Federal Contracting Glossary
Request for Proposal (RFP)
The formal solicitation an agency issues inviting proposals in a negotiated procurement, containing the requirement, instructions (Section L), and evaluation factors (Section M).
Definition
The Request for Proposal (RFP) is the core solicitation document of a negotiated federal procurement under FAR Part 15. Built on the Uniform Contract Format, it typically includes: the statement of work or performance work statement, the contract terms and FAR/DFARS clauses, Section L (instructions, conditions, and notices to offerors), and Section M (evaluation factors for award). RFPs range from short commercial-item solicitations to substantial documents for major systems.
Reading the RFP thoroughly — especially Sections L and M — before any drafting is the single most important step in winning. Missed Section L instructions, misread Section M factor weightings, or noncompliant formatting can render an otherwise strong proposal ineligible for award.
How this affects your proposal
Map every Section L instruction and Section M factor to your proposal. Evaluators score against exactly what Section M asks for; generic answers consistently underperform specific, structured responses that mirror the solicitation's own language.
Common questions about request for proposal (rfp)
What is the difference between an RFP and an IFB?
An RFP is used for negotiated, best-value or tradeoff procurements where factors beyond price matter. An Invitation for Bids (IFB) is used for sealed bidding where award goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder on price alone.
Are RFPs always public?
Most are posted on SAM.gov (formerly FedBizOpps) for full and open or set-aside competitions. Some order-level and limited-competition solicitations are issued only to vehicle holders or a defined group of offerors.
Related terms
Section L — Instructions to Offerors
The part of a federal solicitation that tells offerors exactly how to prepare and submi…
Evaluation Factors (Section M)
The published factors and subfactors an agency uses to evaluate proposals and select fo…
Request for Quotation (RFQ)
A solicitation requesting quotes against a defined requirement, used in simplified acqu…
Full and Open Competition
A federal procurement open to all responsible sources, where any interested offeror may…
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