Basic Terms and Concepts
Definitions, glossaries and beginner-friendly explanations of essential RFP proposal terms and basic contracting and bidding concepts.
What Are Grant Writing Services?
Grant writing services handle funding research, proposal writing, budget development and submission compliance. Here's what they include, how to tell whether your organization is ready, and when writing it yourself makes more sense.
Grant Applications vs. RFPs: Writing Differences Explained
Grant applications and RFP responses share a persuasive goal but differ in tone, structure and evaluation. Here's a side-by-side comparison, the sections each requires, and what both reward.
RFP Glossary Guide to Bids and Proposals
We’ve introduced you to our previous Request for Proposals (RFP) glossary guide of terms associated with bidding for government, private, and non-profit contract opportunities. But if you find yourself still scratching your head about bids, RFPs, and procurement definitions, then you’re in luck. The Bid Lab’s all-new glossary covers much more than just the industry…
Why Do I Need an RFP? Here’s How RFPs Impact Daily Life
RFPs are essential to showcase public project goals and vendor choices, including benchmarks for project success and budget management. RFPs might initially sound intimidating, but projects allow organizations to fund new projects, find goals, and secure opportunities that might not otherwise be readily available. Government agencies, local businesses, and counties actively use RFPs to construct…
Bid Define: What is a Bid?
A bid is a proposal a vendor submits in response to a buyer's request - an offer to deliver specified goods or services at a stated price. Here's how bids work across RFPs, RFQs, RFIs and ITBs, what a scope of work commits you to, and what separates winning bids from the pile.
RFQ Meaning: What Is an RFQ?
RFQ stands for Request for Quotes - the document buyers issue when they know exactly what they need and want competing prices for it. Here's when RFQs are used, how they differ from RFPs and how to respond with the precision that wins them.
RFI Meaning: What Is an RFI?
RFI stands for Request for Information - the document buyers issue early in procurement to survey the market before deciding what to buy. Here's what RFIs contain, where they fit alongside RFPs and RFQs, and why smart vendors treat them as the competition before the competition.
RFP Meaning: What Is an RFP?
RFP stands for Request for Proposals - a document an organization issues to describe a need, invite vendors to propose solutions and explain how proposals will be judged. Here's what RFPs contain, how they differ from RFQs and RFIs, and what happens after one is issued.
What Are Tender Writing Services?
The word “writing” can evoke many images: children learning the shape of letters, recipients filling out thank you cards, or students typing essays into the soft glow of their laptop screens. These scenarios could all be termed “writing” if we define it as bringing language to a blank canvas. Anyone can learn to write, but…
Breaking Down Business Writing and Proposal Writing
We all know what good writing is. It’s the novel we can’t put down, the poem we never forget, and the speech that stays with us forever. Good business writing is the memo that gets action. It’s also the report summarizing new knowledge and the company presentation that inspires a new policy. In this article,…
RFPs vs. RFIs: What’s The Difference?
The world of bidding on government projects can seem daunting! For one thing, there are a myriad of bid document types, and to make things worse, similar or identical document types often have different names or abbreviations, depending on the preferences of the entity that issued them. We’ll break down the differences for you in our latest article.
What Is an RFP?
How do you begin to understand a complex document like a Request for Proposal (RFP)? Do you immediately jump online and search the term? Do you ask colleagues if they have any past experience working with RFPs? Or, do you break down at your desk, move the RFP to the side, and quickly move on…
Public vs. Private: Compliance
If your business responds to RFPs in the public or private sector markets, “compliance” is not an unfamiliar term to you. But, while it may have familiarity, it can also be intimidating. Especially in the public sector, you must meet every compliance requirement. If not, you’re bound to be removed from the pile of contending…
Request for Information: When Agencies Need RFIs
Among the many “request for” documents organizations may issue or respond to is the Request for Information (RFI). It’s used when an agency has limited knowledge about the scope of work needed to fulfill a pending project. As part of an information-gathering process, agencies will issue the RFI first as it also helps them identify…
What Is a Letter of Intent to Bid?
A Letter of Intent to Bid is a one-page letter telling an agency you plan to submit a bid - and getting you on their list for amendments and addenda. Here's exactly what to include, what to leave out, and when it's worth sending.
Invitation for Bid: You Just Received an IFB, Now What?
An IFB just landed in your inbox. Here's the vendor-side walkthrough: making the bid/no-bid call, replying to the agency, pricing for a multi-year term, submitting an error-free response and following up for feedback.
RFP Proposal Response Template For Bids
An RFP response template is a living library of the sections every proposal needs - company story, personnel bios, org chart, references and standard answers - ready to tailor to each bid. Here's what belongs in yours and how it cuts response time without the boilerplate smell.
What Are Open Records?
When responding to or following up on RFPs, it can be helpful to have access to publicly available information that pertains to the proposal. The Bid Lab has helped our clients readily obtain the relevant information by working to retrieve the document in scope. Sometimes these documents are publicly available and just difficult to locate….
How Proposal Writing Differs From Technical Writing
If you’re in a position that requires you to write regularly, you’ve probably mastered the craft of technical writing. The main characteristics of technical writing are clarity and accuracy. Its purpose is to describe, which helps people understand and execute tasks. Most of what we do in the business world on a daily basis is…
Consider This Your RFP Industry Glossary
Introducing The Bid Lab’s RFP Industry Glossary Whether you’re new or experienced at creating Requests for Proposals (RFP), the industry terms used during the bidding process can be overwhelming. All industries have their own unique vernacular. Often, the language an issuer uses in an RFP can be determined by industry expectations and personal preferences alike. The…
What Is an Invitation to Bid?
An Invitation to Bid (ITB or IFB) is a solicitation buyers issue when they know exactly what they need and want the best price for it. Here's how ITBs differ from RFPs, why they dominate construction and public works, and the three disciplines that win them.
What Is the Request for Proposal Process?
Perhaps you’ve heard the term in passing. Or, maybe you’ve read the acronym “RFP” and wondered what it meant (psst– it means “Request for Proposal”). But whether you work for a large corporation or your own small business, knowing how to market goods and services is vital. So, learning the ins and outs of the…
IFBs and RFPs Explained
IFB or RFP? The difference comes down to how much the buyer already knows. Here's a side-by-side comparison, a worked example of when each applies, and how both fit alongside RFIs and RFQs.
What Is in an RFP?
A Request for Proposal, or RFP, is by far the most common way for the government – and some private companies – to acquire goods and services. When an organization needs a product or service, they may write up and publish an RFP, and ask for qualified vendors to apply in a specified way. Simply put, it’s a document that lays out an organization’s needs and asks for solutions from applicants, who are applying to win the right to complete the project.
Public RFPs vs. Private RFPs: What’s the Difference?
Bidding on government and private sector RFPs can be very different experiences for you and your business. Generally speaking, this is largely due to the varying objectives and regulatory requirements of public organizations versus those of private companies. While profit is usually the sole motivation of a private business, public entities have myriad factors to consider.