When searching for government contracting opportunities, you’ll inevitably find an opportunity that aligns with your company’s capabilities. Once you start diving into these solicitations, it’s essential to understand how to break them down and what the common terms you come across mean because they can often be long and confusing to navigate. In this blog, we’ll discuss what type of solicitation you may be responding to, as there are many different types, and define some common solicitation terms, so you are well prepared for your next opportunity.

What is a Request for Information (RFI)?

An RFI (Request for Information) is a formal process for gathering information from potential suppliers of a good or service. RFIs are intended to be written by government customers and sent to potential suppliers. An RFI is typically the first and most broad series of requests to narrow a list of potential vendor candidates. RFIs are a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and potentially define the government agency’s direction on a certain project/product/service as they often shape later proposals.

The goal of using an RFI is to gather market research in a formal, structured way. The document should identify the agency’s requirements while requesting specific answers to how the vendor will meet them. To help identify differences among vendors, an RFI will also focus on needs unique to the inquiring business and concerns that are less likely to be addressed by every vendor.

What is a Request for Quote (RFQ)?

An RFQ (Request for Quote) is when an agency wants contractors to submit price quotes and bids to fulfill specific tasks or projects. The RFQ process is critical to businesses that need a consistent supply of a particular number of standard products.

An RFQ can be an essential step in a Request for Proposal (RFP). These two documents are similar as they provide details of the project or services required, but RFQs generally ask for a more comprehensive price quote and do not require a technical component like an RFP. Also, businesses usually design RFQs for generic products in which the quantity needed is known, and RFPs are for unique, niche projects where quantities and specifications may be unknown.

RFQs may include payment terms, factors influencing a company's bid selection, and submission deadline. The RFQ format is uniform within a given agency; when the RFQs come back with price quotes, the soliciting agency may compare them easily. Typically, an RFQ process consists of four sections: the preparation phase, the processing phase, the awarding phase, and the closing phase.

What are Request for Proposals (RFPs)?

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, a common type of solicitation is an RFP (Request for Proposal), used to solicit proposals from potential contractors for goods and services. RFP is an official means of solicitation unlike an RFI and will generally result in a formal contract award.

Price is not always a primary evaluation factor when an RFP is used, it’s often weighed against value and the technical components. However, each RFP differs and will establish evaluation criteria we’ll discuss later in this blog. An RFP provides for negotiating all terms, including price, before contract award. It may include a provision for the negotiation of best and final offers.

While RFIs may require a shorter narrative component, RFPs tend to have more rigorous requirements to respond to and will require certain information such as quality control plan, past performance, explanation of product/services, graphics/tables and pricing information.

What is an Invitation for Bid (IFB)?

The use of RFPs can be a single-step or multi-step process. An IFB (Invitation for Bid) differs from an RFP in that the objective is to obtain contractors' proposals concerning the project's costs with less emphasis on the bidder introducing its ideas for completing a task or performing the service.

A comprehensive IFB solicitation will describe the planned project in detail and lay out submission requirements (including deadlines, project scope, and duration), minimum qualifications, mandatory service standards, and required warranties. It also describes the overall selection process, including timelines. Through the IFB process, agencies can streamline their decision process by choosing the qualified bidder with the lowest-priced bid. Bidders, in turn, can focus more narrowly on estimating the potential costs associated with completing a project and can produce a bid faster.

Common Terms/Sections of an RFP

Now that we have a general overview of common solicitation types, we must understand key common terms and section of an RFP to prepare the best response possible. Since RFPs are often more involved than an RFQ and result in a direct contract award like an RFI, it’s important to know how to break down each RFP you plan to respond to.

It’s important to note that every RFP is different and they may not always use the lettering mentioned below, but most RFPs will still include the sections mentioned below (if named differently).

Section L—Instructions

When you first start reading an RFP, it can be overwhelming. Where do you start? The first step should be to know where the instructions for the solicitation are located. Section L summarizes essential information so that offerors fully understand the requirements of the solicitation, provides guidance for proposal preparation, advocates competition clarity, determines consistent evaluation criteria, and reduces risk for government agencies. It plays a vital role in safeguarding a fair and competitive procurement process in government contracting.

Section M—Evaluation Criteria

Another critical section to understand is section M, which is one of the more essential parts of a government proposal. It's vital to study this section because it lays out the criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals and eventually settle which vendor is awarded the contract. If you are aware of these components, you will be able to shape your proposal responses to best comply with the needs of the government, plus boost your probability of being chosen. Fully understanding this Section can significantly increase a vendor's likelihood of being awarded the contract.

Section C—Descriptions/Specifications/ Statement of Work

Now that you understand the instructions and evaluative criteria better, it's time to focus on section C. This section is crucial because it states the specifics and requirements for the goods or services the vendor will deliver to the government. This section stipulates comprehensive material on the requirements for the goods or services the government agency is pursuing. Section C includes specifications, such as the preferred features, quality, and performance descriptions the goods or services must meet.

The requirements detailed in Section C are typically the source for evaluating proposals. Therefore, vendors must comprehend and follow these requirements to guarantee that their proposals comply with the solicitation. Section C is generally the most extended section of a solicitation and provides the essential framework and background for responders. Be sure to reference every item in your proposal response's required Statement of Work (SOW) and include how you will deliver the requirements.

Past Performance

Past performance can help the government see you have been successful in former contracts with both government and commercial customers. The government seeks the best value and evidence that you can provide the services or products they are requesting.

Agencies often request at least 3 references for work performed in the past three years. The government meticulously evaluates a contractor's compliance with performance and technical specifications. The combined information will be used to evaluate the level of risk linked to your company. The government's evaluation will consist of a well-defined description of the primary intent of the contract and purpose, along with a review of how the contractor performed based on contract type, size, content, and complexity.

A performance confidence assessment and pricing evaluation could also be assigned. It evaluates the probability that the contractor can effectively perform the requirements based on past performance. Be sure to select projects that are related to the current solicitation. Additional information to provide relevancy would be helpful to add to your response. If you have done work for government agencies in the past, you will most likely have received CPARS, or Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting Systems ratings you can use in your solicitation response.

Responding to a Government Solicitation

A solicitation can be challenging to understand, however, now that you have a jump start on all the different types of solicitations and what sections to look out for, you are on your way to drafting a strong response. Ensuring your company meets the requirements and can perform the work is essential. It's a competition, so you should be trying to stand out.

If you want to learn more about responding to solicitations, check out our blogs:

• 3 Tips for a Successful RFP Response
• A Guide to RFPs
• 6 Common RFP Mistakes Contractors Make and How to Avoid them

If you have any questions about maintaining your GSA Schedule so you are ready to submit your responses, or you are looking to get a GSA Schedule, we would be happy to help you.