Chapter 24 - Requests for Proposals and Competitive Negotiations

RFPs promote creative competition among suppliers and allow agencies to comprehensively consider and evaluate all proposed technical approaches and state-of-the-art solutions to fulfill their business need(s). RFP preparation promotes “needs definition” by the business owner, which enables suppliers to provide best-value solutions. The only “con” in the RFP lifecycle is the significant time commitment involved. The RFP process can take anywhere from 6 to 9 months to complete.