Procurement term
IFB (Invitation for Bid)
A US sealed-bidding solicitation where award goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder against fixed specifications.
What is IFB?
An Invitation for Bid (IFB) is the solicitation used in sealed bidding, the formal competitive method under FAR Part 14. It is appropriate when the requirement can be described precisely, award will be made on price (and price-related factors) alone, discussions with bidders are not necessary, and there is an expectation of receiving more than one sealed bid. Bids are submitted sealed, opened publicly at a stated time, and award is made to the lowest-priced responsive, responsible bidder.
Two concepts are central. 'Responsive' means the bid conforms in all material respects to the IFB — a bid that takes exception to a material requirement is rejected. 'Responsible' means the bidder has the capability, financial resources, and integrity to perform. Because sealed bidding does not allow negotiations or trade-offs between price and quality, the IFB must contain complete, unambiguous specifications.
For vendors, an IFB is a pure price competition against a fixed scope — distinct from an RFP, where approach and technical merit are scored. The discipline is in submitting a fully compliant bid: a minor administrative deviation can make a low bid non-responsive and ineligible for award. IFBs are most common for construction and for clearly specified commodities.
Example
A federal agency issues an IFB for repaving a parking lot; five firms submit sealed bids, they are opened publicly, and the contract goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.
Related terms
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