RFP — Request for Proposal
Also known as: RFP, negotiated solicitation
What It Is
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is the solicitation for a negotiated procurement under FAR Subpart 15.2. The government uses an RFP when award will be based on factors in addition to price — technical approach, past performance, management, and other evaluation criteria — under either a best-value tradeoff or a lowest-price technically-acceptable (LPTA) process. Offerors submit binding proposals, the government evaluates them against stated factors, may hold discussions with offerors in the competitive range, may request final proposal revisions, and then awards. RFPs are typically structured in the Uniform Contract Format and issued on Standard Form 33 (or SF 1449 for commercial items), and they carry the full stack of FAR Part 52 clauses that will govern the resulting contract.
When You See It
- On complex or service-heavy requirements where the government wants to weigh technical merit and past performance, not just price.
- On SAM.gov under the 'Solicitation' notice type, usually following a presolicitation synopsis and any RFI/Sources Sought.
- When the evaluation will use best-value tradeoff or LPTA and may include written or oral discussions before award.
Key Features
| Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Negotiated procurement (FAR 15.2) | An RFP runs under FAR Subpart 15.2 — the government may evaluate, hold discussions, request revisions, and negotiate before award. |
| Best value or LPTA | Award is based on stated evaluation factors beyond price — a best-value tradeoff, or lowest-price technically-acceptable where price drives the decision among acceptable offers. |
| Binding proposals | Proposals are offers the government can accept to form a contract — unlike RFI/Sources Sought responses or RFQ quotes. |
| Uniform Contract Format | RFPs are typically organized in the Uniform Contract Format (Sections A–M) on SF 33 or SF 1449, carrying the clauses and instructions for the buy. |
What It Means for an SDVOSB
On an SDVOSB set-aside RFP, your proposal is judged on more than price — so a smaller firm with strong, directly relevant past performance and a sharp technical approach can beat larger competitors. Read Section M (evaluation factors) and Section L (instructions) first and write to them exactly. Two SDVOSB-specific points: confirm the solicitation carries FAR 52.219-27 (the set-aside clause) and model your teaming plan against the limitations on subcontracting (FAR 52.219-14) before you commit, because the proposal you submit is the basis for the contract you will have to perform. Use the price-to-win calculator to position your pricing within the competitive range.
How to Respond
- Read Sections L (instructions) and M (evaluation factors) first, and build your proposal to address every factor in the order and format required.
- Confirm the set-aside status and the assigned NAICS code, and verify you qualify as small and are SBA VetCert certified.
- Model your teaming plan against the limitations on subcontracting before pricing, so the proposal you submit is one you can perform.
- Submit a fully compliant proposal by the deadline — non-compliant or late proposals are routinely excluded regardless of merit.
Common Pitfalls
- Writing to your strengths instead of to the Section M evaluation factors the government will actually score.
- Pricing without checking the limitations on subcontracting, then winning a contract your teaming plan can't legally perform.
- Missing a Section L instruction (page limits, format, required volumes) and being found non-compliant before the evaluation even begins.
Run the Numbers
Frequently Asked
What is the difference between an RFP and an RFQ?
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is a negotiated-procurement solicitation under FAR Subpart 15.2: offerors submit binding proposals, the government may hold discussions and negotiate, and award is based on best value or LPTA. An RFQ (Request for Quotation) is used in simplified acquisitions and against GSA Schedules; a quote is not an offer, so the government issues an order that the vendor may then accept. In short, an RFP solicits offers the government accepts; an RFQ solicits quotes the government responds to with an order.
Does the government have to negotiate with me on an RFP?
Not necessarily. FAR Subpart 15.2 permits award without discussions if the solicitation notifies offerors that the government intends to do so, in which case your initial proposal must be your best offer. When the government does open discussions, it establishes a competitive range of the most highly rated proposals and conducts discussions with those offerors, then requests final proposal revisions before award. Read the solicitation to see which path applies.
Primary Sources
- FAR Subpart 15.2 — Solicitation and Receipt of Proposals
- FAR 15.203 — Requests for proposals
- SAM.gov — Contract Opportunities
Plain-English reference, not legal advice. How a notice or solicitation is structured, and which procedures apply, is set by the specific posting, and the FAR is periodically amended — always read the actual notice and solicitation in SAM.gov and confirm its terms with the contracting officer before relying on this.
Change log (1)
- LaunchedPublished the federal solicitation & notice types reference covering the notice and solicitation types an SDVOSB encounters on SAM.gov — the Sources Sought notice, RFI, presolicitation and special notices, the Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), the combined synopsis/solicitation, the Broad Agency Announcement, the sole-source Justification, and the award notice — each with a key-features table, a how-to-respond checklist, common pitfalls, an SDVOSB-specific angle, FAQPage, Article, Dataset, and BreadcrumbList structured data, primary-source FAR citations, and cross-links into the glossary, forms reference, clauses, contract types, how-to guides, FAQ, and the set-aside eligibility, win-probability, and price-to-win calculators.