Browsing and responding to a Request for Proposals (RFP)

Once you have created your Supplier account on LittleBig Connection platform, you can, for free, browse the open Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and respond to those you find relevant. Let’s see how to do it in order to maximize your chances of success!

Within this article

• Browse the Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
• Respond to an RFP
• Best practices for your proposals to stand out

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Browse the Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

When you log into LittleBig Connection platform, you can already see on the left side of the homepage, an overview of the open RFPs published on the marketplace. 

To view all the open RFPs, access the RFPs tab and click on Search a RFP.

You will be redirected to a new page, where you can search by keyword, skill, position, or company name, according to the type of RFP you target. You may also add filters like location, start date, etc. by clicking on the icon and menu called All criteria.

For every RFP, you will see individual cards containing a summary of some key information. 

You can click on the heart in the top right corner of the RFP card you are interested in, and retrieve it at any time in the Favorites RFP page within the RFPs tab.

To know more about the RFP you are interested in, click on it to be redirected to its page, where you will have all the available information within: 

*In some cases, the Client may decide to anonymize the RFP. This means that you won’t be able to see the Client company name nor the location of the project.

If you have any questions relating to the RFP, you may publish a public message by clicking on the Questions/Answers tab, just below the RFP header. These messages cannot be deleted once published and will be visible to all who access the RFP.

If you wish to send a private message to the Client, you will need to respond to the RFP first.

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Respond to an RFP

To respond to an RFP, click on the green button Make a proposal located in the top right corner of the RFP page.

If you have not been set up as a preferred supplier by the client, you will be required to sign the Client specific conditions in the window that will appear. 

You are then redirected to the proposal form. On the right-hand side, you may find once again the dates and location of the project, in the main area of the page, you will be able to fill in the necessary data, required in order to validate your proposal.

1. Sales pitch: specify why your application is relevant to the RFP, note the experience and skills of your Consultant that answer the needs of the client, etc.
   • If the Client requires anonymity (a blue banner will be displayed at the top of the page), please do not write your Consultant's personal details in the sales pitch section. In that instance, personal data will be displayed in trigram form (e.g.: John Smith – JSM)
2. Availability: add the date from which your Consultant will be available to start the project
3. Client fee
   • If you are a preferred supplier: specify the fee already negotiated with the Client, you will receive a quarterly invoice for all your activities on the platform.
   • If you are not a preferred supplier: specify the amount you wish to perceive. The Amount invoiced to the Client will be automatically filled in, the difference between the amounts represent the fees corresponding to LittleBig.
4. Immediate payment (if available): you may choose to activate this option, which is charged at €20 per day and allows you to be paid within three days after the Client validates your Activity Report.
5. Consultant or Candidate file: check the box to select the profile or file of the Consultant you wish to assign to this RFP. To do so:
   • Write their name in the search bar
   • If their name appears, check the box in order to add their profile/candidate file to the proposal
   • If their name doesn't appear, it's because they don't have an account/candidate file yet. In this case, click on Add employees.
     • In the page that will appear, select at the top if you want to add an associate collaborator or a candidate file, then fill in the required information

The candidate file is at your disposal when you wish to respond to an RFP without having to create an account for your Consultant right away, or without indicating their identity.

• • • You can add various collaborators/candidate files at once, by clicking on Add another colleague in the bottom left corner of the window.
    • Once you have added all the persons you wanted, click on Create the account(s)
    • Check the box of the Consultant you wish to place on the RFP, in order to add their profile/candidate file to the proposal

The Client can require the Consultant to come to the project location. In this case, you will need to check the corresponding box to indicate that you have read and taken into account this request (e.g.: Occasional travel to project site) to be able to validate your proposal.

Once all the information is ready, click the button Validate the proposal on the top right corner of your screen.

If the Client is interested in your proposal and wishes to know more, they will contact you via the platform to schedule an interview (also called a Qualification Meeting - QM) alternatively, they may select your profile straight away. 

Upon receipt of your proposal, the Client has access to the email address and telephone number (if added) of the Business Manager, in order to facilitate contact.

Only position your Consultants on RFPs that match their profile.  Once 2 of your proposals are qualified as Spam by the Clients, which means that they are considered out of scope, any new proposals you send through, will only be visible to the Clients after 4 days have passed.

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Best practices for your proposals to stand out

On your Consultant's profile

We recommend the Consultants fill in their profile as much as possible, since it will be attached to the proposal every time you position them when responding to an RFP.

Do make sure that the following three elements match what is requested in the RFP:

• Technical skills: make sure they have the background and level of expertise required on the technical skills
• Soft skills: they are important and may sometimes make the difference.
• Seniority: make sure they have the level of seniority required, as described in the RFP

In your proposal

When writing your proposal, we recommend being mindful of the following three elements:

• Daily rate (DR): the choice of DR is crucial. If the rate is considered too high by the Client, your room to negotiate will be limited, along with the likelihood of being awarded the RFP. On the other hand, if the Client considers the rate is too low, they may question your ability to handle and carry the project to term. Sometimes, the Client may decide to display their budget for the project, in those instances, this may serve as an indicator. 
• Availability: check the availability requested and make sure that your Consultant is available on the date desired by the Client to start the project, or, the closest possible to it.
• Location: check that the project location matches the mobility of your consultant.