The Questions and Answers Period: Asking Good Questions and Handling Amendments

Most solicitations give bidders a window to submit written questions, followed by a published set of answers and often an amendment. Small firms tend to either skip it or send vague questions that get vague answers. Used well, it can get a restrictive spec opened up to the brand you sell, and the published answers often tell you who else is bidding.

Find the rules for questions

The solicitation will usually say:

• The deadline for questions, which is often a week or two before proposals are due and sometimes much sooner
• Who to send them to, typically one named contracting officer or buyer, by email or through a portal
• The required format, which is sometimes a template spreadsheet with columns for section, page and question
• How answers will be published, usually as an amendment or addendum posted where the solicitation lives

Put the question deadline on your calendar the day you first read the solicitation. It passes faster than you'd think, and late questions are commonly ignored. If you're screening a lot of bids, check the deadline before you check anything else; see how to read an RFP for a fast first pass.

Respect the no-contact rule

Many solicitations prohibit contact with anyone at the agency other than the named procurement contact from issuance until award. This is sometimes called a cone of silence or blackout period. Calling the IT director you know to ask what they really want can get your bid disqualified in some jurisdictions. Send all questions through the official channel, in writing.

What to ask about

Good reasons to submit a question:

• A requirement is ambiguous and your price or approach depends on the answer
• Specifications name a single brand or model without "or equal," and you sell an equivalent
• Quantities, sites or service levels are missing or inconsistent between sections
• The pricing form doesn't match the scope (for example, installation is in the scope but has no price line)
• Submission instructions conflict (page limit in one section, different number in another)
• A term is a deal-breaker and you want to know if it's negotiable, such as an insurance limit far above normal for the work
• You'd like to know whether there's an incumbent, and whether historical usage data is available

Agencies don't always answer questions about the incumbent or current pricing, but many will release historical quantities, which is valuable for any contract priced on estimates.

How to write a good question

Each question should stand on its own, cite exactly where the issue is, and make it easy to answer. A format that works:

1. Reference: section, page and paragraph number
2. Quote or summarize the text in question
3. State the problem in one sentence
4. Ask a specific question, ideally one that can be answered yes or no or with a number
5. Where appropriate, propose a change

Weak: "Please clarify the warranty requirements."

Better: "Section 4.3, page 12, requires a 5-year next-business-day onsite warranty for all laptops. Section 6.1, page 18, lists warranty as 3 years. Which term should bidders price?"

Weak: "Will other brands be accepted?"

Better: "Section 3.2 specifies Brand X Model 1234 access points. Will the county accept equivalent enterprise access points that meet the listed performance specifications (Wi-Fi 6E, PoE+, cloud management) from other manufacturers? If so, what documentation should bidders submit to show equivalence?"

The second version of each gives the buyer something they can answer in one line and gives every bidder the same clear rule.

Think about what your question reveals

Answers are generally published to all bidders, and many agencies publish the questions word for word. Some strip out the bidder's name; some don't. Write your questions assuming competitors will read them.

That means you shouldn't give away your solution in a question. "Would the county accept a phased migration over three weekends using our proprietary cutover tool?" tells everyone your approach. "Is weekend work permitted for the migration?" gets the fact you need without the strategy.

Read other bidders' questions carefully. They can tell you who's bidding, what brands they plan to offer, and where they see risk.

Pre-bid conferences

Many solicitations include a pre-bid or pre-proposal meeting, sometimes with a site walk. Attend if you can, and check whether attendance is mandatory; missing a mandatory one usually makes you ineligible. Verbal answers at a pre-bid meeting are generally not binding. Only answers issued in a written amendment change the solicitation. If something important comes up in the meeting, submit it as a written question too.

Amendments and addenda

Answers usually come out as an amendment (common in federal usage) or addendum (common in state and local). An amendment can change anything: the scope, quantities, evaluation criteria, forms or due date. Read each one fully, then:

• Update your compliance matrix and your pricing
• Replace any revised forms with the new versions
• Note any new due date

Also keep checking for amendments right up to the due date. Agencies sometimes issue them the day before.

Acknowledge every amendment

Most solicitations require you to acknowledge each amendment, often by signing the amendment itself, checking a box on the bid form or listing amendment numbers on the cover page. Federal solicitations usually use the SF 30 or a block on the offer form.

This matters most in sealed bidding. Under FAR 14.405, failure to acknowledge an amendment can be waived as a minor informality only in narrow situations, such as when the bid clearly shows you received it or when the amendment has no more than a negligible effect on price, quantity, quality or delivery. Otherwise the bid can be rejected as nonresponsive. State and local rules differ, but the risk is similar. A strong bid that forgets Addendum 3 can lose to a weaker one that remembered.

A simple Q&A routine

1. Day 1: read the solicitation, note the question deadline.
2. Before the deadline: collect questions from everyone working on the bid, cut duplicates, rewrite them in the format above.
3. Submit a day early through the official channel. Keep proof of submission.
4. When answers post: read all of them, update the matrix, price and forms, and file the amendment.
5. Before submitting: confirm every amendment is acknowledged.

You can find solicitations with question windows still open by checking new postings early, before the deadline has passed. Browsing open RFPs or setting daily bid alerts helps you catch them in time. If you're still deciding whether to pursue a bid at all, the bid/no-bid checklist is a good companion to this routine.

Frequently asked questions

Are verbal answers at a pre-bid meeting binding?

Generally no. Only answers issued in a written amendment or addendum change the solicitation, so submit important questions in writing.

Will other bidders see my questions?

Usually yes. Answers go to all bidders and many agencies publish the questions word for word, sometimes with the bidder's name.

What happens if I forget to acknowledge an amendment?

In sealed bidding it can make your bid nonresponsive. Under FAR 14.405 it is waivable only in narrow cases, such as when the amendment has a negligible effect on price, quantity, quality or delivery.

Sources: www.acquisition.gov  www.acquisition.gov  www.acquisition.gov