Request for Proposal

A Request for Proposal is used when the buyer knows the outcome it wants but not the exact method. Rather than specifying a product line by line, the RFP describes a problem or requirement and asks suppliers to propose an approach. That makes it the most common solicitation type for services, consulting, systems integration and anything where how the work is done materially affects the result.

Because the method is open, RFPs are almost always evaluated on more than price. A typical federal RFP sets out mandatory requirements that a bid must meet to remain in the competition, a set of point-rated criteria scoring technical merit, and a formula combining the technical score with price. Understanding that formula before writing anything is the single highest-value thing a bidder can do — a 70/30 technical/price split rewards a very different response than a 30/70 split.

RFPs also tend to carry the heaviest response burden. A substantial federal RFP can require a work plan, staffing matrix, past-performance references, security documentation and a detailed price schedule. That effort is why screening matters: the cost of answering an RFP you were never positioned to win is measured in days, not hours.