Here's a number that changes how you think about bidding: about 80% of federal opportunities are now RFPs — requests for proposal, evaluated on written submissions — not the old sealed-bid openings where everyone saw everyone's price. The proposal is the product. Most beginners lose not on price but on a document the evaluator couldn't follow.
The core rule: mirror the evaluation criteria
Evaluators score against written criteria, in order, using their words. The fastest way to lose is making them hunt. So structure your proposal so each section matches one criterion, in the same order, using the same language:
- Cover and executive summary — who you are, that you understand the requirement, why you're the right choice. One page.
- Technical approach — how you'll perform each CLIN: staffing, schedule, quality control. Answer what, who, when, and how for every line item.
- Past performance — the reference table, tailored to this scope. (See building past performance from zero.)
- Price — the exact schedule format requested, with required backup.
- Compliance documents — reps and certs, bonds, insurance certificates, every form the submission checklist names.
The page-number audit
Before you submit, print the evaluation criteria. For each one, write the page number where you answered it. If you can't point to it, the evaluator can't either. This five-minute audit catches the two classic deaths: the criterion you assumed was "obvious" (it wasn't written down) and the section buried three pages from where the evaluator looked.
LPTA vs best value: know which game you're in
Read the evaluation section early. LPTA (lowest price technically acceptable): price dominates; your proposal just has to clear the technical bar. Best value: past performance and technical approach can beat a lower price — the writing matters more than the number. Most beginners write the same document for both. Professionals write for the game they're actually in.
Submission discipline
- Read the instructions twice — portal, format, page limits, deadline with time zone. Late is late, almost without exception.
- Second set of eyes on the checklist. One missing required form gets the bid rejected unread.
- Upload a day early. Portal slowdowns are real and unexcusable.
- Archive your submitted package. If you win, it's the basis of contract administration; if you lose, the debrief tells you exactly what to fix.