The first thing to realize when you read the U.S. Federal Government RFP is, you don’t have to read the whole thing!

It’s easy to feel intimidated by a RFP that is hundreds (or even thousands) of pages long. But when you know how to read the RFP, it’s not that bad.

The format for most government RFPs is in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). As per FAR, the Government RFPs is into sections, viz. A to M. Each of these sections has a specific purpose and contain certain information. However, only a few of these sections relate to what to offer and how to prepare your proposal. The key sections to focus on are: 

• Section L – This section is where you will find the instructions for formatting, organizing, and submitting your proposal. This will tell the size and complexity  of your proposal, and about your high-level outline. If you’re wondering what’s going to be in the process of preparing the proposal, this is where you should start.

• Section M – In Section M you will find the criteria and the scoring system to know whether or not your proposal win. This section tells you how to write your proposal to maximize your score, as opposed to what to put in it. Once you have read Section L and know what to do with your proposal, read Section M to find out what you need to do to win.

• Section C – This is where they say what they want you to propose (often called the “Statement of Work”). It tells you what you need to offer, but it’s the combination of Sections L and M that tells you what to write about in the proposal.

• Section B – Section B is where you are shown how to format your pricing and what the contract type is. The same thing delivered as fixed price units vs time and material service has an impact on how you do something, which has an impact on what you say in the proposal. It may also have an impact on your profitability. Some people will first want to read Section B, especially those involved in making bid / no-bid decisions.

• Section J. – Sometimes, important things (such as the Statement of Work) are hidden in Section J attachments.

Other Things to Look: 

It is not to say that the other sections are not necessary. Contract terms and conditions may not be exciting, but they may have a major impact on your proposal. You can read a description of the other sections of the RFP here. Some may have things you need to respond to, like Section K, where you put the “Certifications and Representations” (where you may have to “Certify” or “Represent” things like whether you’re a U.S. firm, a minority firm that you haven’t defaulted on previous contracts, etc.). But the others are part of the legal form or contract boilerplate, and you’re not going to have to read them the same way you’re going to read the Statement of Work and Evaluation Criteria.

What’s Next: 

The best way to read the Government RFP is not to read it sequentially from the beginning to the end of the way you would have a book. Instead, look at Section A (usually the cover page) first. The due date is shown in the box on this page. Now you know how much time you’ve got to prepare your response. Next, jump to Section L and focus on how they want the proposal to be organized.

Whether you think it makes sense or not, you must follow their outline. Then go to Section M and find out how you’re going to score and what they think is important. Now go back to Section C and find out what you’re proposing to do or supply. To really understand how and what to offer, you’re also going to need to look at Section B, so you can see if they want it priced hourly, in fixed-price units, or in some other way.

Keep in mind that how you submit a proposal will be bound by the instructions in Section L and how you will be scored is in Section M. Section C may take 50 pages of the RFP to describe something that is only 10% of the score, and only 5 pages to describe something that is 50% of your score. Read Section C with the assessment criteria in mind.

Here are some additional things to look for: 

• When reading Section L: Look for instructions on how to count page, layout page (margins, fonts, page sizes), submission method, and outline / content.

• Read Section M: look for score method, score weighting, evaluation process, past performance approach, and “best value” terminology.
• When reading Section C: Look for requirements, contradictions (between requirements as well as Section L and Section M), feasibility, and opportunities for differentiation between you and your competitors.
• When reading Section B: Look for correspondence with the requirements and evaluation criteria.

While you don’t have to read it all at first, you really should read the entire RFP at some point, because sometimes you find something important to hide in those other sections (maybe insurance requirements, delivery schedules, etc.). Once you’ve read a couple of government RFPs, you’ll be able to do it quickly, because you’ll know where to skim and where to focus.

Different authors often write various sections of the RFP, and boilerplates without  review. Don’t be surprised to find contradictions and ambiguity. Ask questions (you should find a time limit for them in Section L). Sometimes the interaction between the different sections can provide valuable insight into what they have in mind. Make sure you follow the letter and give the potential customer what they want instead of what you wish for them.

This blog was written by Linda Rawson, who is the founder of DynaGrace Enterprises (dynagrace.com) and the inventor of WeatherEgg (weatheregg.com). She, along with her daughter, Jennifer Remund make up the mother-daughter duo of 2BizChicks (2Bizchicks.com).  For further information, please connect with Linda on LinkedIn, or contact her at (800) 676-0058 ext 101.

Please reach out to us at GovCon-Biz should you have any questions.