RFP & bid glossary

Addendum / Amendment

A formal change a buyer issues to a live RFP: new requirements, revised dates, or answers to clarifications. Always work from the latest version.

BAFOBest and Final Offer

A buyer's request for a final, improved offer (usually price) after initial evaluation, from the shortlisted bidders.

Best valueUS

A US award approach weighing quality, past performance and price together, rather than defaulting to the cheapest compliant bid. Contrast with LPTA.

Bid / no-bid

The go/no-go decision on whether to pursue an opportunity, weighing fit, effort, competition and win probability before committing resource.

CAIQConsensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire

A standard cloud-security questionnaire from the Cloud Security Alliance, mapped to its Cloud Controls Matrix.

Clarification questions

The formal Q&A window in a live tender. Questions (and the buyer's answers) are usually shared with every bidder.

Compliance matrix

A table mapping every requirement in an RFP to your response and supporting evidence, so nothing is missed and evaluators can tick you off quickly.

Contracting authorityUKEU

The public body running a procurement and bound by its rules. A US federal agency is the rough equivalent.

Contracts FinderUK

The UK government portal listing public-sector contracts and many lower-value opportunities in England.

DDQDue Diligence Questionnaire

A deep questionnaire, common in finance and vendor risk, verifying how you actually operate before a deal or investment proceeds.

DebriefUKEU

The buyer's feedback on why you won or lost. A supplier right in UK/EU public tenders; the "debriefing" in US federal bids.

DPSDynamic Purchasing SystemUKEU

An open, ongoing supplier list buyers can call off from. Unlike a closed framework, suppliers can join at any time.

EOIExpression of Interest

An early, lightweight signal that you'd like to be considered, before any full tender is issued.

Evaluation criteria

The weighted scheme a buyer uses to score responses. Read it first: it tells you exactly where the marks are.

FARFederal Acquisition RegulationUS

The rulebook governing how US federal agencies buy. The UK and EU run on their own procurement regulations, not the FAR.

Find a TenderFTSUK

The UK service for publishing higher-value public tenders since Brexit, replacing the UK's use of OJEU.

Framework agreementUKEU

A pre-approved supplier arrangement buyers can "call off" from without re-running a full tender. Close cousin of a US IDIQ or GSA vehicle.

G-CloudUK

A UK government framework for buying cloud hosting, software and support through the Digital Marketplace.

GSA ScheduleMASUS

A pre-negotiated US federal contract vehicle (Multiple Award Schedule) that agencies can buy from directly.

Incumbent

The supplier that currently holds the contract, usually the one to beat, and the reason to lead with change and value.

ITTInvitation to TenderUKEU

A formal request to submit a priced, compliant bid, common in UK/EU public procurement. Roughly the US "solicitation" or RFP.

Kick-off

The internal meeting that starts a bid: owners, deadlines, win themes and the plan for who answers what.

LotUKEU

A divisible package within a larger tender that suppliers can bid for separately, often to widen access for smaller firms.

LPTALowest Price Technically AcceptableUS

A US award method where the cheapest bid that clears the minimum bar wins. Contrast with best value.

MEAT / MATMost Advantageous TenderUKEU

The UK/EU standard of best price-quality balance, not just lowest price. The Procurement Act 2023 renames MEAT to MAT.

MSAMaster Services Agreement

The overarching contract terms that individual work orders or SOWs sit under.

NDANon-Disclosure Agreement

Signed before sensitive details are shared (often in both directions) to protect confidential information.

OJEUEUUK

The former EU-wide tender journal. UK tenders moved to Find a Tender after Brexit; EU ones still route via TED.

Past performanceUS

Your track record on similar contracts, formally scored in US federal bids and recorded in CPARS.

PINPrior Information NoticeUKEU

An early notice that a public buyer intends to run a procurement, giving suppliers time to prepare.

PQQPre-Qualification QuestionnaireUKEU

A first-stage screen on capability, experience and standing, deciding who's invited to bid. Now often the UK "SQ" (Selection Questionnaire).

Procurement Act 2023UK

The UK's overhauled public-procurement regime (in force 2025), replacing the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Redacted

Information removed from a document before release, typically commercially sensitive pricing or personal data.

Reverse auction

A live event where pre-qualified suppliers bid the price down against each other in real time.

RFIRequest for Information

An early, non-binding request to learn what suppliers and solutions exist, before a formal buying process.

RFPRequest for Proposal

A buyer's formal request for a proposed solution and price, scored against weighted criteria. The most detailed of the "RF" documents, and the default US term.

RFQRequest for Quotation

A request focused on price for a well-defined, off-the-shelf requirement.

Set-asideUS

A US contract reserved for a category of small business, e.g. 8(a), SDVOSB (veteran-owned), WOSB (women-owned) or HUBZone.

Shred / shredding

Breaking an RFP down into individual requirements and questions so each can be owned, tracked and answered.

SIGStandardized Information Gathering

A widely used third-party security and risk questionnaire from Shared Assessments, in full and "Lite" versions.

SLAService Level Agreement

The measurable service commitments (uptime, response and resolution times) you're contractually held to.

Social valueUK

Weighted UK criteria scoring wider economic, social and environmental benefit alongside price, with a minimum 10% weighting on many central-government bids.

Sources soughtUS

A US federal market-research notice testing supplier interest and capability before a formal solicitation.

SOWStatement of Work

The specific deliverables, timeline and acceptance criteria for a defined piece of work.

Standstill periodUKEU

A mandatory pause after a public-sector award (the "Alcatel" period) before signing, letting unsuccessful bidders challenge. The US analogue is a GAO bid protest.

TEDTenders Electronic DailyEU

The EU's central portal for public tenders above the value thresholds.

ThresholdUSUKEU

The contract value above which formal procurement rules and portals kick in. The figure differs by regime and category.

TUPEUK

UK rules that transfer staff, on their existing terms, to the incoming supplier when a service changes hands.

Weighting

How many marks each criterion carries. Read it before writing: it shows where the points actually are.

Win theme

A recurring message linking your strengths to what the buyer cares about, woven consistently through the whole response.

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