Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: RFPs and developers

[James Kacki (jimkacki]

RFP's (request for proposal), can be issued by anyone (not just  
governments).  They can be issued to developers, contractors or  
architects or engineers, depending on your needs and the stage of  
your project.  You also don't have to state the money you have. You  
can instead outline what you need (in broad or specific terms) and  
ask for a price as part of the proposal.  You should ask that the  
proposals outline in detail what they would do for the price they  
submit .  Obviously the more detailed and specific you can be with  
your needs, and the more specific the information you are requesting  
is, the better for everybody.  The Proposals you receive in response  
to your RFP usually form the substantive basis for a contract between  
you and the developer or contractor or architect or engineer, so a  
very specific and detailed proposal for a specific price is your best  
guarantee of a satisfactory end result.
Having said that, if you know your budget limit, you can also include  
your budget in the RFP and ask what the developer /contractor can do  
for that amount.  Either way the more detailed the proposal is, the  
better.
And its a good idea to issue the identical RFP's to several  
developers or contractors, so that you can choose the best one that  
demonstrates an understanding of your needs and demonstrates by the  
specifics of their proposal what they would do for you.
There are many ways to skin the cat (awful analogy) or issue an RFP.  
(I'm sure many people will have other opinions on the process I've  
just described.)   You can tailor it to your specific situation, and  
the stage of your development.    Hope this helps you start thinking  
about the process.
James


On 19-Feb-08, at 11:14 AM, melanie griffin wrote:

> Request for Proposals, usually issued by a government or other funding
> entity. Basically a call for submissions of ideas on how to use  
> money the
> funder has toward a goal the funder wants accomplished by a  
> consultant,
> nonprofit, or other entity. There is usually an outline the  
> applicant has to
> follow, strict timelines, and the funding is usually for a one-time  
> project
> (like building or design) or a limited period with possible  
> renewals (like
> building management).
>
> On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Stuart Joseph  
> <stuart [at] caercoburn.org>
> wrote:
>
> > What is an RFP?
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