The competitive bidding process is essential to ensure that products and services purchased by public procurement professionals on behalf of their agencies offer the best value and quality. But not all Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and/or Invitations for Bid (IFBs) are created equal. In theory, the bidding process is designed to result in responses from many potential suppliers. However, what if an RFP/IFB does not result in several qualified responses? If leading suppliers in the marketplace choose not to respond, what does that mean?
It’s unlikely suppliers didn’t know about the RFP/IFB or that they were “too busy” to respond. There’s a possibility some small local suppliers may not have the resources to know about potential bidding opportunities, but most regional, national and international companies monitor these opportunities closely.
Let’s look at some potential reasons why a supplier might opt to “No Bid.” The insights can help an agency strengthen its RFP/IFB practices and realize true best-value solutions.
Avoiding the Pitfalls
Here are some potential pitfalls of the RFP/IFB process that can cause a supplier to decide not to bid:
Keep reading this article at: http://americancityandcounty.com/government-procurement/why-suppliers-no-bid?