A Request for Proposals (RFP) can also be called Request for Bid, Bid Request or Competitive Bid. An RFP is similar to Request for Quotation, which is often less complex and for products only, and Request for Information, which is used to initially determine what products/services are available.

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The Request For Proposal bidding process is an important part of doing business in a free market economy, especially in the United States. In the government and nonprofit arenas, seeking bids on goods and services is almost always mandatory at a certain pre-determined dollar threshold. This tried and true method to secure the best possible value for the public dollar is the basis of taxpayer and donor trust.

The nonprofit organization needing goods or services usually takes the following steps. First, it determines the specifics of its needs and secures board approval to initiate the bidding process. Then a written document (the Request for Proposal) is created which delineates the goods or services needed and all the details of the bidding process such as definitions, required qualifications of bidders, and timeline. Next, vendors must receive the RFPs. Nonprofits can do this in several ways. They can post the RFP on their website and hope vendors will find them, they can mail (or email) the RFP to the vendors they know, or they can post the RFP on this website to reach a much larger pool of vendors. Businesses respond to the RFP with a written proposal including information about their business, their ability to deliver the goods or services, the specifics about the goods or services they will provide, by what date, and for what price. The nonprofit then reviews all the proposals by comparing them with one another. Many factors such as experience, price, proximity, previous relationship, recommendations, time estimates, mission or other values-based criteria, etc. are taken into consideration by the nonprofit.

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Any nonprofit which seeks bids for their goods and services can improve their bidding process by getting their RFP reviewed by more businesses which expands the pool of potential vendors. It is also easy to post and manage RFPs, helping them get the best value for their project dollar. Any business which participates in the bidding process can search for RFPs and find a broader range to choose from. Then they can respond to those which are most promising, saving both time and money.

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Nonprofits post RFPs for the goods and services they need to have bids on. During the posting process the nonprofit selects the criteria relating to the goods and services they need, such as location, industry, and budget range. They also create a summary that does not include their identity or contact information. There is no charge for the nonprofits to post an RFP. Businesses can search the database of RFPs for projects needing the goods and services they can provide. There is no charge to review the summaries of the RFPS that match their criteria. There is a small fee to download a single full RFP which includes the identity and contact information as well as the entire document in a PDF format.

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No, anyone can search the database for RFPs. You must register and log in to download an RFP.

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There is no cost to nonprofits. Business pay #DollarFormat(request.prodPrices[1])# or less per RFP download.
PRICING
Single download #DollarFormat(request.prodPrices[1])#
Monthly — unlimited downloads #DollarFormat(request.prodPrices[2])#
Annual — unlimited downloads #DollarFormat(request.prodPrices[3])#
 

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Currently the focus is on the United States and Canada. From the Location drop down you can choose a region, such as Northeast, or a specific state.

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Yes, your email address is your User ID and is the primary way we communicate with you.

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No, your organization or business does not need to have a website. Obviously, you must have Internet access in order to use this website.

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Nonprofits must be able to create a .PDF file of the RFP document. Business must have a .PDF reader. If you need help with .PDF files, just send us an email and our Customer Care representative can assist you.

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Go to the home page and focus on the Business section or the Nonprofit section. It�s easy. If you�ve read this far you can easily handle searching or posting.

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There are limited advertising opportunities. Please send an email using the Contact Us page requesting more information.

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Our Customer Care representatives offer customer support by email or phone during weekday working hours and respond to email request by the end of the next business day. If you want to speak directly to a Customer Care representative, send an email with your request and include your phone number(s) and the best time(s) to reach you and someone will call you by the end of the next business day.

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