As of January 1, 2026, access to all Procurement U courses is a benefit of NASPO and Procurement Professionals Alliance (PPA) membership.
To learn more about PPA membership, visit their website here.
Course Description:
Type: self-paced, online
Description: The purpose of this course is to define Request for Proposals and explain the complete process for using them in public procurement
Learning Objectives:
- Understand when to use a Request for Proposal(RFP) instead of other methods.
- Identify the steps in the RFP process.
- Define responsible and responsive Bidders.
- Identify stakeholders in the RFP process.
- Describe the elements of a Scope of Work.
- Understand best practices for the development of specifications.
- Determine when insurance, bonds and licenses are needed for an RFP.
- Identify the components of issuing, receiving and opening an RFP.
- Analyze the skills and knowledge needed by members of an evaluation committee.
- Recognize opportunities for conflicts of interests within the evaluation committee.
- Analyze the key components of effective evaluation criteria.
- Create and analyze a scoring system for an RFP.
- Understand the purpose of negotiations within the RFP process.
- Identify elements of a negotiation plan.
- Understand steps for approval and award of an RFP.
- Create an RFP template.
Course Technology Requirements:
- Internet connection
- Support web browsers:
- Recommended: Chrome, Firefox, Safari (latest versions)
- Avoid: Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge
- If prompted, accept all cookies and allow popups
- Access to Procurement U LMS
- Ability to play and listen to audio through computer speakers or headphones
Contact Hours: This course offers three (3) contact hours for continuing education credit.