Responding to a Government RFP

Understanding the government RFP process can be confusing, stressful and tricky. Because the government solicits responses from various types of RFP’s, bidders should keep certain things in mind:

• Each government RFP needs a response that solves the agency’s problem.
• Responding to a government RFP requires a showing that your company poses the least amount of risk if awarded the contract.

Develop a focused approach: Regardless of whether the RFP is a firm-fixed-price bid, a lowest priced technically acceptable proposal, government contractors must realize that when  submitting a government RFP response. the agency wants a technical approach that demonstrates a thorough understanding of the specific proposal requirements. Oftentimes, businesses tend to be too conclusive and not provide sufficient detail in their response.

• Failure to provide enough detail in the proposal response can cost points during evaluation.
• Regardless of the type of RFP, your response should always focus on technical and pricing.
• Understanding how to gain strengths in your response can offset technical weaknesses and lead to a better best value and trade-off outcome.

Learn How to Avoid Costly Mistakes When Responding to a Government Proposal

Both large businesses and small government contractors often make several mistakes when responding to a government RFP. One of the most common mistakes is not detailing the responsibilities of their key personnel. This alone can cost substantially low technical scores.

A second commonly-seen mistake is that bidders often fail to place the appropriate weight to each factor and sub factor itemized in the RFP. Technical proposal evaluations carry a substantial amount of weight when responding a government RFP. Therefore, each proposal writer must be extremely careful in their government RFP response.

• To increase your chances of writing a winning bid when responding to a government RFP, develop a strategy that focuses on detail and offering more strengths.

For additional questions or concerns, call our government proposal writing consultants at 1-866-601-5518.