Delaware RFPs: The Ultimate Guide to Delaware Bids
While sitting on your beautiful front porch in Delaware, sipping your ice cold glass of milk (the State’s official drink) and eating a bowl of fresh strawberries (the official fruit), you are dreaming of ways to broaden your business. Maybe you’re wondering: how can you grow your business in “The First State?” Exploring Delaware RFPs is a great way to expand your business, but submitting a bid that stands out to Delaware evaluators is not always an easy task. However, the benefits are tremendous if you are awarded that competitive contract.
How to Register as a Vendor in the State of Delaware
The Delaware Bid Solicitation Directory (https://mmp.delaware.gov/Bids/) serves as the central registration portal and offers a range of potential projects. The Delaware RFPs range from educational projects to construction projects and everything in between. There’s a wealth of information ready for first-time Delaware bidders– just check out Delaware’s page about Doing Business With the State (https://delaware.gov/topics/doingbusiness).
You can receive automatic notifications of all bid opportunities by registering with the Delaware Notification Service (https://denotificationservices.bbcportal.com/). This will allow you to stay up-to-date on all new projects for the State of Delaware when looking for the perfect opportunities to grow your business.
For even more information about registering with the state, visit Delaware’s Step by Step Registration Guide (https://dti.delaware.gov/or/BBC5/BBConnect5_Subscriber_Reference.pdf).
Where to Browse Delaware State RFPs
When you are ready to dive into the bidding process, the State of Delaware is a great place to start. All RFPs for the State of Delaware are centralized in the state’s MyMarketplace Procurement Portal (https://mymarketplace.delaware.gov/). The portal provides information on how the state buys, bids for contracts and manages procurement processes. Information is provided that can help you understand the state’s process and maximize partner efforts and results.
The Government Support Services (GSS) contracting unit within the State of Delaware manages statewide contracts for goods and services. This unit can also administer contracts for agencies. While the unit works on behalf of State agencies, it can also help with local areas of government. These areas include authorized volunteer fire companies and school districts. So, even if you are looking for a local RFP, you’ll still want to check out the state procurement portal.
Local governments also have their own websites in Delaware that highlight their current RFPs. It is well worth your time to check out your local government websites regularly to ensure you aren’t missing any potential opportunities when exploring RFPs.
How Can My Delaware RFP Stand Out?
After exploring RFPs that perfectly fit your business, you next need to craft a response to the RFP. It is important to find a way to make your business stand out from your competition. But how can you do this in the RFP process?
Highlighting a certification that your business holds in your RFP is one way to set yourself apart. In Delaware, businesses can obtain a three-year certification as a diverse and/or small business from the State. Delaware has a single application for anyone seeking to obtain a diverse and/or small business certification (source: https://business.delaware.gov/osd/certify/). After you obtain the certification, you can maintain it as long as your business status remains unchanged. But what exactly is a diverse and/or small business in Delaware?
If you are a minority, woman, veteran, or disabled business owner, you can register as a diverse business in the State of Delaware. A diverse business is one in which 51% or more of the control and ownership of the daily operations is held by minorities, women, veterans, service-disabled veterans or individuals with disabilities.
A small business certification is based on the makeup of your business. A small business is calculated based on the number of Full Time Employees averaged over a three-year period. Your gross revenue averaged over a three-year period is also calculated to determine a small business status.
Timeline for Delaware RFPs
After reviewing the Ultimate Guide to RFPs in Delaware, finding your perfect bid, determining if you have any special certifications to set you apart, and submitting a finalized RFP, what do you do next? Well, it’s a waiting game. All RFPs submitted should stand alone without any necessary additional information. As such, don’t expect to hear anything about your submitted RFP until the award.
However, please be aware that, at times, the State of Delaware may contact a bidder to request clarifying information. In the past, the State of Delaware has also requested that bidders appear personally before a panel of evaluators to provide additional information.
Get Ready to Bid in Delaware With The Bid Lab!
Now you know the benefits of exploring RFPs in Delaware and how to make your bid stand apart from your competition, what are you waiting for? Start searching today and expand your business in “The First State!” Start preparing your RFP response templates by reading up on our articles in our Learning Center. Or, if you’re looking to find the perfect RFP in the state of Delaware, check out Bid Banana, our user-friendly RFP database. Our Bid Banana Blog can help you find bids in all 50 states, including Delaware. So reach out to schedule a free consultation with us today by calling 1-844-4BIDLAB or emailing respond@thebidlab.com.
