Conducting Color Reviews of Proposals

Many firms rely on Red Team reviews to improve proposals, but by the time these reviews occur—often just before submission—it's too late for strategic changes. This article challenges the assumption that Red Teams alone can meaningfully enhance a proposal. It introduces the full review process: Blue Teams (for win themes), Pink Teams (for storyboarding), and Gold Teams (for risk and alignment), showing how each stage contributes to stronger, more client-focused proposals.

Running full-effort proposals means conducting disciplined Color Team Reviews: Blue for win strategy, Pink for storyboards, Gold for risk and pricing, and Red for the final draft. Each review uses impartial reviewers to simulate a client’s perspective, providing critical feedback at the right stage. Success depends on preparation—reviewer packages, clear instructions, structured facilitation, and respect for participants’ time. Reviews should be concise, professional, and improvement-focused.

Proposal writers usually learn by doing. This prompt set allows you to do just that, but lets you practice the skills here on Twennie without submitting any lack-lustre proposals to a real competition. If your team writes proposals now or in the future, assign this prompt set. This is a rapid-learning tool for a skill that relies a lot on trial and error. Learners get 20 chances to build and test skill, and it only takes minutes out of a day.

The Pink Team Review Exercise introduces an objective checkpoint in the proposal process by bringing in impartial reviewers who were not involved in storyboarding. These reviewers evaluate the storyboard, supporting materials, and overall strategy using a structured checklist, offering fresh perspective on clarity, positioning, and alignment with the RFP. The process is quick but highly valuable, helping teams identify gaps and refine their approach before investing further effort.

The Blue Team Review Exercise provides an objective evaluation of win themes developed during proposal strategy sessions. Independent reviewers assess whether the themes address key client issues, demonstrate deep understanding, and present a compelling, differentiated solution. Using a structured checklist, they examine clarity, relevance, storytelling, and the strength of supporting evidence. The process helps identify gaps, generic messaging, and missed opportunities before proposal development progresses further.

The Gold Team Review Exercise is a final executive checkpoint before proposal submission, focused on risk, liability, pricing, and contractual terms. Senior leaders with signing authority review the RFP, proposal, and supporting documents to ensure compliance, financial soundness, and acceptable risk exposure. Unlike earlier reviews, the focus is not on content refinement but on commercial and legal viability. The session is fast, decisive, and may result in approval, required changes, or cancellation of the bid.

The Red Team Review Exercise is a critical final checkpoint where independent reviewers assess a completed proposal from the client’s perspective. Using structured evaluation criteria, they identify weaknesses, gaps, and opportunities for improvement under time constraints. The focus is on candid, high-impact feedback, requiring the proposal team to remain open and non-defensive. Reviewers simulate how a client might score the submission, helping teams refine messaging, clarity, and competitiveness.