Category Archives: Government RFPs And Proposal Writing

Federal RFPs – Anatomy of a Federal Request for Proposals

At the state and local level, government RFPs can vary immensely in size, structure and content. Experience with one local agency’s RFP format and bidding process might not necessarily help a contractor navigate another agency’s RFP. Thanks to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), however, the same cannot be said of federal RFPs. In fact, part 15 of the FAR dictates a uniform federal RFP format for most federal contracts.

Anatomy of a Federal RFP

Like most government documents, a federal RFP tends to be thick and full of difficult-to-understand, bureaucratic language. Understanding the format of a federal RFP can make bidding on federal contracts much easier. It gives you a good sense of where to look in the RFP document for specific requirements, and if you’re having trouble deciphering the government-speak, it helps to know what the section that’s giving you trouble is all about.

Unfortunately, the FAR is just as hard to read – if not harder – than a standard federal RFP. It’s a document designed to lay out regulations in no uncertain terms, and is heavy with legal language. This is a good thing for contract lawyers, and for the federal government, but for a contractor trying to decipher a federal RFP, the FAR can be a confusing and frustrating read.

To help combat that confusion, Onvia has put together a complimentary whitepaper on the basic anatomy of a federal RFP. We walk you through the uniform federal RFP format from start to finish, breaking down each section’s requirements into easy-to-read language. Refer back to this walkthrough as you prepare your proposal – it will clue you in on where to look for requirements such as pricing format, statement of work, and more.

Complimentary download: Anatomy of an RFP

Federal Government Contracts, Government RFPs And Proposal Writing Post a comment

Using a Proposal Writing Service for Government RFPs

We’ve covered how to write a winning government proposal pretty extensively in earlier posts. However, a government proposal is a complex and time-consuming document to prepare. For businesses without much government contracting experience, it can be difficult to even know where to begin when it comes to writing a government proposal, let alone knowing whether or not you’re doing it at all well. Some companies may not have the personnel or resources to spare to craft a quality government proposal – and in this economy, hiring a full-time employee to write your proposals is beyond most companies’ reach. If you’re in that boat, consider enlisting the help of a professional proposal writing service. Read more…

Government RFPs And Proposal Writing 2 Comments

Government Bid Strategy: Success Metrics

What’s Your Government Bid Strategy?

A lot of businesses enter the government contracting arena with the expectation of the “$1000 mousetrap” – that is, the idea that government work is a cash cow that can be milked by exorbitant over-pricing. They are often given a rude awakening when they find that profit margins on government contracts are often quite slim, and may have a cap as low as 10%. In a slow economy or a competitive industry, bidding wars drive prices and profit margins to new lows. With this kind of bid environment it becomes more and more important to track your government bid efforts, your successes and your failures, in order to run the tightest ship possible. Read more…

Government RFPs And Proposal Writing 3 Comments

The Red Team and the 5 Cs of Proposal Review

Writing your government proposal may not feel much like writing a novel or newspaper article, but one adage remains true for just about every kind of writing imaginable: it’s almost impossible to properly edit your own writing. You’ve spent so much time on the project, it’s difficult to separate what you mean to say from what you’ve actually said, and spotting inconsistencies can be tough. This is just one of the motivations behind forming a proposal review team, commonly known as a “red team.” Read more…

Government RFPs And Proposal Writing Post a comment

Your First Government RFP Response

I frequently get calls from contractors who are interested in contracting with the government, but don’t know where to start. Many contractors worry that their lack of experience with government contracts could keep them from ever breaking into public-sector work. It’s true that performance on past government projects is often considered in a contract award, but a government RFP response from a company with no prior government experience won’t necessarily be disqualified as long as they can demonstrate relevant experience in the private sector. Read more…

Government RFPs And Proposal Writing 2 Comments