Government Services How to Respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) 2006

THE RFP PROCESS Preparing your response

What is a Request for Proposal  A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a procurement tool used to solicit proposals from suppliers for solutions to a given problem or situation  A proposal submitted in response to a RFP is a legal binding document (Contract A) and suppliers are obligated to fulfill the requirements of the RFP according to the proposed services offerings and costs provided in their proposal

Typical Steps in the RFP Process  development of the Scope of Work  development of the Proposal Response Requirements  development of the Evaluation Criteria and the methodology for evaluating proposals  release of RFP (3 weeks min.)  Supplier Conference (if required)  Last day for questions (days)

RFP Steps - continued  RFP closing date  proposal evaluation - multiple stages  approval process  agreement negotiation and signing  supplier debriefing  contract/agreement administration

Elements of a RFP  Introduction – this is a brief description of the required services or Scope of Work requirements  Project Summary/Background – this area provides a summary of the background and objectives of the project. It will describe the scope, duration, structure, deliverables and sometimes the budget for the project

Elements of a RFP - continued  Schedule of Events – this section outlines the milestones/dates for the competition and will include the RFP release date, supplier conference (if required), last day for questions, closing date and the tentative dates for evaluation completion, presentations and award date

Elements of a RFP - continued  Proposal submissions – this area indicates the number of proposals that are required to be submitted as well includes the date, time and location for receipt of responses. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be returned unopened

Elements of a RFP - continued  Inquiries – this area identifies individuals who Suppliers may contact regarding any questions about RFP. Suppliers are encouraged to contact these individuals to gain a complete understanding of the requirements. Suppliers are to submit all questions in writing. If contact is made with someone other than those listed in the RFP, the Supplier may be eliminated from the competition

Elements of a RFP - continued  Scope of Work – this section provides the detailed description of the work that will be performed by the successful supplier or details of the problem to be solved  Responses must first address any MANDATORY requirements. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement will eliminate your proposal  Remaining requirements are typically identified as rated or options. These remaining requirements will be scored according to the evaluation criteria outlined in the RFP

Elements of a RFP - continued  Proposal Response Format/Guidelines – this section outlines the format for submitting a response. It is important to FOLLOW THE REQUESTED FORMAT and submit the requested information  Suppliers should provide as much detail as necessary in each of these sections as this is the only information evaluators can use to rate/score proposals. Proposals may be eliminated if there is insufficient detail provided for evaluation

Elements of a RFP - continued  Evaluation – this area provides detail on how proposals will be rated/evaluated. This section enables suppliers to determine the importance of each criteria. Although each section should be thoroughly addressed, it is recommended that the greatest effort be applied to the highest rated criteria  Typically only the highest scoring proposals are short-listed  Short-listed proposals may require Reference Checks, Presentations or Interviews. Details are always outlined in the RFP document

Elements of a RFP - continued  Contractual agreement – the highest scoring proposal is typically chosen as the successful/preferred supplier  The successful/preferred supplier will be expected to negotiate the final details of the agreement with the department

Elements of a RFP - continued  Period of Agreement – this area covers the term of the agreement and any options for extensions that may be included in the agreement which require negotiation and agreement between all parties

Elements of a RFP - continued  Terms and Conditions – this area contains terms and conditions that will apply to both the competition itself and any resulting agreement. Read these clauses carefully.  Any deviations or exceptions must be outlined in your response

Elements of a RFP - continued  Quote Sheet – most RFP’s contain an Appendix titled “Quote Sheet”. Suppliers are required to provide details on all costs associated with completing the project  Costs may be fixed price or they may be time and material. It is important to provide pricing in the format requested  It is also important to SIGN the Quote Sheet. Please Note: Pricing is always in Canadian Funds

Debriefings  After the award of the contract Suppliers’ (successful and unsuccessful) may ask for a debriefing to get an assessment of their proposal  The debriefing not only provides suppliers with an understanding of how their proposal rated in the evaluation, but may also assist in preparing responses for future RFP's