Prior to establishing a contract, a Request-for-Proposal (RFP) document is developed by government agencies to solicit competitive proposals from potential bidders. Government agencies (and others) use an RFP when it is necessary to evaluate bidders on basis of their qualifications, proposed approach and price, not just the lowest-cost.

2007 - CRTC - Do Not Call List (DNCL)

With RFPSOLUTIONS INC.’s help, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) developed an RFP in 2007 to select a contractor to operate Canada’s new National Do-Not-Call List (DNCL). The DNCL gives Canadian consumers a choice about whether to receive tele-marketing calls. At the end of the RFP process, CRTC successfully awarded a five-year contract to operate Canada’s new National Do-Not-Call List.

When a government agency uses an outside consultant to develop RFP statements of work (SOW) or selection criteria, Canada’s Auditor General and Treasury Board have advised that a conflict-of-interest can occur unless the government agency first obtains appropriate written certifications from the consultant. Despite this, some consultants providing RFP development services to government also advise RFP bidders on how to develop their proposals!