Request for Proposals (RFP): how funders invite applications

What is a request for proposals?

A request for proposals (RFP) is the document a funder issues to invite applications for funding. It defines what is on offer and what applicants must do: the funding available, who is eligible, how proposals will be evaluated, the format required, and the deadline.

For a funder, the RFP is the front door of the grant cycle. A clear, well-structured RFP produces applications that are comparable and easy to assess; a vague one produces a flood of off-target requests and a painful review.

‍

How is an RFP different from a call for proposals?

The two are close cousins and often used interchangeably. An RFP tends to be more formal and structured, common in public-sector procurement and larger funding programmes. A call for proposals is usually a broader, more open invitation, common in research and philanthropic contexts.

The practical difference is one of degree, not kind. Both announce that funding is available and solicit applications; the RFP simply tends to prescribe more tightly what the response must contain.

‍

How is an RFP different from a grant proposal?

The RFP is the funder's invitation; the grant proposal is the applicant's response to it. The funder writes the RFP to ask; the applicant writes the proposal to answer. Keeping the two straight matters because the RFP sets the criteria against which every proposal is judged.

A good proposal maps directly onto the RFP's stated priorities and eligibility criteria, which is why the quality of the RFP so strongly shapes the quality of what comes back.

‍

Managing RFPs in a platform

Issuing an RFP and collecting structured responses is far easier when the form, criteria and deadlines live in one system. A grant management platform lets a funder publish an RFP and gather comparable applications automatically, the practical side of learning to build an online grant application form without IT.