How to Find RFPs: Unlocking New Business Opportunities

Government Agencies and private organizations allocate millions of dollars in contracts through the Request For Proposal ( RFP ) process. Identifying and responding to these RFPs becomes important to secure high-value contracts and increase revenue. To extract the most out of these opportunities, you have to first know, How to find an RFP.

While searching through online databases and various platforms is a common practice, there are several other strategies to help you discover RFPs. Finding RFPs begins with a simple step - a Google Search, which brought you here. This article will guide you through different methods and platforms to find RFPs, and share tips on how to strategically approach them to unlock a continuous stream of business opportunities.

In this blog, you’ll also get a helpful tip on how to respond effectively to RFPs and introduce a powerful tool designed to streamline this process, ensuring your responses stand out. Let's dive into the different types of RFPs and explore how you can get started today.

Before we get into how to find RFPs, let us briefly explore its meaning. An RFP is an official document issued by a company, government agency, or nonprofit organization inviting qualified suppliers to submit a proposal for a specific project or service. 

Types of RFPs You Can Find 

1. Open RFP

Open RFPs are public tenders that may be accessed by any business or vendor who may wish to propose. These usually appear on the government website, open tender platforms, or public organizations that are keen on developing competition and bringing about transparency in the process. Open RFPs usually have a clear set of requirements, submission deadlines, and evaluation criteria.

2. Closed RFPs

‍Closed RFPs are usually accessible only to a limited number of vendors. These usually result from a prior relationship or prequalification process. Closed RFPs are usually utilized by businesses that have a preference to deal with established, trusted suppliers or wish to limit the proposals they need to review.

3. Hybrid RFPs

‍Hybrid RFPs combine the approaches of both Open and Closed RFPs. In this case, RFPs are issued to selected vendors, but also posted as an open invitation. If an organization finds it challenging to attract sufficient visibility or interest in their RFP using an open RFP method, they might contact a few qualified entities to submit a proposal.

Where and How to Find RFPs 

Identifying the right channels for RFPs can directly impact your company's competitive positioning and revenue. Here are several channels and platforms where businesses can find RFPs:

1. Government Portals

The majority of RFP issuers are government agencies. National, state, and local governments issue RFPs in almost all types of services, including construction and IT solutions. At every level of government, there is a procurement portal or a tendering system where businesses can register to be notified of any RFP that could be relevant.

• Example:
  • USA: Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps)
  • India: Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP)
  • UK: Contracts Finder

2. Private RFP Platforms

Private RFP websites and databases give users access to hundreds of RFP information. These sites gather RFPs from diverse sectors and industries and enable businesses to access and filter RFPs based on location, industry, budget, and other conditions. These platforms charge some amount of fees for their services, usually in the form of subscriptions. 

Among a lot of RFP platforms, choosing the right one becomes an important task. This decision should be made based on various factors such as, quantity and quality of collected information. Also platforms can be filtered based on whether the content aligns with your business and the frequency of database updation.

Additional features like Alerts and refined searching can also be taken into consideration while selecting an appropriate RFP platform.

These are some of the databases and platforms for RFPs - 

• GovWin 
• BidNet 
• FindRFP
• Rfpdb
• BidNet Direct
• bidsUSA
• RFPmart
• RFPZone

Search for Open RFPs 

To find open RFPs, use the following strategies:

Use Keywords and Filters:

On any RFP platform, narrow your search using keywords relevant to your industry, project type, or location. 

For instance, if you’re in the IT services business, search for keywords like “software development,” “cloud services,” or “cybersecurity.”

Google Search:

By refining your Google search with specific techniques, you can uncover opportunities that align with your business. Here's how:

Be Specific with Keywords: 

When searching for RFPs, think about the terms that can be used by target organizations. Combine words like "RFP," "Request for Proposal," or "Tender" with your industry or service area. 

For example, if you're in IT services, try phrases like "RFP IT services 2025" or "Request for Proposal software development." Adding the year can help you find the most current opportunities.

Use Google’s Search Operators: 

Google’s advanced search capabilities allow you to increase your chance of finding targeted RFPs. For example:

• "RFP site:.gov" to find RFPs specifically on government websites.
• Most of the time RFPs are uploaded in different file formats. Specifying it in your searches helps in directly obtaining these files, without going through many pages. Example - "intitle:RFP filetype:pdf" 
• Searches like "RFP 2025 + [industry]" will refine your search results for your industry type. 

Search Regularly: 

RFPs often have strict submission deadlines, which makes it important to search regularly to avoid missing opportunities. Setting aside dedicated time each week to actively search for open RFPs, will ensure you stay on top of new opportunities.

Set Up Alerts:

RFP platforms allow you to set up notifications. Alerts can be created for specific keywords which will remove any chances of missing any opportunity.

Tips for Accessing Closed RFPs

Closed RFPs are often harder to find as they are not publicly advertised. However, you can improve your chances of being invited by focusing on these strategies:

Build Relationships:

For getting invited for closed RFPs, the first step is making sure concerned organizations are aware of you and your business. This can be done by developing strong connections with decision-makers or procurement officers. Attend industry events, conferences, and engage actively with organizations that issue RFPs.

Get Prequalified

‍Organizations have clear requirements and evaluation parameters and a list of approved vendors based on these criterias. Research their prequalification requirements and work towards meeting them to secure your spot for future opportunities.

Option to register as vendors is offered by many organizations. If you believe your business aligns with an organization, you can register on their website. 

• Examples - 
  • Amazon Vendor Central
  • Wells Fargo Supplier Registration
  • Pfizer Supplier Registration
  • Bausch + Lomb Supplier Portal
  • IBM Supplier Registration

Connect with Brokers and Consultants

Brokers and consultants act as catalysts in the RFP ecosystem, quickly connecting businesses with relevant opportunities and creating long-term relationships. These consultants are hired by organizations to find best deals for them.

Reaching out to these consultants increases your chance of being seen. When reaching out, keep your communication concise. Craft a brief introductory email explaining how your services align with their client needs and what differentiates you from the competition.

Also don’t forget to send follow-ups from time to time, to stay on top of their mind. Following these steps, and at the same time being genuine, can land you a contract.

Showcase Your Expertise

‍Maintain a solid track record and an impressive portfolio. Highlight your achievements, certifications, and strengths to make your business an attractive choice for closed RFP invitations.

Stay consistent and strategic to position your business for exclusive opportunities.

Responding to RFPs

You are now aware of all the strategies and platforms for finding RFPs for your business. But finding an RFP is just half the task. Creating a compelling RFP in strict deadlines is an equally important step. This is crucial because the responses tell the organization about your expertise and differentiators. Mastering this process, will you give an edge over your competitors, and convince the organizations of Why They Should Choose You!

To get detailed info about how to respond to RFPs check this blog.

Conclusion

Finding RFPs requires strategic foreseeing and clear understanding of market dynamics. Positioned appropriately on the right platforms, you can unlock valuable opportunities for securing long-term, high-value contracts.  Government portals, private platforms, industry-specific sites, and networking can provide an array of opportunities to a business.

Open RFPs are easy to find and respond to, while closed RFPs demand relationships and reputation. A right search strategy and positioning for open and closed RFPs respectively can make it possible to keep winning valuable contracts and growing the business.

Using tools like Inventive AI, can streamline the process of filling RFPs. Inventive is an AI-powered RFP & questionnaire response management platform. With Inventive, your team can import new RFP documents—and within seconds you'll see a generated summary along with initial draft responses tailored to the exact RFP requirements, your past responses, and your competitive differentiators.

Generative AI makes the RFP process more efficient. GenAI can quickly analyze the RFP requirements, generate a draft proposal, prioritize and assign tasks, and retrieve up-to-date data from your sources. Inventive is an AI-powered RFP & questionnaire response management platform and helps in the following ways:

• Smart Drafts: Generate 10x Faster AI-created drafts to respond to RFPs much faster.
• Deep Analytics and Insights: It provides key performance metrics for every response that allows actionable insights to make further improvements in future submissions.
• AI-powered: Smart suggestions and completions make completing RFPs much quicker, and full of accuracy. Real-time collaboration tools enable teams to work together in harmony on responses via live editing, commenting, and instant feedback.
• Configuration workflow: Highly customizable workflows to meet the needs of various industries or unique RFP processes.

To read - Use of GenAI to submit a successful request for proposal, check it out at, how-generative-ai-can-help-you-win-more-rfps

Visit Inventive.ai and streamline your RFP process.