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It’s vital for you to understand the RFP process if you’re bidding. But don’t worry if you’re struggling to wrap your head around it! That’s where we come in. By the end of this blog, you’ll be fully clued in on the process of an RFP.
Before we get started on learning the RFP process, it’s important to know the different requests.
The RFP is the most common type of solicitation out there. RFPs are released by federal, municipal, state, and local governments looking to procure goods and services. For every industry, there are solicitations including logistics, healthcare, and construction projects.
With an RFP, a contracting authority is looking for high-quality responses to their questions. Typically, you’ll be expected to demonstrate your experience in your RFP response.
Businesses of all sizes can submit an RFP response. However, they’re particularly attractive for small businesses.
If you’re a small business and wish to bid for a contract, you must meet certain size criteria. You can find these through the Small Business Association (SBA). These standards can define the maximum size of a business hoping to qualify as a small business.
While not as common, another form of solicitation that you might encounter during the bidding process is an IFB.
With an IFB, the buyer knows exactly how they want the contract to be delivered. This means that vendors are unable to negotiate. In most cases, you’ll find that it’s awarded to the lowest priced bidder.
If the buyer issues an RFQ, this requires a much simpler bidding process. This is because RFQs are focused primarily on pricing rather than quality and experience.
Now we’ve got the types of documents out of the way, onto the RFP process!
The steps of the RFP process can vary, but these are the stages you’re most likely to come across.
This is where the company forms a concrete understanding of its deadlines around a project. At this stage, the writers of the RFP will be consulting with stakeholders, asking questions such as:
You may think of the RFP process as a document written by one or two people. For small businesses this can be true. But to be successful you need multiple people who can:
It’s here that the company identifies and selects its advisors and key team members. Usually in larger businesses that means one person leading and interviewing a team of stakeholders that help complete the RFP.
It’s rather self-explanatory, but at this point, the team will begin the cyclical process of drafting, writing, and proofreading. This cycle can go on for some time until the company is happy with what they’ve created.
Although the team lead has interviewed the team for what’s needed in this project, there’s more to consider. Scoring criteria will be created to select the best vendor. You could order this numerically, like 1 to 10 for each requirement. Or you could grade it as percentages. This could look like ‘10% for proximity to area’, or ‘15% for experience with your specific contract’.
This is where you come into the RFP process. The RFP is live and published. It’s up to you to find and respond to it. If you prefer to stay local for your contracts, stick to state portals. If not, there are RFP databases in which you can find what you’re looking for.
You’ve written your best response, and now it’s time for it to stand on its own two feet. The buyer tends to conduct an initial read through, checking out the prospective contractors.
If a vendor provides a solution not thought of before, this is where the contracting commission will investigate it. The team will lead a thorough investigation into the legitimacy/viability of the said solution. If it works, they may look at the vendor favorably. If their solution offers more features, the vendor will certainly be in good prospects.
There are a plethora of methods to gain information on your company’s history. Be assured that the contracting commission will use each and every one. Providing case studies is a fantastic method of proving your experience. Usually, contract commissions will want three. Another way to proclaim your suitability for the contact will be by providing references for the commission. If you have a portfolio, send it over! A good rule of thumb is to only send relevant experience.
The buyer has everything they need, and they’ve had some time to consider the bidders. By this point, it’ll be a shortlist of bidders, and they may request in-person meetings. This is your time to showcase why they made the right choice by shortlisting you.
So, this is it. You’ve been chosen! The RFP process has reached its conclusion. However, now is not the time for celebration. Prove to them that they made a solid investment by enacting your project plan ASAP.
So, whilst the RFP process is happening, where are you? Writing your response, of course! Below are some points of advice for writing your response.
The first step of the bidding process is to make sure you’re ready to bid for contracts. It’s important that you do this early and before you get too far into the process.
According to the General Services Administration (GSA), the following assets will increase your chances of winning a government contract:
It’s really important that you only bid on suitable projects. If you have little to no chance of winning the work, you’re just wasting your valuable time and resources.
To ensure the opportunity is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:
As part of the bidding process, you’ll be asked to submit your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. The federal government uses this code to classify businesses.
If you’re unsure how to find your NAICS code, you can visit the NAICS Association website. They offer a free tool to help you identify your code.
Once you’ve identified your code, you should check the Small Business Association (SBA) website to determine your business size standard. This is important, as different industries have different standards for what qualifies as a small business.
You need to know this information before proceeding with the bidding process. This is because certain contracts are only offered to small businesses.
There are several ways for you to find government contracts for your business. These include:
Businesses can find government contracts on the beta.SAM.gov website. It is a requirement for government agencies to advertise all contracts over $25,000 on SAM. Because of this requirement, SAM is a good place to find government contracts for your business.
With SAM, businesses are able to view previously awarded contracts too. This will be useful for businesses that are preparing an RFP response for a similar contract.
Another way for businesses to find government contracts is through the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS). Government agencies use this database to find small businesses.
When your small business registers with SAM, your information is automatically uploaded to the DSBS. Once your information has been uploaded, government agencies may contact you if they think you’re suitable for their project.
The DSBS can also be used by small businesses to find other small businesses to work with.
To find government contracts, you could also make use of the US General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA is a government agency that connects vendors with government buyers.
When a business secures a solicitation with the GSA, it’s known as getting onto the GSA schedule. Getting onto the GSA schedule means that your business is approved to work with the government.
In order to benefit from the GSA schedule, you should apply for a Past Performance Evaluation from Open Ratings. This will evaluate your performance against other businesses in your industry. Many government agencies make this a requirement for vendors bidding on their projects.
To do this, you’ll need to register your business and provide 6 – 20 of your previous or present clients.
The bidding process can be very complex, and the buyers often have very specific requirements. Therefore, it is crucial that you thoroughly read through the documents to understand the buyer’s demands.
Doing this will allow you to establish how much time needs to be dedicated to certain parts of the bid.
To increase your chances of bidding success, it’s vital that you give yourself plenty of time to complete the work. The deadlines for bids are extremely strict. If you miss the deadline, you’ve missed out on that opportunity.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, you should give yourself several hours before the deadline to submit. That way, you’ll have time to fix any technical issues that arise and still submit on time.
So, if the deadline is 12pm, don’t wait until 11:59am to submit.
One of the easiest ways to improve your chances of success is to proofread and edit your response. Many businesses overlook this stage of the bidding process, but it’s crucial for submitting a winning bid.
Submitting a bid that includes spelling mistakes and grammatical errors won’t impress the buyer. In fact, the buyer might assume that you’re lazy and unprofessional, which is the last thing you want.
To ensure the buyer has the best possible impression of your business, make sure your RFP response is completely error-free.
Here’s a top tip! It’s easy to overlook mistakes in our own work, so you should ask someone else to proofread your response for you. A second reviewer will be able to spot any errors that you might have missed.
Now you’ve got the advice, you’ll need the structure!
This is your chance to set up expectations and entice the reader to continue reading. Your cover letter is essentially a summary of what you will offer the buyer if they hire you. It should also state why you think they will benefit from hiring you/your team.
It’ll include:
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE COVER LETTER TEMPLATE
Research here is necessary, as the closer you are to their needs, the better. This summary will include:
If you’re struggling with this, ask yourself these questions…
What’s your strategy? How exactly will you deliver the project? This is where you outline it for them. You could also discuss:
Use extra features that your company can produce as incentives if they’re not in the plan.
You’ll need to provide the contract commission with a taste of what’s to come if they’re to work with you. This can include:
You’ll need to be frank with them, as this will determine relations both ways. Outlining costs are a vital way of showing you’ve done the research, contacted the right people, and you’re invested.
Your suitability for the role is highlighted through your references. A portfolio is vital here to showcase what projects you’ve done before, and references help validate this. All of this is to help the buyer visualize working with you, and how that might look like. Any measurable results will be well worth it if you can provide them, such as data/previous adherence to deadlines. Make sure your references and portfolio are tailored for the project.
So, now you know and understand both the RFP and the bidding process in full. In case you’re in need of a recap, here we go!
Not got the time to write winning bid responses in-house? Don’t worry, our Bid Consultants can help. We provide three bid and RFP writing support services.
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 RFP 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 bidding or those in need of rejuvenating their content. Our Bid Consultants will create:
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