TenderMatrix / RFP to Excel
Convert an RFP PDF to an Excel compliance matrix
Get the RFP as rows in a workbook: section, page, requirement and type on each, with Owner and Status columns ready for the team. The first review can start before the kickoff call ends.
Matrix desk
Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Longer RFPs: see plans.
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A code is used only when the free allowance cannot cover a file: more than 10 pages, or a second file in a day.
| ID | Section | Page | Requirement | Type | Owner | Status |
|---|
Totals by section and type
What a useful RFP-to-Excel conversion gives you
Plain PDF-to-text gives you the words of the RFP in a column. A compliance matrix gives you one requirement per row, with the section and page it came from, a type that says whether it is mandatory, and empty cells for the people who will answer it. The second is what lets a bid manager assign work and prove coverage.
The workbook below mirrors what bid desks keep anyway, so it can replace the copy-and-paste stage rather than add another format to learn.
| Sheet | Contents |
|---|---|
Matrix | One row per requirement, twelve fixed columns, filter row on the header. Owner and Status carry what you typed in the desk; Response is left empty for your team. |
Stats | Count by type, then by top-level section and type, as of export. |
From PDF to a working workbook
- Upload the RFP PDF Drop it on the desk above. Free use needs no account; the file is converted and deleted, and the rows come back to this page.
- Read the notes before the rows The notes box says what was typed from a heading, what was merged, what was cut at 600 characters and whether the Page column could be filled.
- Filter to Mandatory and check it against the PDF Each row has its section, page when known, and the source line. Spend your first review on this list: it is the bid/no-bid evidence.
- Put an owner on every row Type owners row by row, or filter to a section and apply one owner and status to everything shown.
- Download the workbook Excel builds in your browser: a Matrix sheet with a filter row and a Stats sheet with totals by type and by section. CSV and JSON are one click away.
- Finish in Excel Freeze the header row, add a Compliance column if your reviewers use one, and share each owner their own filtered view.
Using the workbook once it is open
- Filter
Typeto Mandatory and sort bySection: that is the list your bid/no-bid review reads. - Build a pivot table from the Matrix sheet with Section as rows and Type as columns to see where the weight of the RFP sits.
- Use
Source lineto find a row's context in the converted text, andSignalto see which word decided its type. - Add your own columns to the right (Compliance, Reviewer, Due date). The export never rewrites a sheet you have already edited, because you download a new file each time.
- For an addendum, convert it separately and append its rows. IDs restart at R-001, so prefix them with the addendum number.
Need a blank sheet with the same columns? Take the compliance matrix template.
Manual copying, generic PDF-to-text, or TenderMatrix
| What you need | Manual highlighting | Generic PDF-to-text | TenderMatrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| What lands in Excel | Whatever you typed; formats differ by author. | One column of text lines, or a table per page. | One row per requirement in fixed columns: ID, Section, Page, Requirement, Type, Owner, Status, Response, Notes. |
| Filtering by mandatory | Needs a Type column you filled by hand. | No type to filter on. | Type is filled from shall, must, should, may and table flags; filter or search in the browser, then in Excel. |
| Requirement tables in the PDF | Copy and paste, then fix merged cells. | Cells are split across lines. | A Req ID / Requirement / M-D-O table becomes rows with the document's own IDs. |
| Page references | Looked up per row. | Page breaks lost or unmarked. | Filled when the converted text has page markers; blank, with a note, when it does not. |
| Owner and status | Typed in the sheet. | Typed in the sheet, after you build the rows. | Typed in the browser, included in the CSV, XLSX and JSON. |
| Repeatability | Every addendum means redoing the copying. | Re-run, then clean again. | Upload the addendum, get a second matrix, and append it. |
Questions bid teams ask
What is in the Excel file?
Two sheets. Matrix has twelve columns (Req ID, Section, Page, Requirement, Type, Owner, Status, Response, Notes, Section title, Signal, Source line) with a filter row. Stats has the count by type and the count by section and type. Values only, no macros or external links.
Is the Excel file built on your servers?
No. The spreadsheet library loads in your browser only when you click the Excel button, and the workbook is built there. The matrix rows came from the conversion; the file itself is not created or stored on our side.
Why offer CSV as well as Excel?
CSV opens anywhere and imports into most tracking tools without a converter. The CSV carries a UTF-8 byte order mark so Excel shows accents and quotation marks correctly. Use Excel when you want the filter row and the Stats sheet.
Are my owner and status entries in the download?
Yes. Whatever you typed into the Owner and Status columns of the desk goes into the Matrix sheet, the CSV and the JSON. Nothing is saved between visits, so download before you close the tab.
Why is the Page column empty for my RFP?
Page numbers need page markers in the converted text. When the text has none, the column stays blank and a note on the desk says so. Section and source line are still filled. Check any page number against the PDF before you cite it.
How many pages can I convert to Excel for free?
Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. A longer file is not refused: it is converted up to page 10, and the desk says how many pages were converted. Pro raises the cap to 150 pages per file. A longer RFP should be split by volume or section and each part converted on its own.
Can I convert a scanned RFP to Excel?
The conversion engine reads scanned pages and tells you when OCR was used. A scan can drop or misread words, and a missed shall is a missed requirement, so check scanned documents row by row against the PDF.
Do the totals on the Stats sheet update when I change a Type in Excel?
No. The Stats sheet holds the numbers as they were at export. The downloadable template has a Stats sheet with COUNTIF formulas if you want totals that follow your edits.
What happens to a very long requirement?
Text is cut at 600 characters with a visible note and the source line, so a long clause cannot break your row heights. Read the full clause in the PDF at that line before you answer it.
Can I send each owner only their rows?
Yes. Filter the desk to a section or type, tick 'only the rows shown', and download. In Excel you can also filter the Section column and save a copy per owner.