79% of teams are now using AI as part of their RFP workflows as teams look to do more with less
Loopio, the leading response management platform trusted by enterprises, released its seventh annual 2026 Request for Proposal (RFP) Trends & Benchmarks Report, revealing how RFPs have become a central driver of revenue and strategic growth. The report findings reflect a market in motion, with rising submission volumes, accelerating AI adoption, and RFPs driving more company revenue than at any point in the past five years.
Response teams are at a turning point. As AI becomes more integrated into response workflows, leadership expectations are rising, but bandwidth has not kept pace. Teams are being asked to take on greater responsibility and deliver stronger results.
The report makes clear that the organizations pulling ahead are treating response management as a strategic growth discipline rather than a secondary function. As more revenue flows through structured procurement processes, the way a company responds increasingly determines how it wins by influencing win rates, protecting margins, and driving long-term growth.
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Key findings from the report include:
- RFPs Continue to Grow in Importance: Annual submissions are up 9% over last year, and 67% of teams say winning more RFPs is an important part of their sales strategy.
- AI Adoption and Automation Skills Will Be Crucial: Nearly 80% of teams used generative AI in 2025, up 10 percentage points from the year prior, and 51% say these skills will be critical in the next year, alongside content development and planning capabilities.
- Teams are Feeling the Pressure: 50% of respondents rank bandwidth as a top challenge for the first time. Thirty-two percent say leadership expects them to take on new responsibilities, and 42% say leadership expects them to deliver better results as AI becomes more integrated.
- A Clear Gap Exists Between Average Teams and Top Performers: 60% of high-performing teams are viewed as strategic contributors, compared to 47% of average teams.
- Response Times Are Improving: With the average RFP completed in 33 hours, two hours faster than last year, top performers are focusing less on speed alone and more on personalization and quality. Despite rising pressures, 83% of teams report feeling confident heading into 2026.
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“When RFPs influence 40% of company revenue, this work isn’t administrative overhead. It’s a core growth driver,” says Zak Hemraj, CEO and Co-Founder of Loopio. “That number should change how leadership thinks about investing in their response teams. The companies that haven’t woken up to that yet are already leaving money on the table.”
Loopio’s 2026 RFP Trends & Benchmarks Report is based on survey data from 1,533 response management professionals across 17+ industries. The report examines submission volume, revenue influence, performance metrics, team challenges, and emerging best practices shaping the future of response management. To download the full report, click here.
Loopio’s response management platform helps organizations streamline their RFP, DDQ, security questionnaire, and proposal response processes. Trusted by over 1,700 companies globally, Loopio empowers sales and proposal teams to respond faster, improve accuracy, and win more business.
Founded in 2014, Loopio is one of Canada’s fastest-growing technology scale-ups. It has been named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ list for four consecutive years and recognized as one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers.
