Table of Contents
Government bid writing might seem like a daunting process. There are typically four main stages to be aware of and each stage requires a certain amount of time dedication.
Government contracts often have continuous contract terms that can be up to five years long. If you’re successful with securing a government RFP contract, it can provide your organization with a long-term, steady cash flow.
In this guide, we will breakdown these stages into manageable chunks of information. This can help you implement an internal process to secure federal government contracts.
The sources sought stage is also known as a Request for Information (RFI). It’s important to understand that you cannot win a contract by responding at this stage. During this early phase, the agency is trying to assess if there’s the potential for a small business set-aside.
If two or more capable businesses don’t respond, the set-aside opportunity may be lost and become an open competition. This means that you could end up competing against much larger firms.
In general, federal governments prefer to award contracts to small businesses as much as possible. This helps them meet their small business contracting goals which have been surpassed for seven years consecutively (2020).
Government RFPs are looking for capable sources that will likely respond to the solicitation. Don’t respond to this stage if you’re not likely to pursue your interest into the next phase.
If you do choose to respond at this stage, consider that this is your first impression. You can’t win a contract at this stage, but the impression of your company is likely to carry over. Remember that you’re not only answering the questions but convincing them of your competency.
Small business set-asides have been formed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). A certain percentage of contracts must be ‘set-aside’ and awarded to small businesses. This is helping smaller businesses compete in government procurement for contracts.
The SBA works with federal agencies to ensure that 23% of all government contracts are awarded to small businesses. These contracts are ‘set-aside’ purely for small businesses (hence the name). Each federal agency sets its own specific set-aside goals with the SBA every year. For example, The Department of Health and The Department of Defence may have a different percentage from the other.
The federal government buys over $500 billion worth of services and goods annually. Set-aside contracts allow smaller businesses the chance to get in on the action, competing with the big multinationals.
Within the 23% set-aside goal, there are different goals including other subsets of small businesses. For example:
There are also small set-asides for subcontracts that result from a prime contract. For example, when a car manufacturer will subcontract to another small business for some of the parts.
You can think of this stage as the FYI stage. The pre-solicitation stage is simply to inform interested parties of the results of the previous phase. The buyer will alert respondents that the solicitation is due to be released so that they can prepare their proposals.
A pre-solicitation will outline the path for the bid moving forward, but no responses are required at this stage. In most cases, the information contains details of a site visit if required, and when the solicitation will be released. It should also inform you if there will be a set-aside. Therefore, it’s important to review the pre-solicitation information to ensure that you are still eligible.
In the federal government bid writing process, this is the stage that offers the contract award. The organization will typically release a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), or Invitation for Bids (IFB).
It’s important to understand that these solicitations require different responses.
Here, the contracting authority is looking for high-quality responses to their questions. These questions will usually refer to your tactical approach to the contract, past experience in similar contracts, and pricing. An RFP is one of the most common forms of procurement that you will come across when government bid writing.
An RFP can be quite complex and require much more work than the RFI stage. This is why most organizations will outsource their solicitation responses to an RFP Writer. They know how to best articulate that your organization is the best option for the contract. Government RFPs will often require additional supporting documents. These could be company CVs, policies and procedures, and case studies that demonstrate relevant experience. A Bid Writer can help to comprise these for your proposal.
This type of solicitation is focused primarily on your pricing. Sometimes, the organization may require you to also answer a few questions about your experience. However, the emphasis is on competitive pricing. This form of solicitation is usually used when the buyer requires a product or a straightforward service. The questions will help them ensure that you are capable but ultimately, this is a price-driven exercise.
However, you will have to gauge the type of solicitation yourself. If you’re using a platform such as beta.SAM.gov, the notice may not tell you the type of solicitation. You can determine if it’s a government RFP or RFQ by reading the Instructions to Offerors in the solicitation documents.
Top tip: To quickly identify, use the keyboard shortcut CTRL F and search ‘Instructions to Offerors.’ Here, you will see the requirements for the proposal, and you can determine the type of response required.
An Invitation for Bids is fairly similar to an RFQ. In this instance, a commissioner knows how they want the contract delivered. Therefore, they don’t often require suggestions meaning condors can’t negotiate. In this case, the contract is awarded to the lowest priced bidder that meets the minimum requirements.
The award notice will display the company who won the contract and the dollar value it was awarded for. This will allow you to see the winner’s price and allow you to learn from the experience if unsuccessful. If you are successful, the buyer will usually call or email you directly.
Unfortunately, when participating in the government bid writing process, it is likely that you will sometimes lose. Therefore, we recommend implementing a strategy to ensure that you haven’t wasted your time. Try to see each submission as a learning experience to help you win the next one.
If unsuccessful, you must contact the organization within 72 hours to submit a ‘request for proposal debrief’. This is effectively asking the buyer to provide feedback on your proposal so you can improve. Practice makes perfect, so don’t be disheartened.
If you’ve never done government bid writing before you may be wondering what it comprises of. Federal contracts and local government contracts will often have some overlapping in what’s required. Although we can’t give you specific successful bid proposal examples, we can give you a rough idea of what’s expected.
The federal government is to adhere to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). This is a standardized set of regulations used by all federal agencies when procuring a good or service. A federal government RFP is made up of 13 sections, each one overseen by the FAR. These are identified by sections labeled via letters:
This section contains basic information about the project and is usually just one page. It typically details when and how to submit your bid proposal and the point of contact.
Here you will find all pricing information for the RFP, and it defines the type of contract. There are Contract Line Items (CLINs) and any Subcontract Line Items (SLINs). These are typically billable items such as labor, supplies, and travel expenses. This section will often specify the pricing structure of the contract such as fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, or cost-plus. It will also contain pricing guidelines for the contract.
This is arguably the most important section. Here, a contractor will detail the statement of work and what’s expected from a vendor during the contract. When responding to a government RFP, it’s in this section that you will detail how you’ll deliver what they need. Be persuasive and sell your company.
The packages and marking section will outline the method of deliverables. This could cover the logistics including how materials will be labeled, packaged, and shipped.
The federal government needs to safeguard itself from poor-quality materials and work. Therefore, this section covers the conditions that must be met by a vendor, how it will be inspected and accepted. They will also detail what will happen if their quality-control criteria are not met.
Noted here is how, when, and where different line items will be delivered. It will tell you exactly when services need to be performed or when goods need to be delivered. The Government Contracting Officer will regulate and control the work performed.
This section describes how the contractor will interact providing details on how information is exchanged between the commissioner and vendor. They’ll also detail the administration of the contract to ensure both prompt payment and performance.
You can look at the special contract requirements as essentially any additional requirements or information section. The requirements in this section fall outside of the actual service or goods you will deliver. It could include procedures for managing changes to the original terms of the contract, for example.
Any clauses that are required by law will be noted in this section. Although you won’t be required to formulate a response, all terms will be obligatory and contractually binding.
Section J will contain a list of additional attachments and appendices you will need to include with your government RFP. It’s generally used in accordance with Section C (scope of work/specification) for additional information and data.
Here you will find a list of requirements you must meet in order to bid on the contract. This includes:
This section provides guidance on how to formulate your government RFP response. Here you can quickly find essential information on things such as font and formatting. You should adhere to all requirements stated in this section. They will detail how they want materials organized, withdrawals, policies, and how the proposal is to be delivered.
Here you will find the main factors on which your government RFP proposal will be evaluated on. It will state what you will be considered when awarding the contract and how important each factor is. The highest-scoring proposal will be awarded the contract.
Your government bid writing will likely improve over time once you’ve got the hang of it. If you’re struggling, outsourcing to an RFP Consultant can help secure your next contract for your organization. They’re well versed in what a commissioner is looking for in government RFP responses and how to best convey it.
Securing your first government contract can make your business grow fast. Once you’ve secured a smaller contract, you can work your way up to larger contracts over time. Government RFPs can help your company with its long-term growth in the ever-expanding federal government marketplace.
If you want to secure contracts for your business, you’re probably wondering what is needed for successful bid writing. Luckily for you, we’re here to help! We’ll outline the 4 key steps for producing a winning bid.
It might sound obvious, but for successful bid writing, you need to find a suitable contract for your business. If you have little to no chance of winning the work, you’ll be wasting your time and resources by applying.
When sourcing opportunities for your business, ask yourself the following questions:
Another important aspect of successful bid writing is creating a bid management plan. This will help you keep track of the buyer’s requirements, the work involved and any important dates to remember.
Here are some examples of what to include in a bid management plan:
To produce successful bid writing, you need to give yourself plenty of time to complete the work.
It can take a long time to produce a winning RFP response. If you start writing your proposal at the last minute, you’re unlikely to finish before the submission deadline. Especially as it often takes several drafts to produce successful bid writing.
When it comes to bidding for contracts, the deadlines are usually very strict. If you miss the deadline, you’ve missed out on that opportunity. To ensure this doesn’t happen, you should aim to submit your bid several hours before the deadline. Then if you’re faced with any technical issues, you’ll be able to fix them and still submit on time.
Another way to produce successful bid writing is to redraft your RFP response several times before the submission deadline. This will ensure you catch any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors before you submit your proposal to the buyer.
Remember, it’s crucial that you don’t overlook this stage of the bidding process. To increase your chances of success, you need to carefully proofread and edit your response. If you fail to do this, the buyer might assume that you’re lazy and unprofessional. That’s the last thing you want!
For successful bid writing, your response needs to be completely error-free. That way, you can ensure that the buyer has the best possible impression of your business.
There are certain things that you need to remember to produce successful bid writing for your business. Firstly, you should only bid on suitable projects. Otherwise, your precious time and resources will just be going to waste. You should also create a bid management plan to help you keep on track throughout the bid writing process.
It takes time to produce a winning response, so don’t wait until the last minute to bid for the work. Finally, remember to proofread and redraft your response to ensure it is completely error-free.
So, you’re looking for bid writing tips. At Hudson Succeed, we have an 87% success rate and over 60 years of experience. So, we are confident in our ability to help you. We write blogs to help aspiring Bid Writers, current Bid Writers, and businesses of all kinds with their RFP process. So, let’s cover some of the top bid writing tips. Stick around for tip two; it may surprise you!
One stage of writing RFP proposals that is often overlooked is the proofreading and editing stage. This is especially unfortunate as it is such a crucial step! It’s no good producing a bid proposal that is littered with mistakes. It will give the buyer the impression that you are lazy and unprofessional. In turn, they will be unlikely to award you the contract as they won’t trust you to handle it properly.
When you’re proofreading your RFP proposal, we suggest you read it multiple times. Plus, you should have other people read it too. This is because they are more likely to notice errors with a fresh pair of eyes. Another tip from our experts is to have your device read it to you if possible. The device can make it easier to pick up mistakes as it may pronounce a word in an unusual way. It is really important to make your proposal as high-quality as possible, so this stage should never be overlooked.
The second of our bid writing tips is to not use technical jargon. This may surprise some people. What many people won’t consider when writing RFP proposals is that the buyer/reader won’t be an expert in your industry. Therefore, they are very unlikely to understand industry terms. If you use technical jargon in your proposal, you may confuse them. The bid proposal should be as clear and concise as possible. If the buyer is confused about something, they are going to be distracted and unsure of your concepts. This could lead to them not awarding you the contract. Don’t risk losing the contract due to small errors such as this.
As previously mentioned, bid management is essential if you hope to win contracts. This is one of our most important bid writing tips. Our experts know the importance of being organized and managing the workload. It can be easy to become overwhelmed with the workload and keeping on track. So, make sure that you plan ahead, and you’re prepared! This allows you the chance of completing the proposal with time to spare. This can be a huge benefit if you have technical issues whilst submitting your bid.
To ensure no points are forgotten, here’s a recap of what we covered! Some of our top bid writing tips are as follows:
Do you need support with government bid writing or your next RFP? We understand that many companies don’t have the time, resources, or experience to write a winning response to government RFPs.
Our RFP Writers have an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of collective bid writing experience.
Our RFP Writing service is the perfect solution to ensure that you submit a high-quality bid, even when you’re busy. Our writers will break down the solicitation documents, allowing you to see what the bid and the contract involves. This will help to ensure that you have all the specified evidence and meet the requirements of the contracting authority. Our writers will then craft persuasive, high-quality responses, attach supporting evidence and even submit the bid on your behalf. Upload the solicitation documents for a free quote.
Have you already written a bid but need a second pair of eyes to review your work? Our RFP Mentor service will do just that. Simply send over your bid responses and the solicitation documents. Our writers will then assess your work, ensuring that your responses are in line with the specification. They will also check for any spelling or grammar errors. You can then submit your bid with confidence. Upload your work for a free quote.
Do you need help with preparing a bid proposal? Proposal Ready can help businesses that are new to tendering, or those in need of rejuvenating their content. Our Bid Consultants can offer you proposal writing services, creating:
All information and data on this blog site is for informational purposes only. Hudson Outsourcing LLC make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity, of any information. Hudson Outsourcing LLC will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided AS IS with no warranties and confers no rights.
Hudson Outsourcing LLC will not be responsible for any material that is found at the end of the links that may be posted on this blog site.
Because the information on this blog is based on Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s own opinion and experience, it should not be considered professional financial investment advice. The ideas and bidding strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional. Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s thoughts and opinions will also change from time to time as the market changes and as Hudson Outsourcing LLC develops.
