How to Read an RFP: A First-Timer’s Guide to Government Solicitations

You found a contract on SAM.gov that matches your business perfectly. You downloaded the solicitation, opened the PDF, and hit 87 pages of acronyms, cross-references, and legal language you’ve never seen before.

Your first instinct is to start reading from page one. That’s the wrong move.

Learning how to read an RFP (Request for Proposal) is one of the most important skills in government contracting. It’s also one nobody teaches you. The document looks intimidating because it was written by contracting officers and lawyers, not by people who wanted you to understand it. But once you know the structure and the reading order, an RFP stops being a wall of text and becomes a roadmap to winning work.

The good news: every federal RFP follows the same 13-section structure. Once you learn the pattern, you can read any RFP from any agency.

What Is an RFP in Government Contracting?

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is the government’s formal invitation for contractors to submit a detailed proposal explaining how they would perform a specific piece of work and at what price. It’s the starting gun for a competition where multiple companies submit their best approach, and the government picks the winner based on published evaluation criteria.

RFPs are different from two other common solicitation types:

• RFQ (Request for Quotation): The government already knows exactly what it wants and just needs a price.
• RFI (Request for Information): The government is researching options and isn’t ready to buy yet. No contract results from an RFI.

Federal RFPs are governed by FAR 15.203 (Federal Acquisition Regulation). They’re used for negotiated acquisitions, which typically happen above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold of $350,000 (as of 2025). Below that threshold, agencies use simpler purchasing methods under FAR Part 13.

There’s one important format distinction. If the solicitation form is an SF 33 (Standard Form 33), you’re looking at a formal RFP that follows the Uniform Contract Format described below. If it’s an SF 1449, you’re dealing with a commercial item acquisition under FAR Part 12, which uses a shorter, simpler structure.

All federal RFPs are posted on SAM.gov. If you haven’t set up your opportunity searches yet, start with our guide on how to find government contracts.

The 13 Sections of a Government RFP

Every formal RFP follows a standard structure called the Uniform Contract Format (UCF), defined in FAR 15.204-1. It has 13 sections, labeled A through M, organized into four parts.

Here’s the complete breakdown. Don’t try to memorize this table. Bookmark it and come back to it the first few times you read a solicitation.

Notice the priority column. Five sections are marked HIGH: A (your first eligibility screen), C (the work), J (hidden requirements), L (formatting rules), and M (scoring criteria). These are where you’ll spend 80% of your reading time.

The sections are often written by different people within the agency. The contracting officer writes Sections A, K, L, and M. A program manager or technical lead writes Section C. A contracts specialist adds the clauses in Section I. Different authors means occasional contradictions. If Section C says one thing and Section L says another, flag it and ask for clarification during the Q&A period.

A Note on CDRLs

CDRLs (Contract Data Requirements Lists) show up in Section J and are one of the most overlooked parts of an RFP. A CDRL defines every data deliverable you’re required to produce: format, frequency, distribution, and approval process. If the contract requires monthly status reports, a final technical report, and a transition plan, each one gets its own CDRL entry. Missing a CDRL deliverable during contract performance is a compliance failure. Read them carefully.

How to Read an RFP: The Expert Reading Order

Experienced proposal managers never read an RFP from page one. They follow a specific sequence designed to answer the most important questions first: Am I eligible? How will I be scored? What format do they want? What’s the actual work?

Here’s the six-step reading order used by professionals.

Step 1: Section A, the Quick Screen (2 Minutes)

Open the solicitation and go straight to Section A, the cover page. You’re looking for four things:

1. Submission deadline. If it’s five days away and you’ve never seen this opportunity, that’s a red flag. Quality proposals take weeks to write.
2. NAICS code. Does this match your business? If you’re not sure which NAICS codes fit your company, start there first.
3. Set-aside type. Is it a small business set-aside? An 8(a) or HUBZone set-aside? Full and open competition? If the set-aside excludes you, stop here.
4. Security clearance requirements. Some contracts require facility clearances or personnel clearances you may not have.

This two-minute screen saves you from spending days analyzing an RFP you were never eligible to win.

Step 2: Section M, How You’ll Be Scored

This is the most counterintuitive step for first-timers. Read the evaluation criteria before you read the work requirements.

Section M tells you exactly how the government will compare proposals. Per FAR 15.304, every evaluation must include price or cost, a quality factor, and past performance (for contracts above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold). Beyond those minimums, agencies have broad discretion.

Section M also tells you the relative importance of factors. The solicitation must state whether non-cost factors are “significantly more important than,” “approximately equal to,” or “significantly less important than” price. That single sentence shapes your entire proposal strategy.

Two common evaluation approaches:

• Best Value: The government weighs technical quality, past performance, and price together. A higher-priced proposal can win if it offers better quality. Most federal service contracts use best value.
• LPTA (Lowest Price Technically Acceptable): Every proposal that meets the minimum technical requirements is scored the same. The lowest price wins. Common for commodity purchases and simple services.

Knowing which approach is used tells you whether to invest heavily in your technical approach (best value) or focus on driving your price down (LPTA).

Step 3: Section L, the Formatting Rules

Section L tells you exactly how to structure your proposal. Page limits, font size, margin width, volume organization, file naming conventions, and submission method.

This matters more than first-timers expect. Format violations can get your proposal rejected before anyone reads your technical approach. If Section L says 50 pages in 12-point Times New Roman, submitting 55 pages in 11-point Arial is a compliance failure.

Per FAR 52.215-1, your proposal’s first page must display the solicitation number, your contact information, a statement confirming you agree to the terms, and an authorized signature.

Step 4: Section C, the Actual Work

Now read the Statement of Work (SOW) or Performance Work Statement (PWS). This section describes what the government wants you to do.

The difference between SOW and PWS matters:

• SOW (Statement of Work): Prescriptive. Tells you how to do the work. The government specifies tasks and processes.
• PWS (Performance Work Statement): Results-oriented. Tells you what outcomes to deliver. You propose the method. PWS is the FAR-preferred approach for service contracts, per FAR 37.602.

Read Section C through the lens of Section M. A requirement that takes 50 pages to describe might only count for 10% of the evaluation score. A requirement described in five pages might be worth 50% of your score. Allocate your proposal effort based on evaluation weight, not page count.

Step 5: Section J, the Hidden Requirements

Section J lists all attachments to the RFP. This is where first-timers lose points. Requirements are often buried in attachments that are easy to overlook: labor category definitions, wage determinations, technical exhibits, CDRLs, and incumbent contractor data.

Read every attachment. If the RFP lists 12 attachments in Section J, download and review all 12. A requirement that appears only in an attachment is just as binding as one in Section C.

Step 6: Everything Else

With the critical sections covered, work through the remaining sections:

• Section B: Pricing structure and CLINs. This tells you how to organize your cost proposal.
• Section F: Delivery schedule and performance period. Note the start date and any milestone deadlines.
• Section H: Special requirements like key personnel, security, or insurance. If the contract requires specific certifications your team doesn’t have, this is where you’ll find out.
• Section I: FAR and DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) clauses. These are mostly boilerplate but occasionally include clauses with real operational impact, like DFARS 252.204-7012 (cybersecurity requirements for handling Controlled Unclassified Information).
• Section K: Representations and certifications. These are legally binding statements about your business. Most are now completed through your SAM.gov registration.

“Shall,” “Should,” and “May”: The Words That Matter Most

Three words carry specific legal weight in government RFPs. Their definitions come from FAR 2.101, and missing this distinction is one of the most common beginner mistakes.

Here’s a practical example. “The contractor shall provide weekly status reports” means you must deliver those reports every week. “The contractor should provide status reports” means the agency expects them but won’t automatically disqualify you for a different reporting schedule. “The contractor may provide additional reports” means it’s your choice.

When building your compliance matrix, tag every requirement by its modal verb. Every “shall” statement in Section C is a deliverable. Miss one and you risk a non-compliance finding. For more on FAR requirements, see our FAR compliance guide.

Should You Bid? A Quick Decision Framework

Not every RFP is worth your time. Experienced contractors say no to more opportunities than they pursue. That discipline is what keeps their win rates high.

New entrants to government contracting win roughly 5% to 15% of the proposals they submit. Experienced firms win 25% to 40%. Every hour spent on a poor-fit RFP is an hour not spent on a winnable opportunity.

Run through these seven factors before committing to a bid:

If your answer to factors one through three is “no,” the decision is always no-bid. You can’t overcome ineligibility, inability, or insufficient capacity with a good proposal.

Red Flags That Signal a Wired Procurement

Watch for these warning signs that suggest the RFP was written with a specific company in mind:

• Very short response time (five to 10 days) on a complex requirement. Someone else has been working on this for months.
• Requirements that exactly match one company’s capabilities, including specific proprietary tools or methodologies.
• An unreasonably narrow scope that excludes qualified competitors without justification.

A wired procurement isn’t always worth protesting, but it’s almost always worth walking away from. Spend your energy on opportunities where you have a real shot. For more on positioning yourself before the RFP drops, see our guide on capture management.

How to Build a Compliance Matrix

A compliance matrix is a spreadsheet that maps every requirement from the RFP to a specific section of your proposal. It’s the most important tool for your first RFP response.

You need one because requirements are scattered across Sections C, H, J, L, and M. Without a tracking document, you’ll miss something. Proposal professionals call the process of building this matrix “shredding” the RFP: going line by line to extract every requirement.

In large proposal shops, the shred is a formal meeting with the proposal manager, capture manager, subject matter experts, and pricing lead. For small businesses, it’s usually a solo exercise with a spreadsheet. The process is the same either way.

A Starter Compliance Matrix

Create a spreadsheet with these five columns:

Start with Section C and extract every “shall” statement. Then move to Section L for formatting requirements and Section M for evaluation criteria. Finally, check Section J attachments for any requirements not covered in the main body.

One tip from Brenda Crist at Lohfeld Consulting: always manually validate your compliance matrix against the original RFP. Whether you use AI tools or build it by hand, a second pass catches requirements that slipped through the first reading.

Amendments, Questions, and Deadlines: What First-Timers Miss

Three procedural traps catch more first-time bidders than any technical shortcoming.

Amendments Change the Rules

RFPs change after release. The contracting officer must issue an amendment whenever requirements or terms change, per FAR 15.206. Amendments can modify evaluation criteria, extend deadlines, add requirements, or correct errors in the original document.

You must acknowledge every amendment by the date specified. Failing to acknowledge an amendment can disqualify your proposal. Check SAM.gov regularly after downloading an RFP. Don’t assume the version you downloaded on day one is the final version.

You Can (and Should) Ask Questions

Most RFPs include a Q&A period where contractors can submit written questions to the contracting officer. Questions and answers are posted publicly so all potential bidders see the same information.

Use this period. If Section C contradicts Section L, ask for clarification. If a requirement is ambiguous, ask what the agency intends. Per FAR 15.201, the government encourages exchanges with industry before proposals are due. These Q&A exchanges can save you from building your proposal on a wrong assumption.

Late Is Late. No Exceptions.

The “late is late” rule under FAR 52.215-1(c)(3) is absolute. If the deadline is 4:00 PM and your proposal arrives at 4:01 PM, it will not be considered.

In La Playa, Inc. (B-423379, 2025), a contractor began uploading their proposal to the submission portal 21 minutes before the deadline. The upload didn’t complete in time. They emailed the proposal 27 minutes late and left a voicemail. The GAO (Government Accountability Office) denied their protest. Other offerors submitted on time through the same portal. No exception was granted.

If no specific time is stated in the RFP, the default deadline is 4:30 PM local time at the designated government office. Submit your proposal at least 24 hours early. Technology failures are not excuses.

What to Do After Reading Your First RFP

Reading the RFP is step one. Here’s what comes next.

1. Practice on a real RFP. Find an open solicitation on SAM.gov that matches your NAICS code. Practice the M-L-C reading order on a real document, even one you don’t plan to bid on.
2. Get free help. Contact your local APEX Accelerator for one-on-one help reading your first RFP. Find yours at napex.us. The counseling is free.
3. Learn to write the proposal. Read our guides on bidding on government contracts and writing your first government proposal for what comes after you’ve decided to bid.
4. Build your track record. Start building your past performance portfolio so you’re ready when you find the right opportunity.

Government RFPs look intimidating the first time. By the third or fourth one, the structure will feel familiar. The 13 sections follow the same pattern every time. The reading order stays the same. And every RFP you analyze, even the ones you don’t bid on, makes you faster and sharper for the next one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an RFP, RFQ, and RFI?

An RFP asks contractors to propose a technical approach and price for complex work. An RFQ (Request for Quotation) asks only for a price on a well-defined requirement. An RFI (Request for Information) is market research and does not result in a contract award. Most federal service contracts above $350,000 use the RFP process under FAR Part 15.

What are the most important sections of a government RFP?

Section M (evaluation criteria), Section L (proposal instructions), and Section C (statement of work) are the three highest-priority sections. Section A provides your eligibility screen with the NAICS code and set-aside type, and Section J attachments often contain requirements not found anywhere else in the solicitation.

How long does it take to respond to a government RFP?

Most RFPs allow 30 to 60 days for proposal submission. Writing a quality proposal typically takes 40 to 80 hours of work for straightforward requirements. Multi-volume proposals for complex contracts can take 100 hours or more. Start building your compliance matrix the day you decide to bid.

What is the difference between a Statement of Work and a Performance Work Statement?

A Statement of Work (SOW) is prescriptive: the government tells you how to perform the work and specifies tasks. A Performance Work Statement (PWS) is results-oriented: the government describes outcomes and you propose the method. FAR 37.602 establishes PWS as the preferred approach for federal service contracts.

What does ‘shall’ mean in a government RFP?

Per FAR 2.101, “shall” denotes the imperative and means mandatory. Every “shall” statement is a binding requirement you must address in your proposal. Missing one can result in a non-compliance rating. “Should” means strongly recommended with flexibility, and “may” means the action is optional or permitted.

How do you know if an RFP is worth bidding on?

Screen against seven factors: eligibility, capability, capacity, competitive position, profitability, timeline, and opportunity cost. If you fail the first three, the answer is always no-bid regardless of contract value. Red flags include very short response windows and requirements that match one specific company.

What is a compliance matrix and do I need one?

A compliance matrix is a spreadsheet that maps every RFP requirement to a specific section of your proposal. You need one for every bid. Requirements are scattered across multiple sections (C, H, J, L, and M), and without a tracking document you will miss items that could lead to a non-compliance finding during evaluation.

Can I ask the government questions about an RFP?

Yes. Most RFPs include a Q&A period where you submit written questions to the contracting officer. All questions and answers are published for every potential bidder to see, per FAR 15.201. Use this period to clarify ambiguities, resolve contradictions between sections, and confirm your understanding of key requirements.