Glossary
Request for Proposals (RFP)
A Request for Proposals (RFP) is a competitive solicitation used when an agency knows the outcome it wants but not the exact method of getting there. Vendors propose an approach; the agency scores proposals against published evaluation criteria and awards to the proposal that is most advantageous to the government, considering price and the other factors stated in the solicitation.
Unlike an IFB, price is a weighted factor rather than the decision rule, and the agency may hold discussions, request clarifications or call for a best and final offer.
The short version
- Award goes to the most advantageous proposal on the published criteria, not to the lowest price.
- The weights are in the solicitation. Read them before you decide whether to bid. A 70 percent cost weight is a price competition with extra paperwork.
- Proposals are usually not read aloud at opening; only the list of respondents is disclosed.
- Evaluation committees are constrained to the stated criteria. Material you volunteer outside them earns nothing.
Why it matters to a bidder
An RFP is where writing quality actually converts to revenue, but only inside the scoring structure. Practical implications:
- Write to the scoresheet. Evaluators are usually given a form derived directly from the criteria. Mirror the solicitation's section order and language.
- Cost is scored, often by formula. Many agencies award cost points as lowest price divided by your price, times the available points. That formula tells you exactly what a price cut is worth.
- Mandatory pass or fail items still exist. Minimum qualifications, required forms and licensing are evaluated before scoring starts. See responsiveness.
Our walkthrough of how to respond to an RFP covers the mechanics.
A real example
A county issues an RFP for third-party ambulance billing with criteria weighted 35 percent technical approach, 25 percent experience and references, 20 percent cost and 20 percent implementation plan. The lowest-priced firm wins all 20 cost points but scores poorly on references and finishes third. The winner is 11 percent more expensive and wins on technical approach and implementation. In an IFB for the same service, that firm never gets read.
How state and local differs from federal
Federal RFPs run under FAR Part 15, with a formal competitive range, structured discussions and a required post-award debriefing on request. State and local RFPs are governed by state code and local ordinance instead, and the differences are practical: debriefings are often discretionary rather than mandatory, the evaluation committee is frequently named in public, and its final ranking may be voted in an open meeting under the state's sunshine law. Scoresheets and competitor proposals usually become obtainable through a public records request after award.
Common questions
Is an RFP the same as an RFQ?
No. An RFQ is a request for pricing on a defined item, usually below a formal-solicitation threshold. An RFP asks you to propose an approach and is scored.
Can the agency negotiate an RFP price?
Often yes, within the rules of the state code: through clarifications, discussions, or a best and final offer round.
Are my rates confidential in an RFP?
Rarely. Most state public records acts make pricing disclosable after award; trade-secret exemptions are narrow and require you to mark and justify specific pages.
Do RFP scores get published?
In many jurisdictions, yes: either in the award recommendation memo or on request. Ask for the scoresheets even if a formal debrief is not offered.