In the realm of public infrastructure projects, the saying “It’s easier to influence a decision than to change one already made” holds significant weight. Waiting for public Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to be released might mean missing out on opportunities to shape project decisions in your favor. This blog delves into the importance of early engagement in public water projects, emphasizing how getting involved before the RFP stage allows companies to wield influence and steer decisions in their direction.

Limited Scope and Visibility

Public RFPs are often limited in scope and may not cover all potential business opportunities. By solely relying on these formalized requests, your company might miss out on lucrative projects that fall outside the predefined criteria. Instead, Citylitics can get you early stage public infrastructure data, thereby allowing you to bring good ideas to the project before the parameters are set in stone.  

Intense Competition

Public RFPs attract a large pool of competitors, increasing the intensity of the competition. As a result, your company may find it challenging to stand out and secure the desired contract. Citylitics helps companies get much needed face time by providing current contacts so that you can cultivate relationships with potential clients.  

Time-Consuming Process

The process of responding to a public RFP can be lengthy and resource-intensive. Waiting for these opportunities and then engaging in the formal proposal process may slow down your company’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. Getting insights 1- 5 years ahead of a public RFP allows companies to plan comprehensively for the long term instead of reacting to bids as they become available.  

Building Strategic Alliances

Rather than waiting for public RFPs, consider investing time and effort into building strategic alliances with other businesses in your industry. Collaborative ventures, joint ventures, and partnerships can open doors to new opportunities that may not be publicly advertised. Networking and relationship-building can be powerful tools in uncovering hidden prospects.

Tailoring Solutions to Client Needs

Public RFPs often come with predefined requirements, leaving little room for creativity and customization in your proposals. Equally important, your company can suggest other solutions to benefit the process.  By engaging in direct conversations with potential clients, ahead of the RFP, your company can better understand their unique needs and tailor solutions that stand out from generic RFP responses.

Access to early stage public infrastructure insights has been a game changer for many of our customers.  They’ve been able to build relationships with potential customers sooner, allowing for new and better solutions to be part of the planning.  They can target the right opportunities and, with additional planning time,  be better positioned to win the bid.