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Handbook 5 of 5 · Free guide and PDF

How to Use RFP Detector: The Complete Tutorial

A hands-on, screen-by-screen tutorial for vendors, consultants, nonprofits and buyers: account setup, search and scores, bid tracking and alerts, your vendor profile, contractor research and posting RFPs.

7 chapters1 h 43 min of readingBeginnerUpdated
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05 / 05

RFP Detector Handbook

How to Use RFP Detector: The Complete Tutorial

About this handbook

Who it's for and what it covers

RFP Detector does three jobs for the businesses and buyers who use it: it finds and scores RFPs across every sector, it keeps your bids on track from first look to final outcome, and it connects vendors with the buyers who need them. Every one of those jobs works better when you know where things are and what the numbers mean. This handbook is the complete tutorial. It follows the real screens, uses the real button and field names, and explains how to work as well as where to click, so you spend your time on proposals instead of hunting for deadlines. It is free to read, like the core of RFP Detector itself: search, saved RFPs, alerts, the vendor listing and posting RFPs cost nothing.

Start here
Start here
If you areRead firstThen
New to RFP DetectorChapter 1, Getting startedChapters 2 and 3, in order
A vendor or consultant looking for workChapter 2, Searching RFPs and reading scoresChapter 3 for tracking, chapter 5 for competitor research
A firm that wants buyers to find itChapter 4, Building a vendor profileChapter 3 for managing leads in the inbox
A buyer posting an RFPChapter 6, Posting RFPs and finding vendorsChapter 4 to see what vendor profiles contain
The person who runs the accountChapter 7, Account security, teams and settingsChapter 1 for workspaces and roles
How the tutorial fits together
  1. Stage 1: Set up

    Account, verification, workspaces

  2. Stage 2: Find

    Search, filters, scores, reports

  3. Stage 3: Track

    Pipeline, calendar, alerts

  4. Stage 4: Get found

    Vendor profile and directory

  5. Stage 5: Research and buy

    Contractors, competitors, posting RFPs

  6. Stage 6: Secure

    Devices, team roles, settings

Written for: New and existing RFP Detector users: small and mid-sized businesses, consultants and nonprofits looking for RFPs, vendors who want buyers to find them, and public or private buyers posting RFPs.

What you'll learn

  • Create and verify your account, set up your organization and choose the Vendor and Buyer workspaces you need
  • Search RFPs with every filter and read the RFP Detector Score, your Fit score and the free RFP report with confidence
  • Run your bids from Saved to a decision on the pipeline board, with owners, internal due dates, a calendar feed and alerts
  • Publish a complete, free vendor profile that buyers can find, and measure who views and contacts you
  • Research contractors and incumbents, post RFPs as a buyer, and keep your account and team secure

Inside the handbook

7 chapters, 1 h 43 min of reading

Read online in order, jump to the chapter you need, or download the complete handbook as one PDF.

  1. Chapter 01 16 min

    Getting Started with RFP Detector: Account, Verification and Workspaces

    Everything you need for your first thirty minutes on RFP Detector: sign-up, email and SMS verification, the three onboarding steps, how organizations and workspaces work, a tour of the dashboard, and your first search, save and alert.

    • Sign-up has three short steps (Account, Verify email, Verify mobile). Codes are six digits and expire after 10 minutes.
    • Every account is verified by email and a US or Canadian mobile number, so the vendors and buyers you meet on RFP Detector are real people.
    Read chapter
  2. Chapter 02 15 min

    How to Search RFPs and Read RFP Detector Scores

    A screen-by-screen guide to searching RFPs on RFP Detector: the query syntax, every filter and sort, each section of an RFP page, how to read the RFP Detector Score and your Fit score (and what they are not), the free PDF report, and saving RFPs to your pipeline.

    • The search covers every sector in one index. Use quotes for an exact phrase, a minus sign to exclude a word and OR for alternatives.
    • Every filter lives in the page address, so a filtered search can be bookmarked, shared or pasted into an alert.
    Read chapter
  3. Chapter 03 15 min

    Bid Tracking: Your Pipeline, Alerts and Notifications

    How to run your bids week to week in RFP Detector: the Saved table and details panel, the pipeline board and its stages, the calendar and its private feed, alerts and your matching profile, notifications and the inbox, and a weekly routine that keeps nothing slipping.

    • Saved is your team's full bid list as a table; Pipeline is the same RFPs as a board, from Saved through Qualifying, Preparing and Submitted to Won, Lost or No bid.
    • Give every RFP an owner and an internal due date. Deadline reminders go to the owner, and Home flags anything without one.
    Read chapter
  4. Chapter 04 14 min

    Building a Vendor Profile Buyers Can Find

    A field-by-field guide to the free RFP Detector vendor listing: turning on the Vendor workspace, the listing editor, branding, services and NAICS codes, service area, contact privacy, past performance, publishing, completeness, and how buyers actually search the vendor directory.

    • The vendor listing is free and there is no paid or sponsored placement. The directory ranks by search relevance, then completeness, then recency.
    • Five things are required to publish: company name, tagline, an About section of at least 100 characters, one category and a service area.
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  5. Chapter 05 15 min

    Contractor Research: Competitors, Incumbents and Teaming Partners

    How to use public contractor profiles, contract histories and the Contractor Score to size up competitors, find the incumbent, choose teaming partners and claim your own company's profile.

    • The contractor directory has a public profile for every organization with New York State contracts: contract history, agencies served and a Contractor Score.
    • The Contractor Score (0 to 100) measures public contracting activity on record, not quality. Read the factor breakdown, not just the grade.
    Read chapter
  6. Chapter 06 14 min

    How to Post an RFP and Find Vendors as a Buyer

    A complete walkthrough of the RFP Detector buyer workspace: setting up your buyer profile, posting an RFP field by field, tracking interest, inviting vendors, and amending, closing and awarding.

    • Any organization with a verified account can turn on the free Buyer workspace and post RFPs: companies, nonprofits, schools and public agencies.
    • The editor has eight sections; drafts save automatically and stay private until you press Publish, which makes the RFP live immediately.
    Read chapter
  7. Chapter 07 14 min

    RFP Detector Account Security, Teams and Settings

    Everything in Settings, explained: how sign-in verification works, how to change your password, email and mobile, how to sign out everywhere, how to run your organization and team, and how to tune notifications.

    • Every new browser is confirmed with a 6-digit text code. Tick Remember this device for 30 days only on computers you alone use.
    • Email, mobile, sessions and remembered browsers unlock for 15 minutes after you confirm your password on the Security page.
    Read chapter

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Find the RFPs worth your time.

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