RFP=request for proposal

proposal meaning fees/working relationship or design proposal? this is new territory in admin stuff

It should be noted that RFQ and RFP are not limited to the profession of architecture. These are common in most professions.

They're often used interchangeably in architecture.

What exactly is required is always listed in the paperwork that you obtain from whomever has announced the RFP or RFQ.

Typical would be: firm's qualifications (resumes of all team members, resumes of intended consultants, list of all of the firm's projects - sometimes for as far back as 20 years or more, sometimes some portfolio samples, a number of references, proof of errors and ommissions insurance - often $1 million minimum required, proof of worker's comp insurance....) Sometimes they require proof of having done similar projects. Some types of projects will require paperwork about the number of women and minority employees in the firm. Some projects (for municipalities, HUD, etc.) may require proof of how many employees reside in the city limits. HUD projects give preference to firms who employ people who qualify as low-income in the city in question.

Usually the firm also must provide a fee schedule, including hourly rates for each employee, method of billing, sometimes projected consultant's fees.

It is is an RFP (or is "RFQ" is just being used loosely) then they may also request a projected project schedule with phases, projected fees for each schedule, a summary of the firm's approach to the project, projected client meeting schedule, proposal of presentations (to community, school board, whatever is required....)

Usually the project paperwork is available free or for a small fee - so if you're planning to submit qualifications get that as soon as possible!

I have to disagree. They are not at all the same things, and anybody who uses them as such is very sloppy. An RFQ only needs information about the firm as an organization and their past work, though they can have different extents of requirements (such as those noted by Bloopox above).

An RFP targets information about how you would approach a specific project - financially, scheduling, and often a short response to a project brief.

That's what I was trying to say - that those are the differences IF there is any difference.

In my experience though they're often used interchangeably. For example our local newspaper - where most would be posted for this region - has a division of the classifieds called "RFQs" - but most of what are posted there are really RFP's because they're requesting more than just qualifications.

in my experience, qulifications is not the smae as proposals.

qualifications are just that. these requests would seek out qualified firms for the building type in question. not every firm can successfully deliver a hospital. that hospital firm might not be very qualified to design university dormatory student housing or hotel/ resort design work. in these qualifications proposals, there is a focus on past projects that are very similar to the project at question (how many multi-family condo project have you done in the past five years for instance).

for RFP, i've seen pretty much what Bloopox lists out; conceptual design layout, design schedule, construction schedule, preliminary construction cost, design team members with resumes (including all consultants), biling rates by the hour as well as a fee proposal.

done right, these proposals will be very details and very focused and will cast the best possible light on a firm and their proficiencies.

IMO, an RFP that asks for any design work - even a conceptual layout - should include a stipend/fee for the designers work, as well as for their team members (construction pricing, specialized consultants, etc.).

Let the flames begin.

i completely agree with you liberty bell, however i have never seen any that do (especially in the public arena). from what i've done, the design work is really your 'approach' to the design problem. the drawings almost always consist exclusively of hand sketches.

I've never seen an RFP that asks for any design work. At most they may ask for a 1-page statement about how the firm would approach the project (such as what they would do to firm up the program - for instance whether they'd interview everyone who would inhabit the building, how their team usually operates, who the contact person would be, etc.)

In some larger firms that I've worked for, where they have enough staff to dedicate some entirely to proposals, I know that they did routinely do some brainstorming and include some rough sketches in the proposal, because they thought it would give them an edge - and it probably did. But I've never seen and RFP that requested this.

Occasionally there are projects that are run as "competitions" that are really just a way to get a bunch of different schematics for free. But that's a whole different subject...

If you think about it in terms of time an RFQ ( could also be called an expression of interest) should be punched out in a couple hours, an RFP is a painsaking process of putting together the killer proposal ( that can take weeks to write and assemble) to get you into the interview to get the job.

liberty bell, I don't think you're going to get flamed for that one. Most of the time RFP's don't include this, only a written response to the project statement, and if one does ask firms to go above and beyond the norm it would follow that they be compensated above and beyond the norm (you know, the usual nothing).

You guys left out EOI and IPO, those are the ones you make big buck on.

on the RFQ vs RFP, for public art related to architecture,

the RFQ is a CV, references, etc, w/ slides or digital samples with a short sweet letter of interest.

the RFP though always stated as wanting a 8.5 x 11 verbal project description never succeeds in getting anywhere without some sort of graphic presentation/sketch with a detail jammed into small format. Sadly (most) people on committees have very little ability to visualize or imagine past the slides or images of previous work. Generally the RFP's are not worth the investment of time until you get past the first hurdle. They are also highly politicized, & generally, the projects go to someone who knows someone in the chain of decisionmakers (on later analysis).

Formerlyunknown has the right view............ + the description of a project scope and defined parameters invariably are ignored by the review committee - creating the two arenas of giving them what they ask for in an RFP and giving them what they want.

What is a good source to find RFQ/RFP's? Are there any worthwhile sources in the form of RSS feeds or free services?  Do they list the needs of the project with construction codes? Thanks in advance.