Guide
A bid/no-bid checklist you can run in 15 minutes
The most expensive proposal is the one you never had a shot at. Before anyone starts writing, run the notice through these ten questions. One hard no, like an eligibility rule or a mandatory requirement you can't meet, is enough to walk away.
Can we win it?
- Is it our work? Read the statement of work, not just the title. Could we do this job well tomorrow?
- Are we eligible? Almost every solicitation carries one NAICS code and one size standard (big multiple-award vehicles can split by category). Check that you're small under that code, counting affiliates the way SBA's rules require, and that you hold any certification the set-aside needs.
- Do they know us? Did we answer the sources sought, talk to the contracting officer or the small business specialist, or work for this office before? Showing up cold isn't a deal-breaker, but knowing the customer helps you write to what they actually need.
- Is there an incumbent? Look up the previous award. An incumbent knows the work and often has the edge, so be clear on why the agency would switch to you.
- How will they pick? Find the evaluation criteria. They're often in Section M. In commercial solicitations, check the solicitation provisions and any addenda. Lowest price technically acceptable and a best-value tradeoff are different fights. Know which one you're in.
Can we afford to bid it?
- Is there enough time? Count the working days to the response date against who actually writes the proposal and what else they're carrying. Read the submission instructions twice. Late or off-format proposals can get thrown out no matter how good they are.
- Can we price it and still make money? If the only way to win is to lose money, that's a no.
- Any requirement we can't meet? Bonding, clearances, licenses, key personnel, a minimum-experience requirement, or clauses in the solicitation like FAR 52.204-21 (here's that one in plain English). In a negotiated buy, having no relevant past performance generally can't be scored for or against you. A stated minimum-experience requirement is different.
Is it worth it?
- Does it move us forward? New agency, new past performance, follow-on work. Some smaller bids are worth it for what they lead to.
- What else could this time win? Every proposal pushes another one off the desk.
Make the call and write it down
Score each question green, yellow or red. A red on eligibility or a mandatory requirement is a no-bid. For the rest, look at the overall pattern. Whatever you decide, write one line on why and keep it with the notice. After a few months you'll have a record of why you bid or passed. Track the outcomes too, and you'll see whether your calls are getting better.
Where the time really goes
The decision itself is quick. Getting to it isn't. The response date, the evaluation criteria and the one clause that kills the deal are often scattered across a long solicitation and its attachments. That's the part worth building a repeatable routine around.
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