RFP Module 5 cheat sheet

An RFP (request for proposal) is a formal solicitation document that states requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission rules so vendors can be compared on a common basis.

Scope of work defines deliverables, quantities, and acceptance standards; a statement of work is the contractual version binding the winning vendor to those deliverables.

Evaluation criteria must be published in the RFP and weighted before proposals arrive; changing weights or criteria after release undermines fairness and invites protests.

Mandatory (pass/fail) requirements are screened first; a proposal failing any mandatory item is disqualified regardless of technical score.

Typical weighted scoring: technical approach 40-50%, past performance 20-25%, price 20-30%, with price often scored by a ratio formula such as lowest price divided by proposed price times maximum points.

A best-and-final-offer (BAFO) round is used when proposals are close or price is negotiable; it must be offered to all vendors still in competition, not selectively.

Bid protest grounds usually center on unequal treatment, undisclosed criteria, or evaluator conflict of interest; contemporaneous evaluation records are the primary defense.

Contract type follows requirement certainty: firm-fixed-price when scope is well defined, time-and-materials or cost-reimbursable when volume or effort is uncertain.

Procurement lifecycle order: requirements definition, market research, RFP drafting, publication, Q&A period, proposal receipt, compliance screening, technical evaluation, price evaluation, negotiation/BAFO, award, debrief, contract administration.

Questions submitted during the Q&A window must be answered to all bidders simultaneously as addenda; private answers to one vendor create an unfair advantage.

Addenda issued before the closing date become part of the RFP; vendors are typically required to acknowledge each addendum in their proposal.

A two-envelope (or sealed technical/price) process keeps price sealed until technical scores are final, preventing price from biasing technical judgment.

Consensus scoring means evaluators discuss and reconcile individual scores into one team score; averaging individual sheets without discussion is a weaker, challengeable method.

Past performance evaluation checks relevance (similar scope, size, complexity) and quality (references, on-time delivery, corrective actions), not just the number of contracts listed.

A debrief tells unsuccessful vendors their weaknesses and the relative standing of their proposal; it should not disclose another vendor's proprietary or confidential data.

Award notice plus a standstill period allows unsuccessful bidders to challenge before the contract is signed, reducing the cost of reversing an award.