So today I’m actually preparing for the Performance Circle (a 12-month working group for business owners and entreprenuers actively pursuing government contracts, where we turn opportunities into action through weekly strategy, solicitation support, accountability, and real-time guidance 😅), and I thought this was the perfect time to do another Solicitation Series.
Let’s look closer look at solicitation types and the reasoning behind the acronyms. I don’t want you seeing an RFQ and thinking, “Oh, this one is small, so it must be easier,” or seeing a large RFP and immediately assuming, “That’s too big for me.”
You have to understand what kind of competition you’re actually walking into.
An RFQ, an IFB and an RFP are asking different things from you as a business owner.
They require different strengths.
They require different preparation.
And they give different types of businesses different opportunities to have an advantage.
Part of becoming good at government contracting is understanding your market and where your company has an actual advantage.
And that is one of the things I want everyone in this community to develop.
So that is what I want to break down today…
IFB versus RFP versus RFQ, but not just what the acronyms stand for.
I want to show you what each one tells you about how you are being asked to compete, what you should be building inside your business, and where your advantage might actually be.