Solicitation
A formal government document that requests competitive proposals, quotations, or bids from contractors for a defined requirement.
A solicitation is the official document through which the government announces a requirement and invites contractors to compete for the work. It is the starting point for most government acquisitions and defines what must be delivered, how proposals will be evaluated, and what terms will govern the resulting contract.
Types of Solicitations
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is used for competitive negotiated acquisitions where the government evaluates technical proposals alongside price. A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is used for simplified acquisitions and purchases through established contract vehicles, typically focusing on price and basic technical acceptability. An Invitation for Bids (IFB) is used for sealed bidding and awards to the lowest-priced responsive and responsible bidder without a technical evaluation. A Combined Synopsis/Solicitation is a streamlined format for commercial item purchases.
Reading the Uniform Contract Format
Government solicitations follow the Uniform Contract Format (UCF), divided into Sections A through M. Sections A through J contain the contract terms, statement of work, and required clauses. Section L provides instructions to offerors, specifying what to submit, in what format, and by what deadline. Section M explains the evaluation criteria and how proposals will be scored. Reading Sections L and M before anything else is the most important habit in proposal development.
Amendments
After a solicitation is issued, the government may release numbered amendments that modify requirements, extend deadlines, answer questions from offerors, or correct errors. All amendments must be acknowledged in your submission. Failing to acknowledge an amendment is grounds for disqualification of the proposal.
Finding Solicitations
All federal solicitations above the micro-purchase threshold must be posted on SAM.gov. ProposalApp monitors SAM.gov continuously and notifies you when new solicitations matching your NAICS codes and capabilities are posted, giving you maximum time to prepare a competitive response.
Frequently asked questions
Where are government solicitations published?
Federal solicitations above the micro-purchase threshold of
0,000 must be posted on SAM.gov for at least 15 days before the closing date, with some exceptions for urgent requirements. State and local solicitations are posted on agency-specific portals or procurement aggregator platforms.What is Section L and Section M of a solicitation?
Section L tells you what to submit, in what format, and by what deadline. Section M tells you how proposals will be evaluated and which factors carry the most weight. Always read both sections before writing a single word of your proposal.