Reading a public solicitation without missing what matters

Sources sought, RFPs and invitations for bid each ask for something different. How to read them and avoid the mistakes that get bids thrown out.

A missed requirement can disqualify an otherwise strong bid. Reading solicitations well is a skill, and it starts with knowing what kind of document you are holding.

Know the type

• A sources sought notice or request for information asks who is capable of the work. Responding helps an agency decide whether to set the work aside for small businesses, so answer them.
• An invitation for bids (IFB) is a sealed-bid procurement: the award usually goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.
• A request for proposals (RFP) is a negotiated procurement: the owner weighs technical approach, past performance and price according to the evaluation criteria it publishes.

Read the evaluation criteria first

In a federal RFP, the instructions to offerors and the evaluation factors tell you exactly how the proposal will be scored. Build your response around them, in the order they are listed, using their language.

Make a compliance checklist

List every required form, certification, bond, page limit, font requirement and deadline. Note the time zone of the deadline. Check it off before you submit.

Track amendments

Owners issue amendments or addenda that change scope, quantities or due dates. Most require you to acknowledge each one. Failing to acknowledge an amendment is one of the most common reasons bids are rejected.

Ask questions early

Most solicitations set a deadline for questions. Use it. The answers are usually published to everyone, and they often clarify scope in ways that change your price.

Attend the site visit

If there is a pre-bid meeting or site visit, go. It is the best chance to see conditions that drawings do not show and to meet the primes and subs who are bidding.