RFP Responses with Confidential or Proprietary Information

Posted by Administrator on July 10th, 2007

When it comes to writing a RFP response, some clients have expressed that they don’t wish to share detailed proprietary information within their proposals. However, keep in mind that the agencies are looking to find the best solution to their problem – and providing the agency with proprietary information in the RFP response could give them the specific details they need to award you the contract instead of the competition.

One of my clients is the Principal of a two-person marketing firm that pursues government contracts. He builds proprietary proposals with confidential information because he feels that it helps his company build a stronger case for a contract award. The proprietary information usually is built around a customized solution for the agency. This two-person marketing firm is able to compete nationally with “the big guys” in his market due to the way he approaches his proposals. He focuses on building RFP responses that are specific to the agency at hand.

Proprietary Notice in an RFP Response

If you wish to include proprietary information in your RFP response but want to make sure that none of the information in the proposal reaches outside the agency doors, consider including a Proprietary Notice in your proposal. The proprietary notice should be on a separate sheet of paper toward the beginning of an RFP response. Here’s a general idea of the type of verbiage that may be used in a proprietary notice:

“This proposal for [project name] contains confidential information on [your company name] is provided for the sole purpose of permitting the holder of this document for evaluation purposes. In the receipt of this proposal, the buyer agrees to maintain the enclosed information in confidence and to not reproduce or otherwise disclose any information to any person outside the group or team directly responsible for evaluation of its contents.”

Seeking legal advice on the best wording for the type of information you wish to share in your RFP response isn’t a bad idea – this ensures that you have your bases covered to protect your proprietary information and you can go forward with your detailed proposal.

If you’re currently searching for government bids, RFPs and quotes on your own, and you’re strapped for time to write a more detailed proposal, consider receiving notices from a government business intelligence company. You’ll get a single report of all government projects that match your business, allowing you to concentrate on your time on your proposal and business development efforts instead. Learn how you can get a free lead report of government bids, RFPs, and quotes that are specific to your line of business.

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