Reference · Contracting basics & process
RFP
Request for Proposal (RFP, RFI, RFQ)
In federal contracting, a Request for Proposal (RFP) is a solicitation asking vendors to propose how they would meet a requirement and at what price. It differs from an RFI (information-gathering, no award) and an RFQ (a request for price quotes).
What it is
An RFP is used in negotiated procurements: offerors submit technical and price proposals, which the government evaluates against stated factors to select the best value. An RFI gathers market information; an RFQ requests quotations, typically for simpler buys.
Why it exists
The RFP is the vehicle for complex, best-value competitions where how a vendor proposes to do the work matters as much as price.
Who it applies to
Contractors bidding negotiated work. Recognizing the difference between an RFI, RFP, and RFQ tells you where in the buying cycle a requirement sits.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between an RFP, RFI, and RFQ?
An RFP (Request for Proposal) asks vendors to propose how they would meet a requirement and at what price, for a best-value award; an RFI (Request for Information) only gathers market information and awards nothing; and an RFQ (Request for Quotation) asks for price quotes, usually on simpler buys.
Public records like this are where Longlead starts: it reads federal and state signals to infer which upcoming projects will need your specific scope — delivered as a cited evidence dossier with your confidence and a lead-time window, 12–24 months before it surfaces as a named solicitation. You make the call, from your own channels; nothing leaves the system.
Or just see what Longlead finds for your scope.
Tell us what you sell and what you don't — and see the demand Longlead is inferring for you right now.