Request for Proposals (RFP)
Fatal Flaws
Recently, the Council members reviewed
our RFP process and decided to strengthen
the review process by enforcing existing
requirements. These requirements have
been in our RFPs for several years, but
they were not treated as mandatory criteria.
By enforcing these requirements, FDDC is
providing a level playing field for proposals,
allowing our reviewers to focus on content
rather than proposals’ format or style
elements.
What are fatal flaws?
• Fatal flaws is a more common term used
to describe mandatory responsiveness
requirements.
• These requirements must be met in order
for the proposal to be accepted and
evaluated for possible funding.
Fatal Flaws
Required Proposal Content
Every RFP we
release will have
this Fatal Flaw
checklist attached.
Each requirement
is listed with the
section of the RFP
that relates to it.
PLEASE SEE
RFP
Section 1
#5, (F)
Section 1
#5, (F)
Section 1
#5, (F)
Section 1
#5, (G)
1
Funds requested must be in identified range of available funding
2
Must include adequate and allowable match
3
Must include proposed line item budget in format provided
4
Must include 3 references, references must be within last 5 years
5
RFP Submission Instructions
Must include RFP Acknowledgement form
6
Must include completed RFP title page
7
Must be delivered sealed, clearly marked with RFP number and title
8
Proposal may not exceed listed page limit
9
Must have numbered pages
10
Must have 1” margins
11
Must be 1.5 spaced
12
Cannot be larger than letter-sized (8 ½” x 11”)
13
Must be printed on one side only
14
Must be in Times New Roman font size 12
15
All attachments and exhibits must be letter-sized (8 ½” x 11”)
16
18
Must be unbound, collated, and include a Table of Contents with each section
clearly labeled with the appropriate heading
One copy of proposal must have original signature in blue ink and marked as
“Original”
Must submit one original and 9 copies
19
Electronic version of the proposal must be submitted on a CD or a USB flash drive
Section 2
#6, (4)
20
Must submit items in specific order as detailed in RFP
21
Must be received by stated time and date
Section 2
#6, (5)
Section 2
#9
22
Forms
Must submit required certifications with original signature in blue ink
17
Section 2
#4
Section 2
#5
Section 2
#6, (1)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (2)
Section 2
#6, (3)
Section 2
#6, (4)
Section 2
#6, (4)
Section 5
Forms 1-3

The Process
1. When submitting a proposal in response
to a FDDC RFP, you must ensure you
have
met
all
the
mandatory
requirements listed in the checklist as
well as provide sufficient information to
address the content requirements of the
RFP.
2. Once we receive your proposal, our staff
member will open them according to the
Schedule and Deadlines set forth in the
RFP.
3. Once opened, our staff member will do a
review of the proposal to ensure it has
met the mandatory requirements.
4. If
your
proposal
has
met
the
requirements, it will be considered
responsive and will be included in the
selection committee’s review process.
5. If your proposal is missing any one of
the identified required elements, you will
receive a notification letter via US Mail to
the address listed in the RFP.
6. The Notification letter will give you a ten
(10) day deadline in which to correct the
flaw. You may not alter in any way the
content of the original proposal. Any
revision or supplementation of the content
of the originally submitted proposal will
cause FDDC to reject it as unresponsive.
7. If FDDC receives the modified proposal
within the deadline stated in the
Notification letter, our staff member will
again review it to ensure it meets the
mandatory requirements. If it does, it will
be considered responsive and included in
the selection committee’s review. If it
does not, it will be rejected as
unresponsive.
Questions?
We are creating a Frequently Asked
Questions
section on
the
Funding
Opportunities page of our website
(www.fddc.org) for general questions and
answers on our RFP process.
You may also submit specific questions
during the Question and Answer period for
each RFP.