Re: [2] Request for Proposal forms

[Kat Nagel <katnagel -at- EZNET -dot- NET>]

At 02:00 PM 3/5/99 -0600, David Orr wrote:
>I've been bidding tech writing and training proposals since 1983, and
>I've never seen a bond required of a bidder. We've done projects up to
>$2 million. To the contrary, the larger the project, the more likely it
>is we will require that the client pay US front money, which acts as a
>kill fee if a project is canceled prematurely for the convenience of the
>client.


The only time I'm required to post a bond with a proposal is when I respond
to an RFP from a state or county government department or a large utility
company.  These organizations apparently have a standard proposal process
that is required by their particular regulatory agencies.  This process
gets slapped onto every project, from building construction to computer
service outsourcing to writing contracts.

The last RFP I received was from one particular agency that routinely
requires a non-refundable $100 bond for the first proposal phase, and
refundable bonds of $250 for phase II and $500 for phase III.  I declined
the RFP, but I know of 8 individuals or companies that responded to it, at
least as far as phase II; there may have been more.

The project?  ... wait for it ... writing a half-page envelope stuffer
announcing an address change.  Maximum billable time ~ 8 hours even if you
include the (inevitable) meetings.  At $40/hour, their usual rate for a
freelance writer, the agency made a tidy profit on that deal.


Kat Nagel
MasterWork Consulting Services
katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net   OR   mwrk -at- aol -dot- com


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