What is an RFP (Request for Proposal)?
What is a Request for Proposal (RFP), how the process works, how it differs from an RFQ or RFI, and how to find the right RFPs to bid on faster with RFPs.ai.
How the RFP process works
A buyer publishes scope, eligibility, evaluation criteria, and a submission deadline. Vendors review the document, decide whether to bid, then submit a written proposal covering approach, qualifications, timeline, and pricing. The buyer scores submissions against the published criteria and awards the contract, often after a Q&A period or vendor presentations.
RFP vs. RFQ vs. RFI
An RFI (Request for Information) gathers market intelligence before a buyer commits to a procurement path. An RFQ (Request for Quotation) is used when the scope is fixed and price is the main differentiator. An RFP is used when the buyer wants vendors to propose their own approach, making it the right fit for complex services, software, construction, and consulting engagements.
What a typical RFP document contains
Most RFPs include a background and objectives section, detailed scope of work, eligibility and certification requirements, evaluation criteria and weighting, submission format and deadline, and contract terms. Reading the evaluation criteria first tells you what the buyer actually values before you invest time writing.
Why finding the right RFPs is the hard part
Relevant RFPs are scattered across hundreds of federal, state, provincial, and municipal procurement portals, each with its own search and notification system. Most teams either miss opportunities outside their usual portals or waste hours triaging keyword alerts that do not match their actual capabilities.
How RFPs.ai helps
RFPs.ai indexes government procurement sources and matches opportunities to your company profile by meaning, not just keywords, so you see fewer false positives and spend more time on bids you can actually win. Browse by industry and location, or set up alerts for ongoing discovery as new opportunities are published.