Customers send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) usually after gathering prior information from potential vendors. Thus, typically an RFP is preceeded by Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Quotation (RFQ).
Request For Information (RFI): Used for gathering information from potential vendors; used to prepare RFQ/RFP. It is also a way to narrow down the vendors.
Request For Quotation (RFQ): Typically used to get pricing and payment information when products and services expected are clear and standardized
Request For Proposal (RFP): Used to get information (proposed solution & approach to addressing the requirement, the plan, price and other details) from vendors by detailing out the problem that is to be solved and seeking solutions.
Typical Sections in an RFP
As an exercise, search for publicly available RFP documents and go through a few of them to get a deeper understanding of what goes inside an RFP and what information is sought from the vendor.
An exercise: Identify a challenge in that institute management or your organization is facing which can be addressed through Information Technology. Assume you are the consultant engaged by management to understand the situation in detail, come up with a solution, and prepare an RFP which can be floated to potential service providers for implementation.
References
https://rfp360.medium.com/rfi-vs-rfq-vs-rfp-which-should-it-be-80426081d636
Dr. Selvaraj Vadivelu 