University of Pittsburgh
Office of Research

 

GUIDELINES FOR RESPONDING TO A
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Listed below are general guidelines for responding to a Request for a Proposal (RFP). For a specific RFP, you are encouraged to confer at an early stage with Office of Research staff.

  1. Upon receipt of the RFP, a complete copy must be forwarded to the Office of Research with a short note indicating your intention to respond. The Office of Research needs this copy as soon as possible for review.
Please be advised, a sponsor will at times issue one or more amendments to the original solicitation. These amendments are usually forwarded directly to the individuals who requested the complete RFP package. When forwarding a complete copy of the RFP to the Office of Research, please include any amendments.
  1. Notify your Area Administrator that it is your intention to submit a proposal. Provide your Administrator with a copy of the RFP; your Administrator will need to work with you on the submission.

  2. If human subjects and/or vertebrate animals will be used in the project, submit your requests for approval to the appropriate committee(s) for review.

  3. Review the RFP carefully. Important items listed in the RFP will typically include:
    1. A letter of intent. (This statement is submitted to the agency approximately 1-2 months before actual submission of the proposal--a copy should be sent to the Office of Research).
    2. The RFP's objectives/aims
    3. Amount to be awarded
    4. Time period of project
    5. Date of submission
    6. Reporting requirements
    7. Any special requirements (e.g.: inclusion of women and minorities in the project)
    8. Packaging and delivery of the proposal (e.g.: number of copies, addressee, and whether the response format requires separate technical and cost proposals)
    9. Sample contract (Oftentimes a sample contract is included within the RFP--be aware of particular clauses regarding publication, patents and copyrights, and confidential data).
    10. Budget format
    11. Special forms to be included in the proposal
    12. Proposal evaluation criteria

  4. Contact your Administrator or Grants and Contracts Officer in the Office of Research to verify current rates to be used in preparing your budget (Facilities and Administrative Costs and fringe benefit) and to review what forms you will need to complete and what information and signatures you will need to obtain.

  5. Unlike most grant proposals, RFP submissions require numerous special forms. Many must be collected and/or prepared by the Grants and Contracts Officer. These will include:
    1. Representations and Certifications (Provided by Office of Research)
    2. University's financial statement (Available On-Line)
    3. Board of Trustees listing (Provided by Office of Research)
    4. University's travel policy (Available On-Line)
    5. Current University Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (Provided by Office of Research)
    6. Commitment/contact letter (Provided by Office of Research)
    7. Proposal Summary & Data Records sheet (Form NIH 2043) (Provided by Department and signed by Office of Research)
    8. Lobbying certification (Provided by Office of Research)
    9. Drug-free workplace certification (Provided by Office of Research)
    10. Certification of non-delinquency of federal debt and debarment (Provided by Office of Research)
    11. Form 1411 - Pre-printed federal cover page (Provided by Department)
    12. Subcontracting plan: This includes purchasing plan(s) for minority/women/disadvantaged vendors. (Prepared by Renee Galloway, Purchasing. Department should contact Renee as soon as possible.)*
    13. Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Participation Plan (Prepared by Renee Galloway, Purchasing. Department should contact Renee as soon as possible).*
Please read specific RFP guidelines carefully for required documents not listed above or for those documents not required under "Just-In-Time" procedures.

NOTE: University policy requires use of the applicable, full indirect cost rate. Finalized budgets must be sent to the Office of Research at least 3-4 days before actual submission date. Moreover, proposals involving exceptions to full indirect costs may require additional time for administrative revie
  1. Once your proposal is completed, the Area Administrator prepares the Form 136. Once the appropriate signatures are obtained, the proposal will be reviewed by a Grants and Contracts Officer, signed by the Director of the Office of Research, and returned to you for copying and mailing. (Please provide the Office of Research with a complete copy of the proposal).

  2. BEST & FINAL OFFER -- If after the Sponsor's review, the proposal is considered to be in the competitive range, a request for a "Best & Final Offer" will be sent to the Office of Research. Best & Final Offers generally require a "quick turn around." This can be as short a time as two days. The sponsor's request for the Best & Final Offer will specify a definite return date. A Best & Final will generally consist of the following:
    1. Clarification/revision of certain technical items (Provided by Principal Investigator)
    2. Revised budget (Provided by Principal Investigator and Area Administrator)
    3. Clarification of certain budget items (Provided by Principal Investigator)
    4. Subcontracting plan (Provided by Purchasing; Contact Renee Galloway, at 624-5261; rgalloway@bc.pitt.edu)*
    5. Certification of Current Cost or Pricing Data (Provided by Office of Research)
    6. Revised face page with original signatures (Provided by Principal Investigator, signed by Mr. Allen A. DiPalma, Director, Office of Research)

Upon the sponsor's receipt and review of the "Best & Final," notification will be forwarded to either the Principal Investigator or to the Office of Research regarding the successful bidder for the contract.

* Subcontracting plan information <http://www.bc.pitt.edu/purchasing/researcher.html> via Purchasing's web site

October 1991 revised Feb 2006