A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a solicitation used in negotiated acquisition to communicate government requirements to prospective contractor and to solicit proposals. At a minimum, solicitations shall describe the Government’s requirement, anticipated terms and conditions that will apply to the contract, information required in the offeror’s proposal, and (for competitive acquisitions) the criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposal and their relative importance. FAR Subpart 15.2 “Solicitation and Receipt of Proposals and Information” is the main guidance for government solicitations and RFP’s.
An RFP should contain the following sections:
- Section A – Solicitation/Contract Form (SF-33)
- Section B – Supplies and Services and Prices/Costs
- Section C – Description/Specifications/Statement of Work
- Section D – Packaging and Marking
- Section E – Inspection and Acceptance
- Section F – Deliveries or Performance
- Section G – Contract Administration Data
- Section H – Special Contract Requirements
- Section I – Contract Clauses
- Section J – List of Attachments
- Section K – Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offeror’s
- Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offeror’s
- Section M – Evaluation Factors for Award (unnecessary for sole-source acquisitions)
Other items that are included in an RFP include:
- DD Form 254
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (top 3 levels)
- Proposal Compliance Matrix
- Model Contract
- Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) List Attachment
- Bidders Library
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires that a Department of Defense (DD) Form 254 be incorporated in each classified contract, and the National Industrial Security Operating Manual (NISPOM) (4-103a) requires that a DD 254 be issued by the government with each Invitation for Bid, Request for Proposal (RFP), or Request for Quote (ROQ). The DD Form 254 provides to the contractor (or a subcontractor) the security requirements and the classification guidance that would be necessary to perform on a classified contract.
Every acquisition program should include language in their RFP that addresses Information Assurance (IA) requirements for a contractor. These requirements should be clearly and unambiguously articulated to potential offeror’s and what is expect from them in terms of compliance and performance.
REGULATORY: “Should Cost” is a regulatory tool designed to proactively target cost reduction and drive productivity improvement into programs. [1]
AcqLinks and References:
- [1] DoD Instruction 5000.02 “Operation of the Defense Acquisition System”
- MIL-HDBK-245D DoD “Handbook for Preparation of Statement of Work”- 3 April 1996
- Template: Proposal Evaluation Plan
- Template: Source Selection Plan
- Website: FAR Subpart 12 “Acquisition of Commercial Items”
- Website: FAR Subpart 15.2 ‘Solicitation and Receipt of Proposals and Information”
- Website: Navy Contract Management Process Guide
- Website: The Association of Proposal Management Professionals
Updated: 3/29/2019