Requests for Proposal: Glossary
Plain definitions of the terms used on the RFP tab.
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RFP
Request for proposal. An invitation to a vendor to quote on the work described by a service ticket. One ticket can have several, one per vendor.
Vendor
A contractor or supplier recorded in your vendor list. Only vendors already set up, with an email address, can be invited.
RFP link
The private web address issued to one vendor for one RFP. It is how they submit without needing an account, and it is individual to them, which is what keeps proposals separate.
Proposal
What the vendor submits: their documents, a price estimate, and any notes.
Price estimate
The headline figure a vendor gives for the job. Useful for comparison and dangerous on its own, since two estimates often cover different scopes.
Proposal documents
The files the vendor uploads with their proposal, typically the quote itself plus supporting paperwork such as insurance or a scope letter.
Expiry date
The date after which a proposal is no longer valid. An expired proposal cannot be voted on.
Voting
The board vote on which vendor to appoint, run from the RFP tab. It can be started, deferred, and resumed, and it connects to the board decisions record.
Winner
The vendor awarded the work. Marking a winner finalises the other vendors and closes voting.
Board decision
The formal record of a decision taken by the board. An RFP result can be turned into one, so the choice of vendor is minuted rather than living only in a ticket.
PO number
The purchase order reference recorded on the ticket. It is what links the accepted quote to the invoice you will later pay.