Prosal: A B2B Outsourcing Solution

Prosal envisions a future where businesses can easily outsource, subcontract, and hire outside experts and consultants in a streamlined and inclusive manner. Help us achieve that.

Where do you go to hire a new employee? Probably Indeed, Monster, or more specific job boards and listing websites.

What about freelancers? Likely Fiverr or Upwork, if you’re comfortable with that.

What about a business? Where do you or your company go to hire a dedicated team or entire company for what you need? As far as our research and conversations indicate, there are not that many options available, at least good ones. Instead, most companies rely on the RFP.

Prosal’s Origin Story

Prosal was initially conceived as a directory for requests for proposals, or RFPs. Since its soft launch in early 2022, we have hosted hundreds of RFPs, welcomed over 200 users from various for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and connected dozens of them through several project opportunities ranging from website redesigns to brand developments and strategic planning to fundraising.

Through it all, we have also spent countless hours emailing, interviewing, and researching the RFP and how organizations outsource, not only in the nonprofit sector but across healthcare, finance, construction, and government. It is fair to say that we have met less than ten people that enjoy RFPs and the RFP process. Most people recognize that RFPs and B2B outsourcing are complex and need improvement but accept the status quo as an unfortunate fact of work life.

We see that as something ripe for disruption.

Who are “We”?

We use the collective “We” not only to refer to our dedicated co-founders who are working full-time to build Prosal, but also to everyone that has joined us along the way:

• The hundreds of nonprofit and for-profit employees and leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, consultants, and more who have offered a window into the unique processes and experiences of their organization.
• The dozens of accelerator staff, prospective investors, and mentors whose combined support and doubt have created a jet fuel to power our mission and vision.
• Our friends and families who have offered their own experiences and perspectives, as well as their time and skills to help us grow and make more connections.

This inspiring group has lived through the RFP process or has sourced expert help to support on a project, and all the challenges that come with this process. And we all believe there must be a better way.

Our Mission & Vision

To simplify how businesses hire other businesses.

To do that, we plan on tackling the major challenges our customers live through every day of their lives:

• The Connection Problem – We are inherently limited by our networks. Therefore, when we share an RFP or project opportunity with our friends or colleagues, or even on a listserv, we are still reaching only a small segment of people who happen to be at the right place and the right time to review and respond to your opportunity. This problem has a disproportionate impact on newer vendors and businesses owned by women and people of color.
• The Process Problem – We recognize that every organization and RFP is unique, yet the problems associated with this process span across organizations and industries: reviewing is a challenge, especially with teams spread across offices and time zones; rubrics are only helpful as long as there is consensus; and key details like budget, timeline, and the presence of an incumbent are often left out when inviting someone to submit a proposal for a project.
• The Expectations Problem – No one is an expert at everything; that’s why we hire others who are better at that specific job. But often, project owners will self-prescribe solutions rather than outline the problem and their objectives. This dissonance can lead to a mismatch of expectations, scope creep, and suboptimal project outcomes that are blamed on project execution, but began when the project was first conceptualized.

There is no shortage of challenges that confront the RFP process and the people involved in it. However, the RFP is ubiquitous across industries. Therefore, we envision a solution to the RFP in one industry can provide value to other industries, with some modification.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, sign up to join the waitlist for the release of Prosal 2.0.

And if you really can’t wait until this becomes a reality, help us get there! Book 20 minutes to talk with us about the challenges you face and how a solution can improve how you work.

We’re excited about the Future of Work, and we hope Prosal helps make that future a more accessible, inclusive, and prosperous one for everyone involved in nonprofit and for-profit business communities.