Buying through procurement? We make it straightforward.
We respond to requests for proposal (RFPs), requests for quotation (RFQs) and requests for information (RFIs) for AI consulting, AI training and AI implementation, from companies and public bodies.
Formal bids, and the lighter versions.
Send it to hello at smokestackpartners dot com. We confirm within one business day whether we will bid, and we tell you why if we won't.
- RFP
- A request for proposal: you describe the problem and we propose the scope, approach, timeline and price. Most AI work starts here.
- RFQ
- A request for quotation: the scope is already fixed and you want a price, such as a set number of training sessions.
- RFI
- A request for information: you are still exploring and want to know who can do the work and how.
- Informal requests
- Three firms asked for a proposal after a call. We treat it with the same care as a formal bid.
What we provide.
A written proposal
Scope, approach, timeline, the people doing the work and a fixed price for each phase, in your format if you have one.
Supplier paperwork
A company profile, a W-9 and a certificate of insurance, ready for your vendor onboarding.
Security answers
Your security questionnaire completed, and a written account of how we handle your data and remove our access at the end.
An NDA first
We sign your non-disclosure agreement before you share documents, processes or data.
Your contract
We can work under your terms after our review, or under our master agreement if you prefer.
No software resale
Any product the work needs is bought by you, in your name, so the bid compares services with services.
What to put in it, so the bids you get are comparable.
Most AI bids are hard to compare because the request didn't say what success looks like. These eight points fix that.
- The problem
- The process you want to improve, in a paragraph, and what it costs you today in hours, errors or delay.
- The people
- Which teams are involved, and who will own the result on your side.
- Your systems
- The software involved (order and stock system or ERP, customer records or CRM, accounting, document storage) and whether data can be exported.
- Your data
- What kind of data the work touches, and any rules that apply to it, such as patient privacy (HIPAA) or export control (ITAR).
- Success
- The number that tells you it worked, such as "quote turnaround under four hours".
- Scope of work
- Advice only, training, setting up existing products, custom building, or ongoing support. Say which, or ask bidders to recommend.
- Timeline and budget
- When you need results, and a budget range. A range gets better proposals than none.
- How you will score
- The weight you give to price, approach, experience and support after go-live.
Start with something smaller.
A paid AI Assessment often fits within a department's own spending limit. It ends with a ranked plan and fixed prices for each next step, which many clients then use as the scope of their RFP.
Have an RFP for AI work?
Send it to hello at smokestackpartners dot com, or talk it through with us first.