Proposal Management

Time Traps: Breaking Free from Proposal Gridlock

By Brenda Crist, April 15, 2025

If you’ve ever watched your proposal timeline unravel like a spool of loose thread, you’re not alone. In a recent LinkedIn poll, we asked bid and proposal professionals, “What delays your proposals the most?” The top culprit? Subject matter expert (SME) availability, which 34% of 574 respondents cited as their primary roadblock. Pricing delays came in second at 28%, followed by solution/data gaps (22%) and leadership edits (16%). Another respondent cited delays in subcontractor information collection.