Government Services

How to Respond to a
Request for Proposal (RFP)
2006
THE RFP PROCESS
Preparing your response
What is a Request for Proposal
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a
procurement tool used to solicit proposals
from suppliers for solutions to a given
problem or situation

A proposal submitted in response to a RFP
is a legal binding document (Contract A)
and suppliers are obligated to fulfill the
requirements of the RFP according to the
proposed services offerings and costs
provided in their proposal

Typical Steps in the RFP Process
development of the Scope of Work
development of the Proposal
Response Requirements
development of the Evaluation
Criteria and the methodology for
evaluating proposals
release of RFP (3 weeks min.)
Supplier Conference (if required)
Last day for questions (days)

RFP Steps - continued
RFP closing date
proposal evaluation - multiple
stages
approval process
agreement negotiation and signing
supplier debriefing
contract/agreement administration
Elements of a RFP
Introduction this is a brief description
of the required services or Scope of Work
requirements

Project Summary/Background this
area provides a summary of the
background and objectives of the project.
It will describe the scope, duration,
structure, deliverables and sometimes the
budget for the project
Elements of a RFP - continued
Schedule of Events this section
outlines the milestones/dates for
the competition and will include the
RFP release date, supplier
conference (if required), last day for
questions, closing date and the
tentative dates for evaluation
completion, presentations and
award date
Elements of a RFP - continued
Proposal submissions this area
indicates the number of proposals
that are required to be submitted as
well includes the date, time and
location for receipt of responses.
Late proposals will not be
accepted and will be returned
unopened
Elements of a RFP - continued
Inquiries this area identifies
individuals who Suppliers may contact
regarding any questions about RFP.
Suppliers are encouraged to contact
these individuals to gain a complete
understanding of the requirements.
Suppliers are to submit all questions in
writing. If contact is made with someone
other than those listed in the RFP, the
Supplier may be eliminated from the
competition

Elements of a RFP - continued
Scope of Work this section provides the
detailed description of the work that will be
performed by the successful supplier or details of
the problem to be solved

Responses must first address any MANDATORY
requirements. Failure to meet a mandatory
requirement will eliminate your proposal

Remaining requirements are typically identified as
rated or options. These remaining requirements
will be scored according to the evaluation criteria
outlined in the RFP
Elements of a RFP - continued
Proposal Response Format/Guidelines this
section outlines the format for submitting a
response. It is important to FOLLOW THE
REQUESTED FORMAT and submit the requested
information

Suppliers should provide as much detail as
necessary in each of these sections as this is
the only information evaluators can use to
rate/score proposals. Proposals may be
eliminated if there is insufficient detail provided
for evaluation

Elements of a RFP - continued
Evaluation this area provides detail on how
proposals will be rated/evaluated. This section
enables suppliers to determine the importance of
each criteria. Although each section should be
thoroughly addressed, it is recommended that the
greatest effort be applied to the highest rated
criteria

Typically only the highest scoring proposals are
short-listed

Short-listed proposals may require Reference
Checks, Presentations or Interviews. Details are
always outlined in the RFP document
Elements of a RFP - continued
Contractual agreement the
highest scoring proposal is typically
chosen as the successful/preferred
supplier

The successful/preferred supplier
will be expected to negotiate the
final details of the agreement with
the department
Elements of a RFP - continued
Period of Agreement this area
covers the term of the agreement
and any options for extensions that
may be included in the agreement
which require negotiation and
agreement between all parties

Elements of a RFP - continued
Terms and Conditions this area
contains terms and conditions that
will apply to both the competition
itself and any resulting agreement.
Read these clauses carefully.

Any deviations or exceptions must
be outlined in your response
Elements of a RFP - continued
Quote Sheet most RFPs contain an
Appendix titled Quote Sheet. Suppliers
are required to provide details on all costs
associated with completing the project
Costs may be fixed price or they may be
time and material. It is important to
provide pricing in the format requested
It is also important to SIGN the Quote
Sheet. Please Note: Pricing is always in
Canadian Funds
Debriefings
After the award of the contract Suppliers
(successful and unsuccessful) may ask for
a debriefing to get an assessment of their
proposal

The debriefing not only provides suppliers
with an understanding of how their
proposal rated in the evaluation, but may
also assist in preparing responses for
future RFP's