What Is a Letter of Intent to Bid?

A Letter of Intent to Bid (LOI) is a short, formal business letter a vendor sends to an RFP's procurement contact stating that it intends to submit a bid. It's usually one page, it doesn't commit you to bidding, and its practical value is twofold: it puts you on the agency's notification list for amendments and addenda, and it puts your company name in front of the procurement team before evaluation begins. Some agencies require one; even when they don't, it's often worth sending.

Why Send a Letter of Intent to Bid?

Because large procurements change. Picture responding to a federal RFP that isn't due for four weeks or more - in that window, deadlines shift, requirements get clarified, addenda get issued and scope gets amended. Each of those changes directly affects your response and the effort behind it. Being on the notification list means you learn about amendments as they happen rather than discovering them after you've built your pricing on outdated requirements.

When Is an LOI Required?

Procurement offices sometimes require an LOI to gauge interest in a solicitation. Public agencies must follow strict guidelines when spending taxpayer dollars, including demonstrating genuine competition - so they need to know a sufficient number of qualified vendors intend to respond. If interest is strong, the process continues; if too few vendors signal intent, the agency can pause and rework the solicitation rather than spend months on a competition that won't materialize.

You don't need to send one for every RFP. Reserve LOIs for large contracts, long timelines, phased procurements, and any solicitation with pre-bid conferences and Q&A periods where you can't afford to miss an update. And always send one when the RFP explicitly asks for it. Note that the LOI step belongs after your team has reviewed the solicitation and confirmed you can comply with its requirements - not before.

What Should a Letter of Intent to Bid Include?

Some agencies provide a template to fill in; otherwise you write it yourself, using standard business letter formatting. Keep it to one page and include:

• Date and recipient details - the procurement contact's name, title, agency and address exactly as listed in the solicitation.
• The solicitation identifiers - project title and RFP or solicitation number, so your letter is filed against the right procurement.
• A clear statement of intent - one or two sentences confirming your company intends to submit a bid.
• Your company and contact information - legal business name, address, and the name, phone and email of the person who should receive updates.
• A request for notifications - asking to be informed of any amendments, addenda or schedule changes before the due date.
• A signature from an authorized representative, with title.

What to leave out matters just as much: don't use the LOI to ask questions (that's what the Q&A period is for) and don't preview how you plan to respond. Keep it focused, professional and short.

Is an LOI the Same as a Statement of Intent?

The terms Letter of Intent, Statement of Intent and Statement of Interest are often used interchangeably, and agencies aren't always consistent about which they request. Use whichever label the solicitation uses. Whatever the name, the document does the same job: signal your intention to compete and get yourself on the update list.

Does an LOI Commit You to Bidding?

No. An LOI expresses intent, not obligation - you can still decide not to submit. But treat it as a professional signal rather than a casual one: if you routinely declare intent and never bid, procurement teams notice. Send it when you're serious about competing.

Looking to Stand Out?

The LOI is the easiest document in the RFP process - the hard parts come next. Brush up on the dos and don'ts of RFP cover letters and how to organize a successful executive summary, or let The Bid Lab handle the response while you run your business. Book a free consultation by calling 1-844-4BIDLAB or emailing respond@thebidlab.com.