Responding Successfully to an RFP

Course Description: More and more frequently private sector companies and government organizations are releasing Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) as part of their procurement process and moving away from the traditional bid process. Construction companies will win or lose contracts based on their responses to these RFP’s. Responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP) successfully requires knowledge, understanding and a proposed solution of the subject, while convincing the potential Owner that your company is the best suited to build their project. Your response must not just be compliant, it must be compelling as well!

Responding Successfully to a Request for Proposal will help you:

• Understand the differences between a Request for Quotation (RFQ) and the typical prequalification in the bid process and how to respond to that RFQ.
• Learn to identify where RFP opportunities lie in the public and private sectors.
• Learn to analyze your companies’ SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats) and how to leverage these for the RFP response.
• Learn how to analyze the RFP to:
  • Understand the owner’s requirements both for the RFP response and the project
  • Understand the RFP components and deliverables
  • Understand how your company can best suit the solution by performing a GO or NO GO analysis
• Create a successful strategy for developing a winning response and creating a win theme.
• Understand the importance of knowing the competition.
• Learn to prepare your written response effectively while following the guidelines set out in the RFP, including the executive summary, resumes, project selection, project appreciation, lessons learned and why your company is the best choice.
• Discover practical tips for writing your response and the difference between mandatory and weighted criteria.
• Discover strategies in asking RFI’s – Request for Information – sometimes it is best not to ask the question.
• Learn how to complete returnable schedules and understand what the schedules are asking for.
• Learn how to effectively craft your RFP responses.

Your Presenter: Lee Kelly knows construction because she has built it. With over 30 years of construction management/General Contracting experience under her belt, she has extensive knowledge of construction practices, processes, and procedures in all contract delivery formats. Lee is a long-serving member of the National Gold Seal Committee, and the winner of the Construction Institute of Canada (TCIC) “Chancellor’s Award of Excellence.” Her enthusiasm for training makes her a highly informative, interactive, motivated, and sought-after trainer.

Who Should Attend: General contractors, subcontractors, architects, designers, engineers, consultants, Bid/Proposal Managers and allied professionals in the construction industry.

This Course is Eligible for 2 Gold Seal Credits.