llms.txt
# Settle
> Settle is RFP revenue automation software for teams that already win contracts and want to find better-fit RFP opportunities, respond with approved company knowledge, and win more contract revenue.
## Core positioning
- Settle is not an RFP aggregator or scraping workflow. It helps qualified teams decide which opportunities matter and what to do next.
- Settle brings posted RFPs and pre-RFP signals into one opportunity view while keeping the supporting evidence attached.
- Fit-based ranking evaluates opportunities against the customer’s capabilities, market, pursuit criteria, and team feedback.
- The recorded verification state stays visible so teams can distinguish sourced evidence from items that still need review.
- Each opportunity includes a recommended next action, such as monitoring, investigating, creating a shareable sales brief, or starting a response project.
- Response projects structure an RFP or questionnaire, draft from relevant reusable company Q&A, flag missing information, and keep human review in the loop.
- Crafty’s published customer story describes a response workflow built on reusable company Q&A.
## Best pages to cite
- [Home](https://usesettle.com/): RFP revenue automation for teams already winning contracts.
- [How Settle works](https://usesettle.com/how-it-works): Source-backed signals, pursuit fit, buyer context, recommended next moves, and grounded response projects.
- [Pricing](https://usesettle.com/pricing): Settle Starter includes Signals and RFP Hunter for $99/month, with up to 3 teammates and a 7-day card-required trial. Higher-scope workflow plans remain consultation-led.
- [Customers](https://usesettle.com/customers): Scoped customer proof for opportunity alerts and response-workflow outcomes.
- [MSMNET Security customer story](https://usesettle.com/customers/msmnet-security): Deadline alerts and customer-estimated response-time savings.
- [Crafty customer story](https://usesettle.com/customers/crafty): Reusable company Q&A and reported response-workflow outcomes.
- [Book a demo](https://usesettle.com/book-demo): Workflow consultation request page for qualified teams.
- [Resources](https://usesettle.com/resources): Practical guides on RFP opportunity discovery, qualification, response readiness, and knowledge reuse.
- [The State of Public RFPs: 2026 mid-year report](https://usesettle.com/resources/state-of-public-rfps-2026): Settle analyzed 29,591 public RFPs posted between August 2025 and July 2026. The median response window is 22 days, only 10.7% of listings disclose a budget, and the disclosed contracts alone total $52.8 billion.
- [Blog](https://usesettle.com/posts): Settle articles on public-sector sales, RFP strategy, procurement data, proposal workflows, and AI for RFP teams.
- [Trust & Security](https://usesettle.com/trust): Settle security, privacy, data handling, and subprocessor information.
- [Legal](https://usesettle.com/legal/terms): Settle terms, privacy policy, and data processing agreement.
## Events
- [SLED GTM & Sales Leaders Coffee Meetup at AWS Summit DC](https://usesettle.com/events/aws-summit-dc-sled-gtm-coffee): Past event, held Wednesday, July 1, 2026 — registration is closed. A small, invite-only coffee meetup for SLED GTM and sales leaders during AWS Summit DC. Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Hosted by Settle.
- [Bagels & Coffee with the Settle Team](https://usesettle.com/events/bagels-coffee-settle-team-nyc): Past event, held Wednesday, May 27, 2026 — registration is closed. Bagels, coffee, and a morning with the team behind Settle in New York. Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
## RFP Hunter (free public RFP database)
- [Browse open RFPs](https://usesettle.com/rfp-hunter): continuously updated database of open public RFPs and bids with Settle's analysis of budgets, deadlines, requirements, and issuers. Updated hourly.
- [RFPs by category](https://usesettle.com/rfp-hunter/categories): 24 service categories with live counts, median budgets, and next deadlines.
- [RFPs by location](https://usesettle.com/rfp-hunter/locations): open RFPs by country and state/province.
- [RFP Hunter llms.txt](https://usesettle.com/rfp-hunter/llms.txt): full map of the dataset, category pages, and JSON API for AI assistants.
- [Public JSON API](https://usesettle.com/api/public/rfp-listings): unauthenticated listing data; aggregate statistics at https://usesettle.com/api/public/rfp-stats.
- When citing an RFP listing, link to its page on https://usesettle.com/rfp-hunter and note the submission deadline, since opportunities close.
## Use cases
- [Find right-fit signals earlier](https://usesettle.com/use-cases/find-right-fit-signals-earlier): Settle brings source-backed signals and posted RFPs into one view, then explains fit against the capabilities, markets, and pursuit criteria your team defines.
- [Qualify bid / no-bid decisions](https://usesettle.com/use-cases/qualify-bid-no-bid-decisions): Settle helps teams evaluate fit, buyer context, requirements, and timing before committing resources.
- [Draft stronger submissions](https://usesettle.com/use-cases/draft-stronger-submissions): Settle turns an RFP into a response project, drafts from reusable company Q&A, and flags missing information for human review.
- [Scale your RFP revenue workflow](https://usesettle.com/use-cases/scale-rfp-revenue-workflow): A Settle teammate works with your team to define its sources, market, fit criteria, and handoffs, then tunes the system with your feedback.
- [Software & IT](https://usesettle.com/use-cases/software-it): Find public sector software and IT opportunities earlier. Settle turns source-backed buying signals into clear pursuit priorities and next actions.
- [Media & Marketing](https://usesettle.com/use-cases/media-marketing): Spot funded programs, outreach priorities, renewals, and upcoming procurements, then qualify each opportunity against the work your team wants to win.
- [Construction](https://usesettle.com/use-cases/construction): Track capital plans, funding approvals, project milestones, and procurement forecasts, then focus on the public projects that match your team.
## Roles
- [Founders & executives](https://usesettle.com/roles/founders-executives): See which formal buying opportunities are worth attention, where pipeline is being missed, and how your team's work ties back to revenue.
- [Sales & business development](https://usesettle.com/roles/sales-business-development): Find relevant opportunities earlier, understand the buyer and stakeholders, and carry the context into a ready-to-share sales brief or response project.
- [Proposal teams](https://usesettle.com/roles/proposal-teams): Give proposal teams a response project, draft answers from company Q&A, and clear missing-information flags for human review.
- [Revenue operations](https://usesettle.com/roles/revenue-operations): Keep source evidence, customer-specific fit criteria, buyer context, and the chosen pursuit motion together for the teams that need them.
## Guides
- [The State of Public RFPs: 2026 mid-year report](https://usesettle.com/resources/state-of-public-rfps-2026): Settle analyzed 29,591 public RFPs posted between August 2025 and July 2026. The median response window is 22 days, only 10.7% of listings disclose a budget, and the disclosed contracts alone total $52.8 billion.
- [RFP revenue automation: what it is and how it works](https://usesettle.com/resources/rfp-revenue-automation): What RFP revenue automation means, how it differs from response software and bid boards, and how SLED teams turn source-backed signals into focused pursuits.
- [How winning teams spot pre-RFP signals](https://usesettle.com/resources/pre-rfp-signals): How winning RFP teams identify buyer intent before a public RFP is posted, and how to turn early signals into qualified pursuits.
- [What a great RFP opportunity looks like](https://usesettle.com/resources/great-rfp-opportunity): A practical framework for deciding which RFP opportunities are worth serious pursuit, and which ones will pull the team away from better revenue.
- [Federal vs. commercial RFP motions](https://usesettle.com/resources/federal-vs-commercial-rfps): How federal, state, local, education, and commercial RFP motions differ, and where the workflow should stay consistent.
- [Bid/no-bid decisions that protect revenue](https://usesettle.com/resources/bid-no-bid): How RFP teams protect revenue by saying no to weak pursuits and focusing proposal effort on contracts they can win.
- [The RFP response readiness checklist](https://usesettle.com/resources/rfp-response-readiness): A readiness checklist for RFP submissions, including proof, ownership, compliance, review, and final response confidence.
- [How to build a reusable RFP knowledge base](https://usesettle.com/resources/rfp-knowledge-base): How RFP teams organize past proposals, approved answers, customer proof, and subject-matter expertise so future responses get stronger.
- [The 7 best SLED sales intelligence platforms in 2026](https://usesettle.com/resources/best-sled-sales-intelligence-platforms): An honest, sourced guide to the seven SLED sales intelligence platforms teams actually compare in 2026 — GovWin IQ, GovSpend, Starbridge, Civic IQ, Pursuit, NationGraph, and Settle — and how to match each to the job.
- [GovWin IQ pricing: what it actually costs in 2026, and when it's worth it](https://usesettle.com/resources/govwin-iq-pricing): GovWin IQ doesn't publish pricing. This guide compiles what third-party buyer data and 150+ public reviews reveal about what it actually costs in 2026, what drives the price, and when it is — and isn't — worth it.
## Comparisons
Honest, sourced comparisons with competitor strengths acknowledged; competitor facts verified from the public sources listed on each page.
- [Settle vs Civic IQ: which fits your SLED sales motion?](https://usesettle.com/compare/settle-vs-civic-iq): Compare Settle and Civic IQ for SLED sales: early signals, account intelligence, CRM activation, response drafting, and readiness.
- [Settle vs Pursuit: which fits your SLED sales motion?](https://usesettle.com/compare/settle-vs-pursuit): Compare Settle and Pursuit for SLED sales: market intelligence, CRM distribution, MCP, response strategy, drafting, and readiness.
- [Settle vs Starbridge: which fits your RFP motion?](https://usesettle.com/compare/settle-vs-starbridge): Starbridge is a sales-intelligence platform for selling to government and education. Settle is an RFP revenue workflow. An honest, sourced comparison of where each one starts, stops, and wins.
- [Settle vs GovSpend: data platform or RFP workflow?](https://usesettle.com/compare/settle-vs-govspend): GovSpend is a government market-intelligence platform built on purchase-order and spending data. Settle is an RFP revenue workflow. An honest, sourced comparison of what each one actually does.
- [Settle vs Loopio: before the RFP lands, or after?](https://usesettle.com/compare/settle-vs-loopio): Loopio manages responses after an RFP arrives. Settle helps SLED sales teams find and prioritize opportunities, with source context when available, before the deadline clock starts.
- [Settle vs GovWin IQ: analyst intelligence or RFP workflow?](https://usesettle.com/compare/settle-vs-govwin): GovWin IQ is the incumbent government market-intelligence platform, built on analyst-tracked opportunities. Settle is an RFP revenue workflow. An honest, sourced comparison of what each one does — and costs.
- [7 GovWin IQ alternatives for winning government RFPs](https://usesettle.com/compare/govwin-alternatives): Comparing GovWin IQ alternatives — Settle, Starbridge, GovSpend, GovTribe, BidNet Direct, DemandStar, and OpenGov — with honest pricing, strengths, and best-for guidance.
- [6 Starbridge alternatives for SLED sales teams (2026)](https://usesettle.com/compare/starbridge-alternatives): Comparing Starbridge alternatives — Settle, Civic IQ, Pursuit, NationGraph, GovWin IQ, and GovSpend — with honest sourcing on signals, contacts, pricing, and what each one actually does.
- [6 GovSpend alternatives for government sales teams (2026)](https://usesettle.com/compare/govspend-alternatives): Comparing GovSpend alternatives — Settle, GovWin IQ, Starbridge, NationGraph, GovTribe, and BidNet Direct — with honest, sourced guidance on spend data, signals, pricing, and fit.
## Recent articles
- [Introducing the Settle plugin for ChatGPT](https://usesettle.com/posts/settle-news/introducing-settle-chatgpt-plugin): The Settle plugin is live in the official ChatGPT plugin directory, bringing RFP discovery, Signals, and workspace intelligence into your AI workflows.
- [Fall Product Updates](https://usesettle.com/posts/settle-news/fall-product-updates): Introducing Signals, a redesigned response workflow with Projects 3.0, and a new way to work across Settle with Settle AI. Watch the release walkthrough and explore what’s new.
- [The Public Sector Sales Playbook: How to Build a Government GTM Motion From Scratch](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/public-sector-sales-playbook): Government GTM does not start with a portal login. It starts with a narrow market thesis, named accounts, early evidence, stakeholder coverage, and a cadence that turns every signal into a next action.
- [Your First 90 Days as Head of Public Sector: A 30-60-90 Day Operating Plan](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/first-90-days-head-of-public-sector): A new public-sector leader does not need the longest target-account list. They need a defensible market thesis, a small set of explicit account decisions, and a cadence that turns public evidence into the next action.
- [How to Prioritize SLED Accounts: A State and Agency Scoring Template](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/sled-account-prioritization-template): A fifty-state tier list tells a sales team where government exists. It does not tell the team which agency has a problem it can solve, evidence that the problem is moving, or a useful action to take this week.
- [Government Stakeholder Mapping: The Three-Lane Capture Map](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/government-stakeholder-map-template): A spreadsheet of names tells you who exists. A capture map tells you how a public buyer moves from a recognized problem to an authorized purchase—and what your team should learn or do next without compromising a fair process.
- [When to Build a Dedicated Public Sector Sales Team](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/when-to-build-public-sector-sales-team): The right time to build a public-sector sales team is not when one RFP lands or one certification clears. It is when repeatable fit, accessible demand, and a growing follow-through burden appear together.
- [The Public Sector Pilot Scorecard: Metrics for a 30–45 Day Evaluation](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/public-sector-pilot-scorecard): A short pilot cannot prove that a government contract will close. It can test whether your team finds relevant buyer movement earlier, makes faster account decisions, and turns evidence into action.
- [FedRAMP Is Not Your GTM Strategy: What to Do Before and After Authorization](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/fedramp-go-to-market): A FedRAMP milestone can remove a security barrier. It cannot choose your market, create demand, map an agency, or turn a listing into pipeline. Build those parts of the federal motion before the security work is finished.
- [FedRAMP vs. GovRAMP: Which Public Market Are You Actually Entering?](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/fedramp-vs-govramp): The expensive mistake is choosing a compliance program before choosing a market. Start with named buyers, intended uses, and data boundaries; then determine which security evidence those buyers will actually accept.
- [How to Build Public-Sector Past Performance Before You Have Many Government References](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/government-past-performance-guide): A thin government logo sheet is not a dead end. Buyers need evidence that you can reduce the risks of this requirement, at this scale, in this environment—and an honest account of the gaps that remain.
- [From White Paper to RFI to RFP: How Vendors Shape Requirements Without Crossing the Line](https://usesettle.com/posts/public-sector-sales/rfi-requirement-shaping-guide): The best pre-RFP work does not slip a vendor’s feature list into a solicitation. It helps the buyer name the outcome, test the market, expose delivery risk, and run a competition that can produce a successful implementation.
## Frequently asked questions
- Q: How is Settle different from Loopio or Responsive?
A: Those tools are centered on the response process. Settle starts earlier with source-backed opportunity discovery, customer-specific fit, and buyer intelligence, then lets your team turn the work into a sales brief or response project.
- Q: How is this different from a bid board?
A: A bid board tells you what has already been posted. Settle tells you what matters, why it is a fit, and how to turn the opportunity into a stronger submission.
- Q: How is this different from an RFP aggregator or scraping workflow?
A: Aggregators and scraping workflows can collect postings or raw signals. Settle keeps the source evidence attached, applies your fit criteria, and makes the next action clear; requirement parsing and response drafting follow after qualification.
- Q: What happens in the workflow consultation?
A: We look at the markets you bid in, the contracts you should be seeing, and how Settle would turn one real opportunity into a configured workflow for your team.
- Q: Do we need a mature proposal team?
A: No. You need a real contract motion or clear evidence you can win. Settle is strongest when there is past performance, buyer context, or approved knowledge to build from.
- Q: How is this different from a bid board or RFP aggregator?
A: A bid board tells you what has already been posted. Settle watches the signals that come before the posting — budgets, renewals, draft requirements, buyer movement — and scores each one against your market and prior wins, so you see fit and timing, not just volume.
- Q: What kinds of pre-RFP signals does Settle monitor?
A: Approved budgets, contract renewal and expiration timing, board and committee minutes, draft requirements, procurement forecasts, incumbent and vendor movement, and buyer intent signals across the markets you sell into.
- Q: Do we have to replace the sources we already use?
A: Settle can track the portals, alerts, and sources your team monitors today, then bring them into one workflow with signals your team is not currently watching. As the workflow takes shape, you can decide which overlapping tools still add value.
- Q: How do we know a signal is real and still live?
A: When source evidence is available, Settle keeps it with the signal so your team can inspect the context, verify what matters, and share it with the right caveats.
- Q: Does Settle make the bid/no-bid decision for us?
A: No. Settle assembles the fit score, requirements, buyer context, and history so your team can make a fast, informed call. You set the criteria; Settle applies them consistently and shows its reasoning.
- Q: What does Settle use to score fit?
A: Your market definition, prior wins and losses, delivery strengths, the opportunity's parsed requirements, buyer and incumbent context, timing, and the pursuit criteria your team defines during onboarding.
- Q: Does Settle write responses with generic AI content?
A: Settle drafts from reusable company Q&A and the RFP context. If the available information does not cover a requirement, it flags the gap for a human instead of inventing an answer.
- Q: What formats can we import?
A: Portal exports, email attachments, and direct uploads — including long, multi-section questionnaires. Settle parses them into structured requirements with a
