General
What is a Request for Information (RFI) Solicitation?
Mar 2, 2026
If you're a small business owner, startup founder, or academic researcher entering the world of government contracting, you'll likely encounter a solicitation called a Request for Information or RFI for short. Sometimes this solicitation is also called a Request for Comment or RFC. While it may look similar to a grant or contract opportunity, it serves a very different purpose.
Understanding what an RFI is and how to respond strategically can position you ahead of competitors before formal funding opportunities are even released.
In the United States, RFIs are commonly issued by agencies at the Federal level, as well as the State and City levels. This blog is focused on RFIs from Federal agencies such as:
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Department of War (DoW), which includes all its components like the Air Force, Army, Navy etc.
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Department of Energy (DOE)
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National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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National Science Foundation (NSF)
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And More
Applicants who treat RFIs as “optional” miss a key window to influence what gets bought and how. A strong RFI response is often the earliest, cleanest way to get your capabilities in front of program offices, contracting staff, and requirement-owners before the Request for Proposal (RFP) locks in the rules of the game.
What Is an RFI? (And what is it not?)
A Request for Information (RFI) is a formal information exchange used by agencies to gather market intelligence (capabilities, pricing, delivery, and technical approaches) before they issue a solicitation. It is not a contract offer and does not result in an award by itself.
RFIs are a core market research technique used to reduce acquisition risk and improve requirement quality. You’ll often see them posted on grants.gov, SAM.gov or distributed through industry portals and email lists.
Government agencies use RFIs to:
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Assess technical feasibility of emerging technologies
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Gauge industry readiness and capacity
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Identify barriers to commercialization or research translation
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Shape future funding calls
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Reduce risk before allocating taxpayer dollars
For example, the National Science Foundation frequently releases RFIs when exploring new research priority areas. Similarly, the Department of Energy uses RFIs to inform roadmaps for clean energy initiatives and advanced manufacturing programs.
How Is an RFI Different from an RFP or FOA?
Understanding the distinction is critical:
An RFI is informational, not transactional. Agencies typically include language stating that responses will not be used to evaluate future proposals and that submitting an RFI response does not create any competitive advantage.
However, strategically, participating can absolutely shape future opportunities.
Why Startups and Businesses New to Government Grants and Contracts Should Pay Attention to RFIs
In a typical acquisition, by the time the RFP is released, the government has already chosen the problem framing, performance requirements, evaluation approach, and contract vehicle assumptions. RFIs are one of the few times the government explicitly asks industry to help shape those decisions before they harden into a solicitation.
5 ways RFI responses can help you succeed:
1) Shape requirements before they become hard to meet
RFIs are where you can steer the government away from requirements that are unrealistic, overly prescriptive, or biased toward incumbents. Use your response to propose outcome-based requirements, measurable performance thresholds, and modern delivery approaches (e.g., modular contracting, secure cloud, rapid prototyping) that better match how your technology actually works.
2) Position your company as a credible source
Program offices remember who provided thoughtful, mission-aligned input. A strong response demonstrates you understand the operational problem, constraints (security, sustainment, data rights), and what “good” looks like in the field. That credibility can translate into invitations to industry days, follow-on conversations, or teaming discussions.
3) Influence acquisition strategy and set-aside decisions
RFIs often ask about socioeconomic status and capacity so the government can determine whether a small business set-aside is feasible. Clear evidence of capability, past performance analogs, and scaling plans can support a strategy that opens the door for nontraditional and small businesses.
4) De-risk pricing, schedule, and compliance assumptions early
Many failed bids trace back to bad assumptions baked into the RFP: unrealistic delivery schedules, under-scoped cybersecurity requirements, or incomplete integration dependencies. RFIs give you a chance to provide realistic ranges (ROM costs, timelines), call out dependencies, and recommend compliance baselines (e.g., CMMC level expectations), so the eventual solicitation is executable.
5) Build your capture pipeline 6–18 months ahead of the RFP
An RFI is often an early indicator that a program is moving toward a contract action. Even if you don’t win that specific opportunity, tracking and responding builds market intelligence: likely buyers, technical priorities, competitors, and potential primes/subs. Treat each RFI as a capture sprint: update capability statements, align partners, and prepare reusable content for sources sought and the eventual proposal.
For startups pursuing SBIR/STTR funding, agencies like the National Institutes of Health and Department of War often use RFIs to explore new topic areas before formal solicitations are released.
How to respond effectively (founder-friendly checklist)
Answer the questions in the order asked; don’t paste generic marketing collateral.
Lead with mission fit: the operational problem, your approach, and why it’s better.
Be specific: measurable performance, integration assumptions, delivery model, and constraints.
Include a credible Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost and schedule range when requested.
State your business status (small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, etc.) and your primary NAICS.
Mark proprietary information clearly and avoid including trade secrets unless necessary.
Confirm receipt and request a short follow-up call if the RFI allows engagement.
Stay Ahead: Discover RFIs on TurboInnovate
RFIs are not just administrative documents. If you want to win government contracts, respond early, respond specifically, and use the RFI to shape a solicitation you can actually win.
Whether you're a startup founder building the next breakthrough technology or an academic researcher exploring translational opportunities, understanding RFIs can give you a significant advantage.
Ready to discover RFIs, FOAs, and RFPs tailored to your research and innovation goals? TurboInnovate makes it easy to track government funding opportunities across agencies all in one intelligent platform. Explore TurboInnovate today and position yourself at the forefront of federal funding conversations.
Because in government innovation ecosystems, the funding conversation begins long before the funding announcement. RFIs are where that conversation starts.
To build innovations that last, equip yourself with the market insights that matter. Explore TurboInnovate today by signing up for a free account and transform information into strategic advantage.
