[外贸英语] Critical Ingredients For A Good RFP

Does Your RFP Contain These Items?
A poorly written request for proposal (RFP) can result in consequences such as proposals that are too dissimilar to fairly compare, supplier performance that fails to meet expectations, or additional fees that surprise you later.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that your RFP does not omit any details. Consult the following list to confirm that your RFP's contain the necessary items.

Overview of the intended purchase
Specifications/statement of work
Indication of whether or not deviations from the technical specifications will be considered
Estimated quantity to be purchased
Terms and conditions
Selection criteria
Summary of supplier information required
Deadline for proposal submission
Address to which proposals should be delivered
Response form
Some organizations like to include a disclaimer so that they don't risk being legally bound by anything stated in the RFP. Your disclaimer may address these points:

The RFP is not an offer or a contract
Proposals become your organization's property
Bidders will not be compensated or reimbursed for costs incurred in preparing proposals
Your organization is not obligated to contract for any of the products/services described in the RFP
Your organization reserves the rights to:
Accept or reject any or all proposals
Waive any anomalies in proposals
Negotiate with any or all bidders
Modify or cancel the RFP
Finally, it is best practice to minimize the variables that you have to evaluate. Therefore, include certain requirements such as lead time or delivery/performance date, payment terms, shipping terms, and warranty.

RFP's are one of the most important documents that you compose. When writing RFP's, avoid leaving out any details that will cause consequences later. Good luck!