Why Do I Need an RFP Team?
A great way to increase your company’s business is to submit a bid in response to a request for proposal (RFP). These requests are most often put out by federal, state, or city government agencies. Winning a bid requires a professional and detailed approach to meeting all the requirements. The best way to achieve this is through an RFP team that allows for diverse backgrounds and experiences with multiple resources to help create that winning bid!
Explaining an RFP Team
An RFP team is a group of professionals who work together to create and submit a proposal in response to a government solicitation. Teams are typically made up of a proposal manager, writers, editors and a graphics professional. Other contributors sometimes include subject matter experts and reviewers. Depending on the scale of the effort, RFP teams can be internal or outsourced.
Picking the Right RFP
The majority of requests for proposals are put out by the federal, state, county, and city governments. They can consist of almost anything from services such as waste management, to office supplies. Almost everything governments purchase is by formal solicitation or bid. There are literally thousands at any given time. The key is finding the right opportunity that fits into your organization’s area of expertise or product offered. There are both public and private databases and search services that can be used to find them. Each government entity has an accessible list of its current offerings. In addition, there are resources such as SAM.gov and Bid Banana, which allow you to search for opportunities using a variety of criteria.
Obtaining an RFP Team: Internal or Outsourced
Large organizations that regularly pursue government business often have a dedicated internal RFP team. They have the resources and economy of scale that make this the best option. Sometimes even large companies have allocated all of their resources and may have the need for outside assistance. In contrast, small to medium-sized businesses may not benefit from an inside approach. In this case, outsourcing a professional RFP team is a better choice. Optimally, the right outsourced team can save you time and money, as well as give you a better chance of winning the contract. This can sometimes also be the case for larger businesses in a particularly busy time. Outsourced providers provide a wide range of options from taking on almost all of the process to helping with specific areas needed.
Assembling Your RFP Team
Structure your team based on your expected needs. Decide what the RFP team should look like for your organization then plan your proposal process. Pick the roles for your team according to your team and proposal process. Your team and process need to be flexible as you gain experience and grow. Make sure to hold a kickoff meeting with all team members at the start of each effort and incorporate ideas as possible.
Taking Stock of Existing Resources
So you may be asking yourself if you can use existing resources to make up an RFP team. You may have current employees that can fill the proposal team positions, but there are several considerations. First, do they have the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the bill? Secondly, do they have the time to dedicate to writing a proposal? Finally, is it financially feasible to utilize them to work on this task as opposed to their regular duties? The answer to the original question depends on your particular situation and is different from company to company. The majority of the time this is a bigger challenge for smaller companies than it is for larger ones.
Tying Things Together
There are many factors to consider throughout the process of identifying and pursuing the right solicitation. So, working collaboratively with your RFP team and having the right resources and team to meet the deadline for a winning proposal is key! However, we’ve got some tips for you as you set your sights on what is best for your organization:
- Allocate your resources and reallocate as needed
- Ask questions when necessary
- Be flexible
- Identify what makes you the best bidder and highlight it in the RFP appropriately
- Keep a close eye on all important dates and deadlines including meetings and submissions
- Make sure you understand and meet all requirements fully
- Pay attention to the details
- Plan your schedule based on the deadlines with room for delays
You Don’t Have to Assemble an RFP Team Alone
Assembling a team that works together isn’t as easy as you’d think. At The Bid Lab, we already have a core team of writers, designers, editors, and managers ready to help you with bids in a diverse range of industries. Education? Check. Marketing? Check. Risk Management? Of course! So, when you’re ready to make your response the best it can be, reach out to us! We’ve also got the user-friendly RFP search engine Bid Banana to help you find bids, and a crack team of experts to help you manage the process. So, to see how our team can help your team, contact us today. Reach out for a free consultation by calling 1-844-4BIDLAB or emailing respond@thebidlab.com.
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