There are many different types of proposal requests created by organizations for a variety of purposes. Proposal requests are useful when attempting to negotiate the terms of providing a service or requesting resources for operational or project needs. A proposal request is most often used to secure a contract with another organization or to obtain funding for a specific purpose.

The most common form of a proposal request is a solicited request, also known as a request for proposal, or RFP. This type of proposal request may be advertised in a local or industrial publication by an entity to directly request vendors to send in written proposals. This type of proposal request is often seen in the construction industry when building and design firms may request construction bids be submitted by a particular deadline.

Another form of proposal request is the unsolicited variety, in which the organization does not ask for bids to be placed. The unsolicited request for proposal may be a standing order in which other potential vendors or providers must always submit a request before any contractual agreement can be considered. Unsolicited requests for proposals are most often in the form of sales proposals or grant proposals that must be submitted before any action can commence.

In some cases, if the organization is seeking additional funding or agreements with another entity, such as a government agency or a supplier, repeat or renewal requests for proposal may be required periodically. This type of RFP ensures that the organization can continue to benefit from the resources provided by another for a certain period of time. The repeat or renewal request for proposal is a written record of transactions and agreements made between the organizations.

An additional form of RFP is the business proposal in which one company agrees to perform a specific service or provide a product to another for a certain price. Each company has a particular way of writing and executing a business proposal. Generally, the writing of the proposal is managed by the sales executive team or the administrative support team at the company then submitted in accordance with the other party’s demands.

When an organization opts to make a change to a request for proposal or contract, this is most often handled by writing and submitting a request for amendment to the contract. The proposal amendment lists the change to the contract in black and white so that both parties are in agreement for legal purposes. The amended contract including the proposal changes then replaces the existing contract.