Glossary term
RFP (Request for Proposal)
A formal solicitation inviting contractors to submit detailed technical, management, and price proposals.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is the primary solicitation vehicle for negotiated procurements (FAR Part 15). RFPs include Section L (Instructions to Offerors), Section M (Evaluation Factors), a Statement of Work or Performance Work Statement, and contract clauses. Bidders submit written proposals that are evaluated against the Section M criteria. Contrast with RFQ (Request for Quotation) and IFB (Invitation for Bid) which are used for simplified and sealed-bid acquisitions respectively.
Categories
- solicitation
- proposal
Related terms
- Request for Quotation (RFQ)A solicitation asking vendors to quote prices, typically used in simplified acquisitions.
- Request for Information (RFI)A market research notice asking industry for information; it is not a solicitation and no award results from it.
- Section LThe "Instructions to Offerors" section of an RFP that prescribes proposal format, content, and submission rules.
- Section MThe "Evaluation Factors for Award" section of an RFP that specifies how proposals will be scored.