As the end of last year approached, our small team at TechChange was feeling the familiar pressure of juggling multiple projects while trying to close out the year strong. Amid that crush of deadlines, we stumbled upon a golden opportunity—a request for proposal (RFP) for hybrid and virtual event services from a large multinational relief agency.
It was exactly the kind of contract we’d spent the past year gearing up for. We had refined our model, enhanced our production capabilities, and expanded our global contractor network. We knew we had a killer offering.
But there was a catch.
The RFP was an 80-page behemoth loaded with compliance requirements—intimidating enough for any team, but especially daunting for our tight-knit group of three, with only a few contractors supporting our business development. With year-end obligations and other operational needs already piling up, the idea of diving into this proposal felt nearly impossible. The stress was real.
That’s when I reached out to Mustafa at GrantAssistant. I explained that we were a perfect fit for the project but lacked the bandwidth to manage such a complex proposal on our own. Even though Grant Assistant was still in beta (and Mustafa was facing his own end-of-year deadlines as it moved toward launch), the Grant Assistant team sprang into action, creating a tailored template specifically for this RFP, while demonstrating GrantAssistant's full suite of capabilities. Even as a beta product, we were immediately able to understand Grant Assistant's intuitive interface, which organized and simplified the drafting process while adding project-specific generative AI capabilities.
Thanks to GrantAssistant, we were able to complete that large and complicated proposal in just three weeks, cutting our writing and design time by an estimated 25-30%. Better yet, our hard work paid off, as we won the contract.
For us, that experience wasn’t just a one-off victory. It was a proof of concept for the way we’ve now integrated GrantAssistant into our proposal process to reduce our stress, accelerate our drafting process, and compete for more contacts. As we've gotten more familiar with GrantAssistant's tools, we’ve seen even greater efficiency gains, slashing up to 50-60% off our proposal development time on subsequent bids.
Beyond just speeding things up, GrantAssistant has leveled the playing field for smaller organizations like ours. Its features—like seamless transitions between design and writing, compliance checklists that catch gaps, and structured proposal templates—have transformed how we approach business development.
What excites me most about GrantAssistant isn’t just that efficiency; it’s the potential to drive equity in the global development space. Too often, local organizations miss out on opportunities because they’re held back by complex procurement processes favoring larger entities with more resources. GrantAssistant has the power to change this dynamic. By simplifying and demystifying proposal development, it opens doors for local organizations, helping them compete on a fairer playing field—no matter their language, location, or resources.
For us, GrantAssistant has proven to be more than just a tool; it’s a catalyst for change. It gives voice to the best ideas, wherever they come from, ensuring that innovation and impact aren’t limited by barriers of scale or geography. As AI continues to advance, I’m optimistic about GrantAssistant's role in driving greater inclusion and opportunity in the global development sector, empowering organizations worldwide to make meaningful contributions.
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