Find the must-meet conditions in an RFP, in the list and beyond it
Mandatory requirements are the conditions a response has to meet to stay in the competition, such as a license, minimum experience, a signed form or a specific format. They are not always in one list: a must-meet condition can hide in the scope, the instructions or the attached contract. Ask Search+ "Which requirements in this RFP are mandatory?" section by section, and open each citation to confirm the wording.
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Last updated October 2026
How to find mandatory requirements with Search+
- Upload the RFP, its forms and its addenda
Required forms, certifications and later addenda can add or remove conditions. Keep every document the buyer issued in one workspace so nothing that adds a condition is left out.
- Ask for each kind of requirement separately
Ask about vendor qualifications, then submission format, then required forms and signatures, then insurance and bonding, then technical conditions in the scope. Separate questions surface conditions a single broad question can miss.
- Check the wording behind each citation
Open the excerpt and look for mandatory words such as shall, must or will be rejected. Ask a follow-up if a condition refers to an exhibit or a defined term, so that passage is cited too.
Questions to ask about mandatory requirements
What experience, licenses or registrations must a vendor hold to be eligible?
Which failures does the RFP say will cause a response to be rejected or considered non-responsive?
Which forms, affidavits or certifications must be signed and included with the response?
Does the RFP require a bid bond, a performance bond or proof of insurance at submission?
Are page limits, file naming or the number of copies stated as mandatory?
Outside the requirements section, are there other statements written with shall or must that apply to vendors?
What to look for in mandatory requirements
Words such as shall, must and required usually mark conditions; should, may and preferred usually mark things that earn credit without being essential. Some RFPs define these terms, so ask whether yours does.
A dedicated minimum requirements section may not hold everything. Conditions can sit in the scope, the submission instructions or the contract terms, so search each part of the document.
Public buyers often separate whether a response follows the instructions from whether the vendor can perform. Both can remove a bid, and the RFP may describe them in different places.
Some solicitations reserve the right to waive minor irregularities, while others state that any missing item means rejection. Read which position this RFP takes.
Search+ finds relevant passages by meaning, not only exact words, so a question about mandatory conditions can reach requirements phrased in different ways. Open each citation to confirm it.
How RFPs phrase must-meet conditions
| Wording you may see | What it usually signals | A follow-up question |
|---|---|---|
| "shall" or "must" | A condition the response has to meet | Which shall statements apply to the vendor rather than the buyer? |
| "will be deemed non-responsive" | A failure that removes the bid | What actions or omissions lead to that outcome? |
| "minimum qualifications" | Eligibility to be considered | How must each qualification be demonstrated? |
| "at time of submission" | A condition met by the due date, not later | Which items must be in place when the response is submitted? |
| "preferred" or "desirable" | Credit, not a gate | Are any preferred items also scored? |
| "may waive minor irregularities" | Some flexibility over small defects | What does the RFP treat as a minor irregularity? |
What are mandatory requirements in an RFP?
Mandatory requirements are the conditions a vendor and its response must satisfy for the proposal to be considered, such as eligibility criteria, required documents, signatures and format rules. Failing one can remove a bid before any scoring happens.
Mandatory requirements questions
Can Search+ build a list of every mandatory requirement?
Will it catch requirements written outside the requirements section?
Can it tell a must from a nice-to-have?
Does it check whether our response meets the requirements?
What if an addendum adds a new requirement?
Is Search+ giving me legal advice about compliance?
Find the conditions that can disqualify a bid
Start a workspace, upload the solicitation, and ask which requirements are mandatory.
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