The Procurement Sciences Word Add-in brings Awarded AI directly into Microsoft Word. It opens as a side panel next to your document, where you can chat with the AI while you draft. The add-in can read your open document, answer questions about it, make edits, and leave comments, all without you copying or pasting anything. It is built for proposal and capture teams working on government solicitations.
This guide covers how to set it up, how to use it, best practices, a security overview, and answers to common questions.
Table of Contents
What you need
Microsoft Word (web, desktop Windows, or desktop Mac)
An Awarded AI account at your organization's URL (for example, acme.awardedai.com or acme.awardedaigov.com)
1. How to set it up
Install the add-in
Commercial customers (standard Microsoft 365)
Open Word and create or open any document.
Go to the Home tab (or the Insert tab, depending on your ribbon), and click Add-ins.
In the dialog, search for Procurement Sciences.
Click Add.
That's it. The add-in stays available across all your Word documents.
If you don't see the option to add new add-ins, your Microsoft 365 administrator may have restricted the Office Store. Ask them to deploy the add-in for you using the government path below.
Government customers (GCC, GCC-High, DoD)
The Office Store (AppSource) is not available in government clouds, so end users cannot install the Procurement Sciences Word Add-in themselves. Your Microsoft 365 administrator installs it for you.
For end users: Contact your IT administrator and ask them to deploy the Procurement Sciences Word Add-in. Once they do, it will appear in your Word ribbon automatically the next time you open Word, typically within a few hours.
For administrators:
Request the government manifest file (manifest.government.xml) from your Procurement Sciences contact.
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
Go to Settings > Integrated apps > Upload custom apps.
Choose Office Add-in and upload the manifest XML.
Assign the add-in to the users or groups that should have it.
Changes propagate to users within a few hours.
Open the add-in
Open any Word document.
On the Home tab, click the Procurement Sciences Word Add-in button (your administrator may place it elsewhere on the ribbon).
The panel opens on the right side of Word.
If you don't see the button, contact your administrator. They control how the add-in is installed.
Sign in
The first time you open the add-in, you'll see a sign-in screen.
Enter your Awarded AI URL in the box. Examples:
Commercial: acme.awardedai.com
Government: acme.awardedaigov.com
Click Sign In.
A sign-in window opens. Enter your Awarded AI credentials as you normally would.
The window closes automatically once you're signed in, and the chat panel appears.
Your sign-in is remembered, so you won't need to repeat this every time you open Word. If sign-in fails, the message on screen tells you what to do. Most issues, such as account setup or access to a division, are handled by your administrator.
2. How to use it
The basics
Type a request in the box at the bottom of the panel and press Enter to send. Press Shift + Enter to add a new line without sending.
The add-in always has access to your open document, so you never need to copy or paste your text. Vague requests like "summarize it" or "fix this" refer to your document.
To stop a response while it's being written, click the Stop button. It replaces the send button while the add-in is working.
A few requests to try first:
"Summarize this section of the solicitation."
"Does this paragraph address the Section L instructions?"
"Fix the grammar in the executive summary."
Chat modes
A mode controls what the add-in is allowed to do. Pick one from the menu in the toolbar below the message box.
Mode | What it does |
Auto | The default. The add-in decides whether to answer, edit, or comment based on your request. |
Ask | Answers questions only. Never changes your document or leaves comments. |
Write | Makes edits to your document. |
Comment | Leaves comments with feedback. Doesn't change your text. |
If you're not sure, leave it on Auto. Switch to Ask when you only want answers and want to be sure nothing gets changed.
Editing your document
In Write or Auto mode, ask for any change in plain language:
"Rewrite this section to directly address the RFP requirement."
"Tighten this past performance write-up to fit the page limit."
"Add a short conclusion that restates our win themes."
"Replace every 'client' with 'Government' throughout."
The add-in can rewrite paragraphs, make small targeted fixes, add new paragraphs, and replace words across the whole document.
Every edit appears as a tracked change. Your original text is never overwritten until you approve it.
Reviewing changes
When the add-in makes edits, a pending changes bar appears in the panel.
Click the bar to expand it and see each proposed change.
Click any change to jump to that spot in your document.
Use the check mark to accept a change or the X to reject it.
Use Accept All or Reject All to handle everything at once.
Accepted changes become part of your document. Rejected ones disappear and leave your original text untouched. Nothing enters your document until a person approves it, and every AI edit shows as a tracked change you can review, so you keep a clear record of what changed.
Comments
In Comment or Auto mode, ask for feedback and the add-in leaves it as Word comments, just like a reviewer would:
"Give me feedback on this volume."
"Comment on anything that doesn't clearly map to an evaluation factor in Section M."
Comments point to specific text and explain the suggestion. The add-in won't add a duplicate comment where it already left the same note.
Working with a selection
Highlight text in your document before sending a message, and the add-in focuses on just that text. Words like "this," "the selection," or "this paragraph" refer to what you highlighted.
The highlighted text shows up as a small chip above the message box so you can see what's being used. Click the X on the chip to remove it.
For example, highlight a past performance write-up and type "tighten this to fit the page limit." The add-in works on just that text.
Choosing an AI model
Use the model selector in the chat toolbar to choose which AI model powers the conversation in the Word add-in. This is the same model selector experience you may already know from Awarded AI on the web.
The selected model is used for the current chat, including answers, drafting, editing, and comments.
Pick a model based on the tradeoff you want, such as faster responses for simpler requests or a more capable model for complex proposal analysis.
The available models depend on your organization, environment, and approved Awarded AI settings, so your list may not match another user's exactly.
If you're not sure which model to use, leave the default selected. Awarded AI keeps model availability and defaults aligned between the Word add-in and the main Awarded AI chat experience.
Knowledge
Knowledge lets the add-in draw on your team's own content when it answers, instead of general knowledge alone. That can include past proposals, solicitations, capability statements, and win themes.
Open the context menu (the + button in the toolbar) and use the Knowledge toggle.
When it's on, pick which knowledge configuration to use.
Turn it off to use general AI knowledge only.
Knowledge configurations are created and managed in Awarded AI on the web. Use the Manage configurations link in the menu to open it.
Attaching files
Attach files to give the add-in extra context for your request, such as the solicitation, a requirements shred, or a reference document.
Click the file button in the toolbar.
Browse your private or shared files and select what you need.
Selected files appear as chips above the message box. Remove one with its X.
Prompt library
The prompt library holds saved, reusable prompts so you don't retype common requests.
Click the prompt library button in the toolbar.
Pick a prompt. Its text drops into the message box.
Edit it if you want, then send.
Assistants and quick actions
An assistant is a preset helper tuned for a specific kind of work.
Click the assistant button in the toolbar.
Choose an assistant to use it for your chat.
Some assistants offer quick actions, one-click buttons that run a common task right away. Clear the assistant at any time to go back to the default.
Chat history
Each conversation is a separate thread, saved automatically.
Use the bar near the top of the panel to see past chats and switch between them.
Start a fresh conversation with New chat.
Threads are named for you based on what you discussed.
Divisions
If your account has more than one division (workspace), use the division selector in the top bar to switch. This controls which workspace's knowledge, files, and settings the add-in uses.
Appearance
Open the menu under your profile picture (top right) to switch between Light, Dark, and System themes. System matches whatever your computer is set to.
3. Best practices
Leave the mode on Auto unless you specifically want to limit what the add-in can do.
Highlight text first when your request is about a specific part of the document.
Review tracked changes before accepting. The add-in proposes; you decide.
Use Ask mode for a safe, read-only review when you don't want anything changed.
Turn on Knowledge when answers should reflect your team's own proposals and content.
Always review AI-drafted content before submission, especially compliance-critical language such as FAR and DFARS clauses, certifications, and numbers.
Good to know: Comments and tracked changes rely on features built into Word. On older versions of Word, or Word in a web browser, some of these may behave differently or be unavailable. For the best experience, use an up-to-date desktop version of Word. If something doesn't work as described, contact your administrator or support.
4. Security overview
What the add-in is
The add-in is a panel that runs inside Microsoft Word. When you open it, Word loads the Procurement Sciences web application into a secure browser frame built into Word (Edge WebView2 on Windows, WebView on Mac). The add-in is a thin client. It does not run the AI model itself. It connects to your organization's Awarded AI backend, the same backend and database that powers the main Awarded AI product.
What document data the add-in accesses
The add-in requests the standard Word permission to read and edit the active document (ReadWriteDocument). With your document open and the panel active, it can access:
The full text of the document, organized by paragraph
The text you currently have selected
Document properties such as title and file name
Tracked changes already present in the document
The add-in only ever accesses the document you have open in front of you. It cannot reach other files on your computer, other documents, or your wider Microsoft 365 account.
What is sent to the Awarded AI backend
To answer your questions and make edits, the add-in sends document content to your organization's Awarded AI backend, which runs the AI assistant. Depending on what you do, this can include:
Your chat messages and the conversation history for the current thread
The document text and your current selection, so the assistant has context
The document title and file name
Your Awarded AI sign-in identity (used to authorize and scope every request)
All of this travels over encrypted HTTPS connections to your organization's Awarded AI endpoint. Nothing is sent to a third-party AI provider directly from the add-in. Requests go to Awarded AI, which processes them on the same infrastructure as the rest of the Awarded AI product.
How edits are made
When you ask the add-in to change the document, the edits are applied locally inside Word through the official Office editing interface. Edits are written as Word tracked changes so you can review, accept, or reject every change. The add-in cannot silently alter your document without those changes being visible.
What is stored, and where
The add-in does not save your document content. Document text is read on demand and kept only in temporary memory while the panel is open. It is not written to disk by the add-in.
The add-in does store a small amount of sign-in information in the browser storage of the Word panel, so you stay signed in between sessions:
Your authentication tokens for your Awarded AI organization
Your organization's connection details (such as its Awarded AI address)
The organization URL you last signed in with, to pre-fill the sign-in screen
Signing out clears your authentication tokens and your organization's connection details from the device.
Your chat history is stored on the Awarded AI backend, tied to your account, the same way conversations are handled in the main Awarded AI product.
Sign-in and organization isolation
You sign in to the add-in through your own organization's Awarded AI login, using the same credentials as the main product. The sign-in happens in a separate secure window provided by Microsoft Word.
Every request the add-in makes is tied to your organization and your signed-in identity. The backend validates this on each request, so your data is scoped to your organization and your permissions. The add-in connects only to your organization's Awarded AI environment.
What the add-in does not do
It does not access files or documents other than the one you have open.
It does not run advertising or third-party analytics or tracking tools.
It does not send your document content to any party other than your organization's Awarded AI backend.
It does not store your document content on your device.
Usage information
The add-in sends limited usage information to Awarded AI to keep the product working and to diagnose problems, for example which feature was used and whether an action succeeded or failed. This usage information does not include your document text.
Where this fits
The add-in is a front end to Awarded AI inside Microsoft Word. Once your data reaches the Awarded AI backend, it is governed by the same security, storage, and data-handling practices as the rest of the Awarded AI platform, which are described in our broader security documentation.
5. Frequently asked questions
I don't see the Procurement Sciences Word Add-in in my ribbon. Government users: your IT admin hasn't deployed it yet, or deployment is still propagating. Wait a few hours and restart Word. Commercial users: check Home > Add-ins > My Add-ins and make sure it's installed.
The panel is blank or won't load. Close the panel, close Word entirely, reopen Word, and click the Procurement Sciences Word Add-in button again. If the issue persists, your network may be blocking microsoft-word-addin.awardedai.com (commercial) or microsoft-word-addin.awardedaigov.com (government). Ask your IT team to allow those domains.
The sign-in window closes without signing me in. Double-check your Awarded AI URL. It should match the URL you use in your web browser, with nothing before the subdomain, no https://, and no trailing path.
I need to switch accounts. Sign out from the panel menu, then sign in again with the new URL.
Which mode should I use? Leave it on Auto for most work. Use Ask for a read-only review when you want answers but no changes, Write when you want edits, and Comment when you want feedback left as Word comments.
Does the add-in change my document automatically? No. Every edit appears as a tracked change that you accept or reject. Nothing enters your document until a person approves it.
Does the add-in store my document? No. Document text is read on demand and kept only in temporary memory while the panel is open. It is not written to disk by the add-in, and your document content is not sent to any party other than your organization's Awarded AI backend.
Can I use it in Word on the web? Yes. The add-in works in Word on the web, desktop Windows, and desktop Mac. Comments and tracked changes rely on features built into Word, so on older versions or in the browser some of these may behave differently. For the best experience, use an up-to-date desktop version of Word.