What Is in an RFP?
Almost every RFP contains the same six things: background, a scope of work, format and submission rules, a question period, evaluation criteria, and required forms. Here's what each section contains, what to check first in each, and how the federal Section A-M structure maps onto it.
Almost every RFP contains the same six things: background on the issuing organization, a scope of work describing what it needs, proposal format and submission rules, a question or pre-bid period, the evaluation criteria used to score responses, and a stack of required forms and certifications. The order and the names change from issuer to issuer. The substance rarely does. Knowing which section answers which question is what turns a hundred-page document into a two-hour bid or no-bid decision.
A simple example: a city needs its website redesigned. The RFP explains what the city does and who its residents are, describes the features and accessibility standards the new site must meet, states a budget range, sets a deadline, tells web design firms exactly how to submit, and lists how proposals will be scored. Everything a bidder needs is in there. The difficulty is finding it. For the bigger picture of why organizations issue an RFP at all, start there and come back.
What Does Each Section of an RFP Contain?
| Section | What the issuer puts there | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Background / introduction | Who the organization is, why the project exists, sometimes the budget range | Whether the stated pain point is one you can actually solve |
| Scope of work | The detailed requirements, deliverables, milestones and standards | Any requirement you cannot meet - this is where no-bid decisions get made |
| Proposal format | Page limits, required sections and order, fonts, file naming, delivery method | Whether the format rules are mandatory and what happens if you miss one |
| Questions / pre-bid | The window for written questions and any mandatory conference or site visit | Whether attendance is mandatory, and the question deadline |
| Evaluation criteria | The factors and weights used to score proposals | How much weight is price and how much is everything else |
| Forms and certifications | Signature pages, insurance, tax and ownership disclosures, bonds | Anything requiring a notary, a bond or a third party - these take real time |
What Is the Scope of Work?
The heart of the document, and the section to read first. The scope of work states exactly what product, service or outcome the issuer requires, along with the deliverables, timeline and standards attached to it. It is also the section that defines the contract you would be signing, so a requirement you skim past now becomes an obligation later. Read it as a checklist against your own capability, and if you are on the issuing side, see our guide to writing a scope of work.
How Do Proposal Format Rules Affect Your Bid?
More than most bidders expect. Format rules exist so evaluators can find comparable information in every submission, which means they tend to be enforced literally: exceed a page limit or omit a required tab and a proposal can be ruled non-responsive before anyone reads the substance. The rules also cover mechanics - where to send it, who the point of contact is, whether copies are digital or physical, and whether original signatures are required. Building a compliance matrix from these rules before you write is the cheapest insurance in bidding.
Ready to win? Start searching.Find RFPs nowWhat Is the Q&A or Pre-Bid Period?
A fixed window in which interested bidders submit written questions, and sometimes attend a conference or site visit. Two things make it matter. First, it is normally the only sanctioned route to clarify an ambiguity, and answers are issued to all bidders as a written addendum that becomes part of the RFP. Second, attendance at a pre-bid conference is occasionally mandatory - miss it and you are ineligible, no matter how good your proposal would have been.
How Do Evaluation Criteria Work?
The evaluation section states the factors used to score proposals and, in public bids, usually their relative weight. Federal solicitations are required to identify evaluation factors and their relative importance under FAR 15.304. Treat that section as the grading rubric it is: write to the factors in the order and language they use, and before you submit, score your own draft against them. If technical approach carries more weight than price, a cheaper proposal that skimps on approach is the one that loses.
Do Federal RFPs Use a Standard Structure?
Yes. Federal solicitations issued under the uniform contract format run from Section A to Section M, and once you know the letters you can navigate any of them in minutes.
| Section | Contents | Why bidders care |
|---|---|---|
| A-B | Solicitation form; supplies or services and prices | Where your pricing goes |
| C | Description, specifications, statement of work | The requirements themselves |
| D-G | Packaging, inspection, deliveries, contract administration | How performance is judged and paid |
| H-I | Special requirements and contract clauses | Terms you inherit on award |
| J | List of attachments | Forms, drawings and exhibits you must return |
| K | Representations and certifications | Your size status, ownership and compliance statements |
| L | Instructions, conditions and notices to offerors | The format and submission rules |
| M | Evaluation factors for award | How you will be scored |
State, county and school district RFPs rarely use these letters, but almost all of them contain the same categories under different names. Sections L and M - instructions and evaluation - are the two most bidders should read before anything else.
What Forms and Certifications Get Attached?
Government bids in particular carry a long tail of required paperwork: signature and addendum acknowledgment pages, insurance certificates, tax forms, ownership and conflict-of-interest disclosures, non-collusion affidavits, and sometimes bid bonds. None of it is difficult, but several items depend on a third party - an insurer, a notary, a surety - and that is what turns a forgotten form into a missed deadline. Inventory them the day you decide to bid.
What Happens After the RFP Is Submitted?
The issuer reviews proposals against its published criteria much as it would review job applications, then awards to the bidder that best meets the requirements - the closing stage of the request for proposal process. Awards can take a few days or several months, and public results are normally announced publicly. If you lose a public bid, you can usually request a debrief, and if something in the process looks improper there is a formal route: our guide to filing a GAO bid protest covers the deadlines and what protests realistically achieve. Either way, ask for the feedback - the scoring notes are the cheapest bid coaching you will ever get.
See It in a Real Bid
Section names make far more sense next to an actual solicitation. Open a live RFP, find the scope of work and the evaluation criteria, and the structure stops being abstract. Search open bids on Bid Banana.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in an RFP?▼
Nearly every RFP includes six elements: background on the issuing organization, a scope of work detailing requirements and deliverables, proposal format and submission rules, a question or pre-bid period, the evaluation criteria used to score responses, and required forms and certifications. Names and order vary by issuer, but the substance is consistent.
What is the most important section of an RFP?▼
The scope of work, closely followed by the evaluation criteria. The scope tells you exactly what is required and whether you can deliver it, making it where most bid or no-bid decisions get made. The evaluation criteria function as the grading rubric, showing how much weight goes to price versus technical approach and experience.
What are Sections L and M in a federal RFP?▼
In the federal uniform contract format, Section L contains instructions, conditions and notices to offerors - the format and submission rules - while Section M lists the evaluation factors for award. Together they tell you how to write the proposal and how it will be scored, which is why experienced bidders read them before anything else.
What forms are required with an RFP response?▼
Typically signature and addendum acknowledgment pages, insurance certificates, tax forms, ownership and conflict-of-interest disclosures, non-collusion affidavits, and sometimes a bid bond. Several depend on third parties such as insurers, notaries or sureties, so they should be inventoried the day you decide to bid rather than the week it is due.
How long does it take to hear back after submitting an RFP?▼
Anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on the size of the contract and how many proposals were received. Public agencies normally announce awards publicly and will provide a debrief on request, and those scoring notes are the most useful feedback a losing bidder can get for sharpening the next response.