10 Topics to include in your kick-off meeting agenda

Your kick-off meeting planning process should involve identifying the location, handling logistics, designing the agenda, preparing distribution materials, and inviting the right people. Use a checklist (see our 12 Required Kick-off Meeting Elements blog post) to track all required items.

Confirm the meeting time, date, and logistics as the RFP due date approaches. This is an important meeting that sets the tone for final proposal preparation activities – obtain a conference room that will accommodate a large meeting comfortably.

Create the list of invitees, and send e-mail meeting invitations to them to hold the projected date and time on their calendars. Ensure you invite core capture and proposal team members as well as a member of your senior management to start the meeting and provide a motivational talk to the team.

Create the Kick-off Meeting Agenda and plan to cover the following topics:

1. Proposal overview – describe the client’s needs
2. Proposal strategy and response to RFP
3. Win strategy, features and benefits, win themes, and ghosts
4. Discussion of competitors
5. Description of teammates, roles (on proposal and contract), and capabilities
6. Proposal team organization
7. Writing plans and structure (annotated outlines/storyboards, and compliance matrix)
8. Writing assignments
9. Proposal schedule (including dates for color team reviews)
10. Q&A submission process

Estimate the time needed to cover all agenda topics. To manage personnel costs, limit attendance to those who need to attend certain parts of the meeting, and excuse people for parts not relevant to their efforts.

By Beth Wingate