Pre-Proposal Checklist for Government Contracts
The difference between winning and losing a government contract often comes down to preparation. This 30-item checklist covers everything you need to do before, during, and after writing your proposal.
Organized into four phases: bid/no-bid analysis, proposal planning, technical volume preparation, and cost volume development.
Before You Bid
Critical go/no-go decisions before investing time and resources in a proposal.
Read the entire solicitation
Read every section of the RFP, including all attachments, amendments, and referenced documents. Do not skim. Many evaluation criteria and requirements are buried in attachments or referenced FAR clauses.
Verify NAICS code eligibility
Confirm your company is registered under the solicitation's NAICS code in SAM.gov and that you meet the corresponding SBA size standard. If the NAICS code does not match your primary registration, verify you can self-certify under it.
Check set-aside requirements
Determine if the solicitation is set aside for a specific small business category (8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, HUBZone, etc.). If it is a set-aside, confirm your certifications are current and active in SAM.gov.
Verify past performance requirements
Review the past performance evaluation criteria. Determine if you have relevant contracts of similar size, scope, and complexity. Identify references who can speak to your performance. If you lack direct experience, consider teaming arrangements.
Assess security clearance needs
Check if the contract requires facility clearances (FCL) or personnel clearances. If clearances are required and you do not have them, determine if you can obtain them in time or if a cleared subcontractor can fill the gap.
Check bonding requirements
For construction and some service contracts, verify bid bond, performance bond, and payment bond requirements. Contact your surety company early to confirm bonding capacity. Bond requirements can be deal-breakers for small businesses.
Verify SAM.gov registration is active
Confirm your SAM.gov registration is current and not expired. Check that your entity information, NAICS codes, and representations and certifications are up to date. An expired registration means you cannot receive an award.
Make the bid/no-bid decision
Evaluate the opportunity against your win probability: Do you have the right experience? Is the incumbent beatable? Can you price competitively? Do you have the staff? Is the contract worth the proposal investment? Document your decision rationale.
Proposal Planning
Organizing your team and timeline before writing begins.
Build a compliance matrix
Create a matrix that maps every solicitation requirement (Section C, Section L, Section M, and any referenced standards) to your proposal response. Every "shall," "must," and "will" in the PWS/SOW needs a corresponding response in your proposal.
Identify key personnel
Determine which positions the solicitation designates as key personnel. Confirm those individuals are available, willing, and meet all qualification requirements (education, years of experience, certifications). Get their resumes updated and commitments in writing.
Confirm teaming arrangements
If you are using subcontractors or teaming partners, execute teaming agreements or letters of intent. Clarify work share, pricing, and roles. Ensure your team's combined capabilities cover all requirements. Verify small business size calculations if applicable.
Plan any required site visits
Check if the solicitation includes a site visit or pre-proposal conference. Register early as attendance may be mandatory or limited. Prepare questions in advance and send personnel who will work on the proposal.
Prepare questions for the Contracting Officer
Draft questions about ambiguous requirements, conflicting instructions, or missing information. Submit them before the questions deadline. Good questions demonstrate engagement and can clarify requirements that affect your approach and pricing.
Establish a writing schedule
Work backward from the submission deadline. Build in time for writing, internal reviews (Pink Team, Red Team), revisions, production, and submission. Plan for at least two full review cycles before the final version.
Assign section authors
Assign specific proposal sections to authors with relevant subject matter expertise. Give each author the compliance matrix items for their sections, page limits, and formatting requirements. Set internal deadlines for first drafts.
Technical Volume
Ensuring your technical approach is compliant, compelling, and complete.
Address every requirement in the PWS/SOW
Cross-reference your compliance matrix to ensure every requirement has a corresponding response. Use the government's language and terminology. Mirror the solicitation's structure where possible so evaluators can easily find your responses.
Use the government's language and terminology
Reflect the solicitation's exact terminology in your proposal. If the SOW says "deliverables," do not call them "work products." Using the government's language makes it easier for evaluators to match your responses to requirements.
Include a management approach
Describe how you will manage the contract: communication plans, status reporting, risk management, quality control processes, and escalation procedures. Show the government you have a systematic approach to contract execution.
Document key personnel qualifications
For each key personnel position, provide detailed resumes that directly address the qualification requirements in the solicitation. Highlight relevant experience, education, and certifications. Include a narrative explaining why each person is the right fit.
Describe your quality assurance approach
Outline your quality control and quality assurance processes. Describe how you will measure performance against contract requirements, handle deficiencies, and ensure continuous improvement. Reference any relevant quality certifications (ISO, CMMI, etc.).
Outline your transition plan
Describe how you will ramp up from contract award to full performance. Include timelines for hiring, training, obtaining clearances, setting up systems, and knowledge transfer from the incumbent (if applicable). A credible transition plan reduces risk for the government.
Include an organizational chart
Provide a clear org chart showing reporting relationships, key personnel, and how your team is structured. Include subcontractor relationships if applicable. The org chart should align with the management approach described in your narrative.
Address all evaluation criteria
Review Section M (Evaluation Criteria) and ensure your technical volume explicitly addresses each evaluation factor and subfactor. Structure your response so evaluators can easily score each criterion. Emphasize strengths that align with the most heavily weighted factors.
Cost Volume
Building a competitive, compliant, and defensible price.
Verify labor categories match the PWS
Ensure your proposed labor categories match the solicitation's requirements exactly. If the PWS specifies "Senior Software Engineer," use that title, not "Lead Developer." Map each labor category to the work described in your technical approach.
Calculate indirect rates accurately
Apply your current fringe, overhead, and G&A rates. If you have DCAA-approved rates, use them. If not, use provisional rates based on your actual cost structure. Document the basis for all rates. Unrealistic rates trigger price realism concerns.
Include all Other Direct Costs
Account for all non-labor direct costs: travel, materials, equipment, software licenses, training, certifications, and any other costs directly attributable to the contract. Get vendor quotes for significant items. Do not bury ODCs in indirect rates.
Verify all math and calculations
Check every calculation in your pricing spreadsheets. Verify that hours times rates equal the correct totals, indirect rates are applied correctly, and summary tables match detailed backup. Math errors signal carelessness and can disqualify your proposal.
Prepare a cost narrative
Write a narrative that explains your pricing methodology, basis of estimate for labor hours, rationale for staffing levels, and any assumptions. The cost narrative helps the government understand why your price is fair and reasonable.
Compare to IGCE if available
If the Independent Government Cost Estimate is published or can be inferred from budget documents, compare your price against it. Significant deviations in either direction should be explainable. Being within 10-15% of the IGCE is typically competitive.
Ensure pricing is competitive
Research historical awards for similar work using FPDS and USAspending data. Check GSA Schedule rates for comparable labor categories. If your price is significantly above the competitive range, look for ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality or compliance.
Pre-Solicitation Notices
Sources Sought (RFI)
This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) and SOURCES SOUGHT Notice for market research purposes only. This is NOT a request for quote and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to evaluate or purchase any goods or services. The Government will not reimburse for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information or materials furnished in response to this request for information and sources sought notice. Information received as a result of this notice will become part of our market research and used to determine interest and capability of potential sources. Proprietary information will be protected to the greatest extent provided by law. THIS NOTICE NOR PARTICIPATION FROM THIS NOTICE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is issuing this request for information and sources sought notice as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support DSCA's Integrated Regional Teams (IRTs) and Functional Directorates (FDs) by providing all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items necessary to perform executive level administrative support services. DSCA is seeking large or small businesses with North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 561110, Office Administrative Services. The Small Business Size Standard is $7.5 Million. THERE IS NOT A SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. REQUESTS FOR A SOLICITATION WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. Submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future request for quote, if issued. If your company has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: Company Name Company Address Company Web site address Company Point of Contact
Sources Sought Rfi
THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY! The 171st Air Refueling Wing anticipates issuing a solicitation for construction work to locate and repair a water line that is located on Allegheny Airport Authority property. Full details and a Statement of Work will be provided in the solicitation. Interested bidders MUST have the following: 1. Current Central Contractor Registration (CCR) with a NAICS of 237110 2. Current credential and clearances to work in the Pittsburgh International Airport's Air Operations Area.
SeviceNow RFI/Sources Sought
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) charters, regulates, and supervises all United States national banks and federal savings associations (thrifts). OCC also supervises the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the OCC has four district offices plus an office in London to supervise the international activities of national banks. Bank supervision is the core activity of the agency. In 2013 the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) began maturation of IT Service Delivery, leveraging ServiceNow's platform-as-a-service. The OCC has since implemented the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), Incident Management, Service Request Management via the Service Catalog, Knowledge Management, and Problem Management in ServiceNow. The OCC continues to adopt industry best practices, automate support services, leverage quality data to drive business decisions, and improve on customer experience. The OCC has a business need to expand and maintain the use of the ServiceNow platform in order to facilitate services in the organization. It is OCC's intent to use the information gathered in response to this Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice to better understand who is offering implementation and maintenance services for ServiceNow, what is the estimated cost of those services to the US government, and how the programs are set up for implementing new applications and performing ongoing maintenance. In addition, the OCC seeks information to assist in determining whether to set-aside for small businesses. The OCC is interested in identifying vendors who are capable of offering ServiceNow maintenance and implementation of new applications. Furthermore, the responses obtained will enable the OCC to refine the strategy for the development of this requirement in order to structure a program that will mitigate cost, schedule, and performance risks. The projected NAICS for this procurement is 511210. To as
Conops Rfi/sources Sought
See attached Sources Sought and Draft PWS for details.
70--RFI, Sources Sought
70--RFI, Sources Sought. Agency: VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF. Deadline: 2014-05-12T00:00:00-05:00
RFI-Sources Sought ARAVI
The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to accomplish market research pursuant to Part 10, and to identify vendors capable of performing the functions described herein. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes — it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. The Government will not entertain telephone calls or questions for this RFI. Respondents are advised that the U. S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party—s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be communicated and released on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website, www. fbo. gov. It is the responsibility of the potential respondents to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Please find attached to this RFI the following: 1). Request For Information with Questions and Response Instructions 2). Draft Statement of Work for ARAVI.
Paving RFI/Sources Sought
Paving RFI/Sources Sought. Deadline: 2016-09-14T23:59:00-05:00
RFI - Sources Sought - Valve
The Air Force Test Center—s Installation Contracting Division (AFTC/PZI) at Arnold Air Force Base (AFB) is seeking information and sources that are interested in and capable of meeting the Government—s potential requirement for valves in accordance with (IAW) Attachment 1 — Draft SOW. CONTRACTING OFFICE: AFTC/PZIA 100 Kindel Drive, Suite A332 Arnold AFB, TN 37389 DISCLAIMER: This Request for Information Sources Sought Notice is for informational purposes only. This is not a request for proposal. It does not constitute a solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the government. Responses in any form are not offers and the government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this announcement. Any information submitted by respondents to this announcement is strictly voluntary. INTRODUCTION: This is a Request for Information Sources Sought Notice to determine the availability and technical capability of small and large businesses to meet the Government—s requirement for a valve contract at Arnold Engineering Development Complex IAW Attachment 1 — DRAFT SOO. The total estimated contract value range for this requirement is $20M to $35M for an anticipated duration of five years. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE: The anticipated North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) for this commercial items requirement is 332911, Industrial Valve Manufacturing. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Company Details: Company Name: SAM UEI: Company Address: Primary NAICS: Size Standard in SAM: Manufacturer or Distributor: Point of Contact Name: Point of Contact Phone Number: Point of Contact Email: Other Information: Capability statement and intent to meet the subject contemplated requirement. Not to exceed 5 pages Failure to provide documentation may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities. If your company
Sources Sought - Anubis RFI
The United States Army is approaching the end of the Anubis Technology Maturation Initiative to demonstrate M-Code Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver capability on a commercially-available System on Chip (SoC).[1] The Anubis program has successfully demonstrated the ability to receive and process the GPS M-Code signal and produce a Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solution and output the solution through ICD-GPS-153 messages. The Army is now interested in working with vendors that have the ability to utilize the Anubis hardware/software M-Code GPS solution for potential insertion into Assured PNT (A-PNT) systems or products that could provide an A-PNT solution to Army and other DoD systems. It is anticipated that the Anubis chipset would be integrated with other sensors and/or hardware (e. g., wheel speed sensors, barometers, anti-jam antennas, visual odometry, signals of opportunity receivers, chips-scale atomic clock, etc) to provide orthogonal inputs to provide A-PNT to the operator and/or client system. The Anubis chipset could host software applications and receive sensor inputs to determine the PNT solution on the Anubis SoC or could export M-Code GPS measurements to a second processor to calculate the PNT solution. Interested vendors are requested to submit an email to the POC with a list of potential Anubis hardware/software applications. The subject line of the email should read as: —Anubis RFI Response—. The email should include a short description (i. e., one or two paragraphs) identifying applications/programs that might utilize the Anubis hardware/software. Note that additional information about the Anubis program will require the execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the Anubis contract performer. Vendors will also be required to hold a valid SECRET facility security clearance so as to access/utilize the Anubis program information. [1]—Anubis Software Defined Chipset for M-Code and Advanced PNT Applications—, Department
Sources Sought Rfi W9124q07c0504ext6mos
SOURCES SOUGHT RFI W9124Q07C0504EXT6MOS. Agency: DEPT OF DEFENSE. Deadline: 2016-11-03T06:00:00-07:00
All Records
Sources Sought (RFI)
This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) and SOURCES SOUGHT Notice for market research purposes only. This is NOT a request for quote and is not to be construed
Sources Sought Rfi
THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY! The 171st Air Refueling Wing anticipates issuing a solicitation for construction work to locate and
SeviceNow RFI/Sources Sought
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) charters, regulates, and supervises all United States national banks and federal savings associations (thrif
Conops Rfi/sources Sought
See attached Sources Sought and Draft PWS for details.
70--RFI, Sources Sought
70--RFI, Sources Sought. Agency: VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF. Deadline: 2014-05-12T00:00:00-05:00
RFI-Sources Sought ARAVI
The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to accomplish market research pursuant to Part 10, and to identify vendors capable of performing the functi
Paving RFI/Sources Sought
Paving RFI/Sources Sought. Deadline: 2016-09-14T23:59:00-05:00
RFI - Sources Sought - Valve
The Air Force Test Center—s Installation Contracting Division (AFTC/PZI) at Arnold Air Force Base (AFB) is seeking information and sources that are interested i
Sources Sought - Anubis RFI
The United States Army is approaching the end of the Anubis Technology Maturation Initiative to demonstrate M-Code Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver capa
Sources Sought Rfi W9124q07c0504ext6mos
SOURCES SOUGHT RFI W9124Q07C0504EXT6MOS. Agency: DEPT OF DEFENSE. Deadline: 2016-11-03T06:00:00-07:00
Sources Sought (RFI)
Sources Sought Rfi
SeviceNow RFI/Sources Sought
Conops Rfi/sources Sought
70--RFI, Sources Sought
RFI-Sources Sought ARAVI
Paving RFI/Sources Sought
RFI - Sources Sought - Valve
Sources Sought - Anubis RFI
Sources Sought Rfi W9124q07c0504ext6mos
Find Opportunities Worth Proposing On
Search across SAM.gov, USAspending, FPDS, and Grants.gov to find contracts that match your capabilities. Use historical data to assess competitiveness before you invest in a proposal.