Robin Ritchey

RTI International

Use the Request for Proposal (RFP) as a tool to write a winning proposal

Develop and present a winning strategy

Make it easy for evaluators to score your proposal with high marks

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Ensure federal or state governments spend your tax dollars according to acquisition regulations

Establish standard guidelines to ensure free and open competition

Communicate client needs and requirements

Provide instructions to potential offerors

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RFP Customer

Needs

Your

Capabilities

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Government Need

Source Selection

Authority

(SSA) Established

SSA Writes Evaluation

Criteria/Draft RFP

RFP Issued

Proposals Evaluated

Competitive Range

Established

Questions/

Negotiations

Final Proposal

Revision

Contract Award

Amendment(s)

Debriefing Preproposal

Conference

Proposals Received

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Government writes RFP Government review

process/questions

Final

nego-

tiations/

award

RFP

Issued

Proposal

Due

3–6 months

1 week-

1 month

1–3 months 1 mo.

Procurement Timeline

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Section B: Pricing

Section C: Statement of Work (SOW)

Section L: Instructions

Section M: Evaluation Criteria

Also F (Deliverables), H (Special Contract Requirements), K (Representations and Certifications) and J (Attachments)

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Type of contract

◦ Amount of risk Government is willing to take (e.g. Cost reimbursement; Cost Plus Fixed Fee; Cost Plus Award Fee; Fixed Price)

Duration of contract

◦ Often base year + options; gives specific dates

Format to submit pricing (generally by task by year), caps, allowable/unallowable

◦ If pricing forms are provided, use them!

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Provides a detailed explanation of the work required by our clients

Gives context/background to the work

Identifies major capabilities needed to carry out work

Describes the order of work to be accomplished (i.e., tasks)

May be (intentionally) vague

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Specifies the organization of the proposal

Drives technical and business proposal outlines

Describes past performance instructions (e.g., types, #, date of projects)

Specifies format of the proposal (e.g., page length, font size)

Provides delivery information

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Criteria Points

Understanding the Problem 15

Technical Approach 35

Management Plan, Corporate Capabilities 25

Personnel 25

Possible technical score (Competitive Range) 100

Past Performance 15

Small Disadvantaged Business Participation Plan 15

Total possible points 130

Cost (realism) evaluation Subjective

“Best Value” award decision

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Section H, Special Contract Requirements

Section I, Contract Clauses

Section J, List of Attachments (SB Subcontracting Plan Format

Section K, Representations and Certifications

Section L, Instructions (pass through; Subcontracting Plan and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Participation Plan—often in Business Volume)

Section M (evaluation criteria for plans)

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Some technical experts, but not all

Did not write the RFP

Read LOTS of proposals!

Likely don’t know anything about you

“Reluctant” participants—bored and busy!

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Information is vague

Sections contradict one another

Instructions and evaluation criteria are not consistent

Pricing instructions don’t make sense

Statement of Work is incomplete

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Reread the RFP carefully

Get second (or third or fourth) opinion

Make a reasonable assumption and move forward

Consider submitting questions to Government for clarification

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When to ask

Unclear or contradictory instructions

Unclear due dates/delivery

If you can make a fair and reasonable

assumption that is in your best interest,

don’t ask the question!

When not to ask

If answers might help our competitors

If question reveals our win strategy

If you have not scrutinized the RFP carefully

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Business/RFP Match

Bid Indication

Probably Action

Similar project/ Similar market

Strong Know product, market and customer. Focus on competition.

Similar product/ New market

Caution Learn the market. Establish your company in the market before focusing on competition

New product/ Similar market

Caution Make sure you have product to meet client needs, then focus on competition.

New product/ New market

Success unlikely

Drop. Pursuit requires detailed plan, far more resources than bids above

Shipley Associates, Proposal Guide, p 19

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“When writing a proposal, writing is the last thing you should do.”

--Pugh and Bacon, Powerful Proposals, 2005, pg 9

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Talk with client--understand their needs

Analyze your competition

Assemble your “A Team”

Set price target first (market driven), then design your approach (technical and management, including personnel)

Estimate cost of your design; close gap to reach price target

Ask others to critically review your win strategy

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Client Needs Unique Features of Your Approach

Proof or Example

Reduce cost E-entry® order entry software

Reduced order handling cost 30% on similar project

Expertise to support changes

In house experts in relevant fields

“Measles chart” listing experts/fields

On time performance

Contractor, client access to project dashboard

Current client quote; Offer to increase $ penalty if late

Ask yourself, “Is it Clear? Concise?

Credible? Compelling?”

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1. Be fully compliant with all sections of the RFP; “ante to get in the game”

o Evaluator checklist based on L and M

2. Differentiate yourself from competition in ways that matter to client

o Evaluators can easily cut and paste “why you” statements, with proof, into their score sheet to justify giving you high marks

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Proposal Compliance Matrix

RFP Ref Description

Proposal Location

C.1 Task 1: Management 1.1

C.1.1 Post award conference: Within the first week after contract award…

1.1.1

C.1.2 Schedules: The contractor shall… 1.1.2

L.1 Technical Approach Chpt. 1

L.1.1 Task 1: Management 1.1

M.1 Quality of Technical Approach Chpt. 1

M.2 Project Management 1.1

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Our E-entry® software will reduce your

cost.

Is it Clear? Concise? Credible? Compelling?

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Our E-entry® software will reduce your cost.

The intuitive, graphical user interface of

our E-entry ® software can reduce your

training time from 4 hours to 1 hour.

Is it Clear? Concise? Credible? Compelling?

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Our E-entry® software will reduce your cost.

The intuitive, graphical user interface of our E-entry ® software can reduce your training time from 4 hours to 1 hour.

Reduce your training time from four hours

to one hour due to the intuitive, graphical

user interface of our e-Entry ® software.

Is it Clear? Concise? Credible? Compelling?

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Cost Control: Outstanding

RTI has taken our budget challenges seriously

and has taken appropriate steps to reduce costs

and monitor spending while remaining flexible in

an ever-changing Federal budget climate.”

<client> report on RTI’s performance, Jan, 2012

On-time performance We submitted100% of your required

reports (50+) on time using same project

management system we propose for the

Improved Order Entry project.

“Proposals which merely offer to conduct a program in accordance with the requirements of the Government's scope of work will not be eligible for award.”

Tell them HOW you will do the work, not just what you will do.

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Poor: We offer fast, accurate assembly.

Good: To ensure fast, accurate assembly, nondestructible instructions are permanently attached beneath the instrument panel.

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State customer’s name before your name and much more often (10:1 ratio)

Active not passive voice

Use simple, straightforward language

Have someone else edit your proposal—no mistakes allowed!

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Read, and re-read the RFP delivery information; if it’s confusing, ask client

If delivering in person, visit in advance to ensure you will have access

If delivering by mail, ensure you can track package and confirm delivery

Always have a back-up plan that will meet delivery deadline—there is no room for error

Have proposal in customer’s hands 24 hours before it’s due

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Government Need

Source Selection

Authority

(SSA) Established

SSA Writes Evaluation

Criteria/Draft RFP

RFP Issued

Proposals Evaluated

Competitive Range

Established

Questions/

Negotiations

Final Proposal

Revision

Contract Award

Amendment(s)

Debriefing Preproposal

Conference

Proposals Received

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#1 reason: Non-compliant (don’t follow RFP)

Non-responsive to customer needs

Over bid the RFP’s specifications—too expensive

Bidder (or member of team) has performance problems or does not have sufficient, relevant past performance or corporate capabilities

Unprofessional in appearance—first impressions count!

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Develop win strategy that meets customer needs first; then write

Use RFP as “playbook” throughout process

Make it easy for evaluators to give high score in every section of proposal

Differentiate themselves from competition by showcasing the benefits to the customer of their unique approach

Demonstrate a fair and reasonable price

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