Tips for Responding to an RFP - YouTube

Welcome to the Department for the Aging's training module on Tips for Writing your Proposal.

In this module, we will discuss nine tips on how to respond to a DFTA RFP.

We're hoping that you'll find these tips helpful and that they will provide

you with assistance on writing your proposal.

It's a good idea to attend Proposers Conferences, also known as the bidder's

conference. It will help you learn more about what DFTA is looking for.

This provides you with the opportunity to ask questions as well as hear questions and

concerns from other proposers. There is also the potential to network with other

agencies and build partnerships and collaborations.

Another tip is to ask questions. If you have questions, don't wait. We cannot guarantee that your

question will be answered if it's submitted too late in the process.

Also, we may be able to issue an addendum to the RFP

to clarify points that were not initially clear. One area where DFTA

receives numerous questions is in the Budget Proposal Worksheet, so review the

worksheet and instructions early on in the solicitation timeframe.

If you do have questions, ask them early on, so that we can address them promptly.

Information for the Agency Contact Person will be listed on the RFP.

Communicate who you are. Be clear in describing who you are. Assume that the

evaluator knows nothing about your agency. Describe your agency's role in

the community. And when you talk about your agency's experience in the community,

make sure that experience is relevant to the RFP. In other words, speak to how the

community benefits from what you provide.

Be specific about the services you currently provide.

Communicate your intentions. Make sure the goals of the program are clearly defined and measurable.

Discuss your program goals' overall impact on the community. Talk specifically about how the services you

will be providing will fill a need that is laid out in the RFP.

Use committing language: make sure the reviewer knows what you are and are not

going to do if you are awarded a contract. Try to avoid using phrases like

"we might try" or "we hope to" or "we may add"...This could indicate to a reviewer

that you're not entirely committed to the program design you've laid out in your proposal.

Oftentimes, what is proposed in terms of units and

unduplicated clients far exceeds the program's capacity to deliver on

those units. As a result, programs (once operational) find themselves underserving.

If an organization uses grant writers, i.e., those writing the

proposals are not the ones delivering the services, we highly recommend the

proposal writer be working in collaboration to propose reasonable and

attainable units. Take into consideration space, changing demographics of the

population, resources, staffing, and commitment of the volunteer pool.

If space allows in the Structured Proposal Form, justify your decision-making about

your proposed units so that the reviewers (evaluators) can understand your rationale

for where you got your proposed numbers.

If a large sponsoring organization is submitting multiple proposals to the

same solicitation, we recommend trying to make each proposal unique in some way,

particularly when discussing your approach to working within the

communities that are served by the catchment areas to which you are proposing.

If submitting multiple proposals, each

proposal must be able to stand on its own without consideration of another.

You may win in one competition and lose in another, so it is essential that each

program you are proposing can stand on its own. After contracts are awarded, if

an organization wins more than one proposal, oftentimes DFTA will combine

the awards for administrative purposes.

Be consistent not only within the narratives, but also between the

narratives and the supporting documentation that you submit.

For example, if you stayed in your narrative that you have a program director who has

10 years experience then the resume submitted for that director should

reflect this information. Best practice would be to re-read your entire proposal

using both the narrative/supporting docs before submission specifically looking

for unintentional contradictions.

Include letters of support from older adults who have benefited from your program.

This can be very powerful and set your proposal apart. Use relevant

statistics when appropriate (e.g., we served 2,500 seniors who live under the

poverty line and would not have access to hot meals if not for our program).

If you add statistics or reference 'research' in some way in your proposal in order to

help justify point you are attempting to make, add citations.

Share your best stories about what you have accomplished. Show that you have done

this work. In other words, give examples of your work

that support what you are writing.

Check and recheck your writing. Make sure that you've checked your grammar and spelling.

Poor grammar and misspelled words can show that you're not attentive

to details. You want to make sure you are accentuating the positive, not the negative.

Check that your message is consistent throughout your proposal.

Make your proposal easy to read and make sure it makes sense. As a fail-safe, you may

want to assemble a team of neutral individuals who can review your draft

proposal to ensure that the writing is clear. Be concise but comprehensive.

It's okay to bullet your points but not in all areas. Make sure you're answering

questions completely. Keep your format style consistent. For example, use the

same font throughout the proposal.

Write as if you're talking to the person who is reading your proposal.

This concludes the Tips for Writing Your Proposal training section. DFTA hopes

this training will be a useful tool for you as you pursue RFP submissions to the

Department for the Aging. Thank you!