Pre-proposal Conference Question

Who runs the pre-proposal conference? A pre-proposal conference is a Procurement run meeting and they will begin the meeting with the procurement guidelines and appropriate practices. The buyer will review each section of the RFP for clarity. The committee chair will be responsible for reviewing the Background and the Intent of the RFP. Committee members or subject matter experts invited to the pre-proposal conference will be available to answer any technical questions only. All committee members do not have to be present at the conference.

Do we have to host a pre-proposal conference? No, pre-proposal conferences are not mandatory. However, they are a suggested practice. The buyer will review each section of the RFP for clarity. The conference will assist suppliers with general questions about the format of the RFP.

Can pre-proposal conferences be held in Zoom? Yes, this is the preferred method of hosting a pre-proposal conference. Onsite conferences may also be held however, they will require additional coordination work for the committee members. Things to consider for onsite conferences would be: committee member schedules, room availability, AV equipment, parking, refreshments, PowerPoint presentation, etc.

If a supplier asks a questions at the pre-proposal conference will it be answered? The pre-proposal conference should not introduce any new information that is not already in the RFP. Basic formatting questions, how to questions about concepts are already in the instructions of the RFP, and explanations of the scope or material already in the RFP will be answered. However, more complicated or detailed questions about the scope of work or individual use cases must be submitted formally and a follow-up addendum with the answers must be provided to all respondents.

Can pre-proposal conferences be recorded? No. This protects us from a protest.

When should a pre-proposal conference be held? Pre-proposal conference should occur at least one (1) week after the RFP release to allow the supplier to digest the material.