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Free guides for every step of a government bid: 126 articles from The Bid Lab's Learning Center, nine years of bids written down. Must-win bid? Bring in The Bid Lab →
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Basic Terms and Concepts
25 of 126 guides
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Is a Letter of Intent to Bid?A Letter of Intent to Bid tells an agency you plan to submit a bid and gets you on their amendment list. Here's what to include and when to send one.3 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsHow RFPs Shape the Public Services Around YouSchool lunches, bus routes, tap water and permits are all bought through competitive bidding. Where RFPs show up in daily life and why the process matters.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsHow Proposal Writing Differs From Technical WritingTechnical writing documents what is true; proposal writing argues what will be. Why describing your process scores badly, and how to handle uncertainty.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsBreaking Down Business Writing and Proposal WritingBusiness writing persuades a reader; proposal writing scores points with an evaluator. What changes as a result - structure, repetition, vocabulary and length.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsPublic vs. Private: CompliancePublic procurement compliance is set by law and enforced absolutely. Private buyers write their own rules. See who regulates what and why it matters.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsRequest for Information: When Agencies Need RFIsAn RFI asks you to define a solution the agency hasn't scoped yet. Learn what it asks for, how to write a response, and the mistakes that waste it.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsRFPs vs. RFIs: What’s The Difference?An RFP asks you to price a defined solution. An RFI asks what the solution should be. Learn how to tell them apart and when responding is worth it.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsPublic RFPs vs. Private RFPs: What’s the Difference?Public RFPs follow procurement law: open advertising, published criteria, disclosable awards. Private RFPs follow company policy. See how they compare.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Are Open Records?Open records are government files state law requires agencies to release. Learn how to file an open records request, what it costs and how long it takes.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Are Tender Writing Services?In the US it's called bid or proposal writing. Which one you need, what a bid writer does on a sealed bid, and the bonding and wage rules that set your price.5 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsRFP Glossary Guide to Bids and ProposalsA working glossary of bid and procurement terms - best value procurement, IDIQ, bid bonds, scopes of work, termination for convenience and dozens more.22 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Is the Request for Proposal Process?The RFP process runs in six stages, from defining a need to contract award. What happens at each stage, how long it takes and what bidders must do.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsConsider This Your RFP Industry GlossaryRFP, RFQ, RFI, IFB, ITB, RFT, SOW, UEI, NAICS - what each procurement acronym means and how to tell which solicitation you are actually reading.5 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Is an RFP?Organizations issue RFPs to compare competing solutions and document a fair choice. Who writes them, what's inside, and how public and private RFPs differ.5 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Is in an RFP?An RFP contains background, a scope of work, format rules, a Q&A period, evaluation criteria and required forms. What each section means for bidders.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Are Grant Writing Services?Grant writing services research funding, draft your proposal, build the budget and manage submission. Here's what they include and when to hire one.3 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsGrant Applications vs. RFPs: Writing Differences ExplainedGrant writing is narrative and mission-driven; RFP writing is expository and requirement-driven. Compare structure, tone and evaluation for each.3 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsIFBs and RFPs ExplainedAn IFB is issued when the buyer knows exactly what it needs and wants the best price. An RFP invites competing approaches. Here's how to tell them apart.3 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsInvitation for Bid: You Just Received an IFB, Now What?Received an Invitation for Bid? Here's how to decide whether to bid, reply to the agency, price for the full term and submit a response that won't be rejected.4 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsBid Define: What is a Bid?A bid is a vendor's formal offer to supply goods or services at a stated price. Learn the request types - RFP, RFQ, RFI, ITB - and what makes a bid win.2 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsWhat Is an Invitation to Bid?An Invitation to Bid (ITB or IFB) is a price-focused solicitation for a fully specified need. Learn how ITBs differ from RFPs and how to win them.2 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsRFI Meaning: What Is an RFI?RFI stands for Request for Information - the document buyers issue to survey the market before an RFP. Learn how RFIs work and how vendors should respond.3 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsRFQ Meaning: What Is an RFQ?RFQ stands for Request for Quotes - issued when a buyer knows exactly what they need and wants competing prices. Learn how RFQs differ from RFPs.2 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsRFP Proposal Response Template For BidsLearn what belongs in an RFP response template: your company story, key personnel, org chart, references and a response database that speeds every bid.2 min read
- Basic Terms and ConceptsRFP Meaning: What Is an RFP?RFP stands for Request for Proposals - a document that invites vendors to propose solutions to a defined need. Learn what RFPs contain and how they work.3 min read
Guides by state and industry
Where each state posts its bids, how to register, and how bids are scored — plus industry bidding guides. Each guide sits on that state's or industry's bids page, with its open bids.
By state (50)
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
By industry (19)
- Broadcasting and Media
- Construction
- Consulting Services
- Corporate Services
- Education
- Event Services
- Financial Services
- Healthcare and Medical Services
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Information Technology and Software Development
- Legal Services
- Professional Development
- Property Development
- Real Estate
- Risk Management
- Security Services
- Staff Augmentation
- Telecommunications
- Transportation and Public Transit
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2017
writing government proposals since
$500M+
won for clients
500+
clients served
$495/hour, 20-hour minimum. Every engagement is scoped and quoted in writing before any work starts.
Not every bid needs this. For most bids, the guides above cover it.
Questions
Are the guides free?
Yes, no account needed.
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No.
What does an engagement cost?
$495/hour, 20-hour minimum, quoted in writing first.
Can someone just look over my bid for an hour?
Not right now. We keep engagements to must-win bids, which The Bid Lab handles end to end. The guides above answer most of what a quick review would.
What's included?
The Bid Lab handles it end to end: go/no-go, compliance matrix, writing, design, review, on-time submission, and a debrief after the award.