Manage RFPs
Requests for proposal: soliciting, comparing and awarding community work. Requires the RFPs entitlement.
Contractors read and answer on the RFP Portal. You run the process from here or from the portal, whichever you are already in.
Writing one
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Title, description | What the work is |
| Category | What kind of trade |
| Budget range | Optional. Publishing one filters out bids you would never accept |
| Deadline | When submissions close |
| Visibility | Open to any contractor, or pre-approved vendors only |
| Required submissions | Quotes, insurance, licences, references, past work |
| Requirements | Your own list of conditions |
| Scoring criteria | Criterion, weight and maximum score |
| Documents | Plans, specifications, site photos |
Set required submissions rather than asking for them in prose. A contractor who does not supply insurance because you mentioned it in paragraph four is a problem you created.
Visibility
Open lets any contractor on the portal bid. Pre-approved restricts it to your approved vendor list.
Addenda
Publish an addendum when something changes after posting: a corrected quantity, an answer that affects everyone, a moved deadline. Addenda are part of the record and visible to every bidder, which is what keeps the process fair.
Questions and answers
Contractors ask questions against the RFP. Answer publicly where the answer affects everyone, which it usually does. Public answers prevent one bidder pricing against information the others do not have.
Evaluating
Where you defined scoring criteria, assign evaluators and each scores the proposal per criterion with notes. Scores are weighted into a total, and a comparison view puts proposals side by side.
The point is a defensible decision. A board that can show a weighted score across named criteria is in a very different position from one that says it picked the bid it liked.
Awarding
Award to a proposal. The RFP closes and records the award and its date.
Link the resulting expense to the awarded proposal in financial reports, so the bid you accepted and the money you paid are connected.
Delegating
An ordinary member granted the RFP Creator permission can create and manage RFPs without being made a community admin. Useful for a project chair.