Getting ready to respond to an RFP from a large school district (85 buildings) and wondering what others have learned about the procurement process. They want a fixed-fee proposal but I'm worried about scope creep with that many facilities. Also, do school districts typically have budget cycles that affect when they can pay out recoveries?
School district RFP process - any tips?
Dan, school RFPs are notorious for being rigid but the work is usually straightforward. Most districts are on general service rates without much complexity. The budget cycle thing is real - they often can only process large payments during specific windows. I'd structure the fee to account for that delay. Fixed-fee can work if you limit the scope clearly upfront.
Be careful with 'energy efficiency' language in school RFPs - sometimes they conflate that with utility bill auditing and expect recommendations beyond billing errors. Also, schools often have solar installations now that complicate the billing, so factor that into your pricing. The good news is they're usually transparent about budgets and timelines once you're selected.
Both great points. Dan, one thing to emphasize in your response is data security - school districts are very sensitive about student privacy and often have strict requirements about who can access their facilities. Make sure your team can pass background checks and understand FERPA requirements, even though you're just looking at utility bills. It shows you understand their environment.