How Engagements Work

Scoped to your bid.

Every engagement starts with a written estimate built from the solicitation itself. We take on a few must-win bids a year, starting at $10,000— everything else starts with Bid Banana, below.

From $10,000 · a few bids a year · Estimated up front
$500M+
Won for clients
1,000+
Bids submitted
9yr
Refining the formula
Why we can be this precise

9 years.
Thousands of RFPs.
We’ve seen yours.

Hundreds of clients across virtually every industry. There’s no requirement we haven’t drafted, no compliance matrix we haven’t built, no deadline we haven’t navigated.

When we write your estimate, we know exactly how many hours your bid will take.

That’s how we estimate without flinching, and why the number holds for the bid as scoped. The math isn’t a guess — we’ve already done it thousands of times.

All ✓
Requirements we’ve answered
  • Past performance narratives
  • Key personnel resumes & matrices
  • MWBE / DBE / SDVOSB certifications
  • Bonding & insurance attachments
  • NIST 800-171 / FedRAMP compliance
  • Cybersecurity questionnaires
  • Multi-volume technical proposals
  • Oral presentations & demos
  • Best-and-final offers (BAFO)
...and every other thing your RFP throws at us
Same service. Every engagement.
The estimate reflects the bid, not what we deliver.

Every engagement gets the full Bid Lab team. What changes is the bid itself — pages, sections, stakes.

  • Dedicated project manager
  • Named writer + consultant
  • Eligibility & go/no-go assessment
  • Full requirement extraction + compliance matrix
  • Proposal writing, design, and formatting
  • Two-sets-of-eyes compliance & quality review
  • On-time submission through the buyer's portal
  • Post-award debrief
  • 3 months of Bid Banana search included
Single-volume bids

Short, single-volume RFPs with clear requirements and standard evaluation.

From $10,000· Scoped individually · Quoted in writing
When the bid looks like:
  • Straightforward requirements & standard evaluation
  • Local government, small commercial, or non-profit
  • Examples: village sign repair, county facility services, regional non-profit RFP
Get Started
Most Popular
Multi-section bids

Multi-section RFPs with a compliance matrix, multiple stakeholders, and moderate complexity.

From $10,000· Scoped individually · Quoted in writing
When the bid looks like:
  • Multiple sections + supporting docs
  • Multiple stakeholders & decision-makers
  • Examples: school district vendor contract, mid-size county procurement, state agency consulting
Get Started
Complex & federal bids

Federal-scale RFPs and major state contracts with specialized compliance. Custom scoped to the bid.

From $10,000· Scoped individually · Quoted in writing
When the bid looks like:
  • Federal (DoD, GSA, civilian agencies) or major state
  • Specialized compliance: cybersecurity, clearances, multi-year
  • Examples: federal DoT bid, GSA IT contract, FAA multi-year
Get Started
Prefer one number for the whole bid?

Send us your RFP and we’ll quote a custom fixed price before any work begins.

Get a Fixed Quote →
🍌 Another way in

Just looking to find a bid?

Not every bid needs a full engagement. If you just want to find the opportunities — or a scoped proposal is more than this bid warrants — start with Bid Banana instead. It’s our self-serve search platform, built on the same data our consultants work from, and the price is right below.

Start 7-Day Free Trial7-day free trial · Cancel anytime
Transparent Pricing

One price. Every feature.

Included on every plan.
Search for $49.99 a month.
  • 1.6 million+ bid pages, all 50 states
  • Government and private opportunities
  • AI document analysis on every bid
  • Saved searches with daily email alerts
  • Awarded-contract and closed-bid research
  • Buyer and company profiles
  • iOS and Android apps
  • Unlimited searches — no document quotas
Most Popular
Monthly

The full platform, billed month to month. Cancel whenever you like.

$49.99per month
Starts with a 7-day free trial
Start Free Trial
Annual

The same platform, paid yearly — 20% off twelve months at the monthly rate.

$479.99per year
Save 20% versus monthly
Choose Annual
Try the whole thing for 7 days.

Every plan opens with a 7-day free trial of the full platform. You add a payment method to start it, nothing is charged until day 8, and you can cancel from your settings at any point before then.

Start Free Trial →
Engagement FAQ

Common questions about pricing.

Q01
How does The Bid Lab's pricing work?

Engagements start at $10,000. Above that we scope each bid individually rather than publishing a rate card, because a mid-size county procurement and a federal DoT contract are not the same piece of work. Before anything begins you get a written estimate. No hidden fees, no surprise invoices. If the RFP itself changes materially — amendments, rescopes, extended timelines — we re-estimate, and you approve the new number before we continue.

Q02
What determines how many hours my bid takes?

The complexity of the RFP itself — number of sections and attachments, technical depth, evaluation criteria, and stakes. A village sign-repair bid is a different animal than a federal DoT contract, and the hours reflect that. We confirm your estimate in writing before any work begins.

Q03
What is included?

As much of the engagement as you need. You get one central point of contact — your dedicated project manager — supported by a full team of compliance specialists, writers, editors, and designers. We build around what you already have — existing drafts, past proposals, your own team's contributions — and fill every gap: eligibility assessment, compliance matrix, drafting, design and formatting, and a two-sets-of-eyes review before anything goes out. We submit on time — however the buyer requires it — and after the award, we follow up on the result with you.

Q04
Can I get an estimate before I commit?

Yes. Send your RFP, we review it, and you get your estimate in writing before any work begins.

Q05
Do you offer fixed prices?

Yes. If you'd rather have one number for the whole bid, we'll quote a custom fixed price based on your RFP when we review it. For high-volume clients we also structure volume arrangements.

Q06
How much is Bid Banana?

$49.99 per month, flat — or $479.99 per year, which is 20% off twelve months at the monthly rate. Every feature is included on both plans: search across 1.6 million+ government and private bid pages in all 50 states, AI document analysis, saved searches with daily email alerts, awarded-contract research, buyer profiles, and the mobile apps. No tiers, no add-ons, no per-state pricing, and no sales call to find out the number.

Q07
What's the difference between Bid Banana and a consulting engagement?

Bid Banana is the software: you search 1.6 million+ bid pages and decide what to pursue yourself, starting with a 7-day free trial. A consulting engagement is our team writing and submitting the proposal for you — scoped to the specific bid, quoted in writing, and taken on selectively. If you only need to find opportunities, Bid Banana is the cheaper and faster answer.

Ready to find your formula?

One written estimate.
One number, before we start.

We’ll review your RFP and confirm your estimate — or a fixed quote if you prefer — before any work begins.

Request an Estimate →