Solicitation Types

Several different solicitations are released for contract opportunities. We will go over a few different ways the federal government looks to research information and receive bids.

All of these can be found on SAM.gov or other federal procurement databases that house solicitations or are posting future acquisitions.

Request for Information (RFI)

A contracting officer will usually issue a request for information (RFI) for an actual proposal. These are more often found within the notes types of Sources Sought or Special Notices. This is considered a market research tool for the federal government.

An RFI is used to see how interested a vendor is in bidding on a future proposal and is often used to see how many vendors are interested. Those that reply are counted and if there are set-asides, those will be used in determining whether or not a solicitation should be released for specific small business concerns or not.

RFIs can also be used to request more information as a potential bidder or to provide information that could make the future solicitation’s scope of work better than what was originally written.

What can come next after an RFI are quotes, proposals, or other bid requests.

Requests for Quotation (RFQ)

A request for quote (RFQ) is used when a contracting officer is looking for vendors to bid on providing products or services.

RFQs usually are more defined by price and involve pricing line items and providing that information within their proposal. These will often ask for the delivery and other item or service costs to be added to the proposal.

Usually, a solicitation will be released with information on the item or services that are being requested. Sometimes the quote will be detailed or something they will not give enough detail, and will want the vendor to go to a site visit.

Often, RFQs will be chosen based on the lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA). This means they will grade them by price and the ability to complete what is needed at a base level. This is not always the case, and even with solicitations that say they will be using LPTA, they will frequently add in a stipulation that they reserve the right to choose anyone that is not the lowest and they can choose based on who will provide the best quality.

Invitation for Bids (IFBs)

An invitation for bid (IFB) also known as an invitation to bid (ITB) is an invitation to contractors to provide products or services.

An IFB is very similar to an RFQ in that it will be short and more focused on pricing. Like RFQs, the idea of the LPTA is what will be the main driving force for these solicitations.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A request for proposal (RFP) is one of the more detailed offers a vendor can bid on. While they may be looking for a product or service, they will also provide more detailed information on what they are looking for within this purchase.

RFPs are usually more exact and require a vendor to respond with detailed information that provides insight into their strategy and other business objectives.