s breaking, and what top teams are doing differently in the face of rising proposal volumes.

This year’s data makes one thing clear: proposal effectiveness is no longer an operational concern, it’s a growth lever. When teams can’t respond fast enough, or don’t show clear value, revenue is left on the table.

Inside the report, you’ll learn:

  • How proposal and RFP demand is compounding year-over-year

  • What win rates and opportunity sizes reveal about revenue risk

  • Why coordination, not content, is becoming a bottleneck

  • Where AI is delivering real gains, and where it isn’t

  • What it will take to compete more effectively in 2026

Packed with insights, benchmark data and industry breakouts, this report helps proposal leaders understand the pressure points and act with confidence.

Download the Report

2026 · 10th Annual

QorusDocs Proposal Industry Benchmark Report

Survey of nearly 300 proposal leaders reveals the gap between AI’s promise and the reality on the ground.

68%

reported year-over-year growth in proposal volume

63%

saw growth in RFP responses year-over-year

25–50%

workload spike for teams even with more AI

Top Pain Points for Proposal Leaders

SME delays

88%

Locating accurate content

74%

Chasing approvals

60%

Measuring win rates

38%

The Reality of a Single RFP Response

1–2

weeks average time to complete an RFP response

6–12+

contributors required per response

5–9

RFPs handled per month at a typical firm

$60M+

Annual revenue at risk for professional services firms missing even one RFP response per month — with typical deal sizes of $1–5M each.

AI Adoption & Maturity

Have automated ≥25% of proposal process

73%

Say ROI/business case inclusion is important

∼90%

Cannot respond to 10–20% of RFPs due to bandwidth

Most firms

Say measuring effectiveness remains elusive

>25%

“The next phase of proposal work won’t be defined by who uses AI, but by who turns AI into a coordinated system.”

QorusDocs · 2026 Proposal Industry Benchmark Report · Survey of ~300 proposal leaders