Standard Request for Proposals (SRFP)

The Standard Request for Proposals (SRFP) is the World Bank's mandatory template solicitation document for competitive selection of consulting firms under Investment Project Financing. It packages all the information a shortlisted firm needs to prepare a compliant technical and financial proposal, and it sets out the evaluation methodology the borrower will use to select the winning consultant.

What is the Standard Request for Proposals (SRFP)?

The SRFP sits within the spds family alongside the sbds for goods and works, and it is specifically designed for the two-envelope process used in consulting selection methods such as qcbs and QBS. It contains the Letter of Invitation, Data Sheet, Instructions to Consultants, Technical Proposal submission forms, Financial Proposal submission forms, Terms of Reference (tor), and the draft contract.

Borrowers must use the SRFP for consulting contracts above the applicable prior-review threshold. The mandatory clauses define eligible consultants, set out the conflict-of-interest rules, specify the technical evaluation criteria and their weights, and establish when the financial envelope is opened. Borrowers complete the project-specific data sheet and attach the TOR and any required draft contract addenda but may not alter the mandatory procedural clauses.

Why the Standard Request for Proposals (SRFP) matters for bidders

Because the SRFP is standardised across all World Bank-financed assignments, consulting firms that regularly bid on these tenders develop efficient internal processes for responding to each section. Knowing the document structure in advance means your team can assign section ownership, reuse methodology frameworks, and prepare standard annexes before the specific SRFP lands. The technical evaluation criteria are explicitly stated in the SRFP's Data Sheet, so there is no ambiguity about what will earn marks, which allows you to write a proposal that maps directly to the scoring rubric.

FAQ

Is the SRFP used for all World Bank consulting assignments?

The SRFP is mandatory for competitive consulting selection above defined thresholds. Smaller consulting contracts may use simpler processes such as Consultants' Qualifications Selection, which does not require full technical and financial proposals.

Can a borrower add evaluation criteria beyond those in the SRFP template?

Borrowers may specify sub-criteria within the categories defined in the SRFP template, such as methodology and key staff, but they cannot add entirely new evaluation dimensions or change the weights beyond the ranges permitted in the Procurement Regulations.

Does the SRFP cover individual consultant selection?

No. Individual consultants are selected through a separate, simpler process based on CVs and references. The SRFP is designed for firm-level competitive selection.