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When responding to a request for proposal (RFP) you may be asked to include an RFP cover letter. RFPs are used by local and federal governments and organizations in order to procure goods or services.
Your RFP cover letter will be the first thing that the contracting authority will read when looking at your proposal. Due to this, you want to make a good first impression, conveying your excitement about the opportunity. RFPs are greatly competitive so you want to stand out from other vendors.
First, let’s address the simplest question regarding what an RFP cover letter actually is. Your RFP cover letter is the first thing a contractor will see when looking at your RFP proposal. It should be no more than one page in length, and it’s almost always required with a request for proposal.
It’s more of a conversational introduction to your RFP response and your chance to tell a little bit about yourself. You could think of it as a cover letter for a job application. It is kind of similar, as you’re wanting the contracting authority to hire your business for the contract. You should detail what you’ll offer them and why you think they’ll benefit from hiring you.
You would be forgiven for wondering what difference an RFP cover letter actually makes to the bid process. Well, if you think about it, your RFP cover letter is essentially your business’s first impression to a contractor. As you know, first impressions count and while the cover letters aren’t usually marked, you should still make the effort. This is why it’s just as crucial as your bid proposal and why you should put in the time.
When talking about RFP cover letters, you’ll often hear the term of an executive summary thrown around. However, they are quite different. An executive summary is a high-level overview of your RFP response. It should capture the most important elements of your proposal on one page.
As I’m sure you’re aware, your RFP response can range from 10-pages to 50. Many contracting authorities have stakeholders that are key in the decision-making process. They don’t always have the time to read multiple 50-page proposals. This is when the executive summary comes in. They can have a read and understand a vendor’s proposal in mere minutes.
The cover letter should give the contractor the context of who you are before reading about what you do.
You may be wondering how to make your government bid RFP cover letter stand out. Below is our go-to RFP cover letter template that can help you outshine your competitors. Typically, there are five key points you want to cover in your letter.
Always address your cover letter to a named contact within the contracting organization. If you’re not sure, get in touch and find out. Ask for the names of the key contacts that weigh in on the final decision.
Specifically addressing key personnel shows that you put the effort in to find out who is involved in the project. It will also increase your chances that they will actually read the cover letter. It suggests that you’re invested in developing a deeper professional relationship. Starting your letter with “To whom it may concern” suggests laziness and that it’s a generic copy and paste job. If all it takes is a simple phone call to find a name, why not give them a ring? Those two minutes can score you extra brownie points and show that you’ve done your research.
Don’t start off your RFP cover letter thanking the commissioner. It’s overdone and boring and is likely what all your competitors will be doing. Put yourself in the commissioner’s shoes, if you’re reading 30 cover letters starting the same, it’s a little repetitive. You want to stand out and be memorable. Try starting with something complementary and specific about the contracting authority. This demonstrates that you have done your homework and that it isn’t just another generic cover letter.
You should convey that you understand what the commissioner is needed from their RFP. The evaluator doesn’t want to read a boring, robotic cover letter. You want to demonstrate you not only understand their business but their needs and how to best deliver them.
This section should highlight your business qualifications and differentiators. Include your business’s unique selling points (USP) and what you excel at. Here, you should really be persuasive and sell your company. Do you have any innovative solutions or cutting-edge features? Do you excel at customer support? This is the time and place to proudly showcase these to the commissioner.
Concluding your cover letter with a closing call to action is a great way to close the pitch. After all, your RFP cover letter is basically a sales communication. Remember to thank them for their time and consideration for the contract and opportunity. You should state what you want them to do next and who they can contact should they need it. For example:
As mentioned above, your cover letter should go against the grain. You want to stand out and be memorable and this is your chance. Below are some helpful tips on how to make your RFP cover letter stand out:
So, hopefully, you have a better idea of how to create a memorable RFP cover letter. Avoid being generic and unspecific. Show the contracting authority that you’ve done your homework and are excited to work with them. An RFP Consultant will be able to help you with the whole RFP process. They understand what commissioners are looking for and how to best convey it.
Our RFP Writing service is the perfect solution to ensure that you submit a high-quality bid, even when you’re busy. Our RFP Writers will break down the solicitation documents, allowing you to see what the bid and the contract involves. This will help to ensure that you have all the specified evidence and meet the requirements of the contracting authority. Our RFP Writers will then craft persuasive, high-quality responses, attach supporting evidence and even submit the bid on your behalf. Upload the solicitation documents for a free quote.
Have you already written a bid but need a second pair of eyes to review your work? Our RFP Mentor service will do just that. Simply send over your bid responses and the solicitation documents. Our writers will then assess your work, ensuring that your responses are in line with the specification. They will also check for any spelling or grammar errors. You can then submit your bid with confidence. Upload your work for a free quote.
Proposal Ready
Do you need help with preparing a bid proposal? Proposal Ready can help businesses that are new to tendering or those in need of rejuvenating their content. Our Bid Consultants can offer you proposal writing services, creating:
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