Use of requests for proposals (RFPs) is a common approach to soliciting proposals from potential contractors. The length and depth of the RFP will be tied to the size and complexity of the proposed effort. Small, routine efforts can be handled with short RFPs of one or two pages length, while large, complex undertakings (e.g., building a weapons system) might require RFPs that are half a foot thick.

When potential contractors submit proposals in response to the RFP, there is plenty of room to negotiate things like details of the work to be done, promise dates for critical deliverables, and project price. Once these items have been agreed to, a contract can be written capturing the agreement.

Invitation for bids (IFBs) entail soliciting proposals that are submitted as sealed bids and opened publicly at a bid-opening session

In contrast to RFPs, the proposal contained in the sealed bid represents the contractor’s best and final offer. In such circumstances, the contract is typically awarded to the low bidder.

Assignment

1. Write an RFP

Using the Statement of Work created for the office relocation project (Assignment 1), write a brief RFP, soliciting proposals from potential contractors. For guidance on what a basic RFP should contain, look at the outline of an RFP contained in the Chen/Frame text (Principles of Contracting for Project Management), pp 46-49. A shorter outline appears in Module 3, p 23. To see a real world example of an RFP, review the reading titled “NIDA RFP.”

Your RFP should be no longer than five pages long. On your RFP, please include a cover page and table of contents – these two pages are not included in the page count mentioned above.

2. The IFB

Describe how you would need to adjust your RFP to convert it into an IFB (it is not necessary to rewrite it as an IFB). Why are these adjustments necessary?

Your answer to this part of the assignment should be no longer than one page.