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What is a Request For Proposal (RFP)?

Top down view of hands drawing in a notebook on a table with symbols, arrows, and sketches of components of a proposal.
Student sketching ideas for a Request for Proposal

Request For Proposal (RFP)

A RFP is a document created to ask interested organizations to submit a plan to solve a problem. These plans are then used by the requesting company to decide which organization is best suited to complete the task.

A RFP is composed of the following three major pieces:

  • A summary of RFP's objective
  • Information on the company that is requesting the proposed work
  • Detailed information about what is being requested

The detailed information contains the following:

  • A timeline for the project including when it will start
  • Information about the cost of the given proposal
  • Extra requests that are not required but would be good additions to the project
  • Suggestion of how the proposal should be organized

Motivate Discussion icon Motivate Discussion

The idea of a request for a proposal may be a brand new concept. It is important that they understand what an RFP is because they will be challenged to respond to one as part of this STEM Lab.

Q: Why do you think a clear objective would be an important part of the RFP?
A: A clear objective assists prospective vendors in creating a proposal to solve the specific problem of the company.

Q: Which of the four pieces of detailed information do you think is the most important?
A: Answers may vary but should focus on determining whether vendors gained enough information to decide if they want to submit a proposal and what would be required to create an acceptable one.

Q: Why would the company give a suggestion on how the proposal should be organized?
A: Having proposals share a uniform structure promotes ease and efficiency in evaluating them.