RFP or RFQ, they are the most complex, time-consuming, and consequence-driven forms of government procurement an incumbent FBO must win.
Request for Proposals. Request for Qualifications. RFP or RFQ, they are the most complex, time-consuming, and consequence-driven forms of government procurement an incumbent FBO must win to remain a going concern, or a new FBO entrant must win to gain an on-airport foothold. While most FBOs owners may only face an RFP once in a career, we average three per year. And according to our therapists, we have the PTSD to back that claim!
Notably, the FAA has no requirement that an airport sponsor undertake an RFP process at the end of an FBO’s lease term to select a new provider. Direct negotiation is always an option. So why wouldn’t an airport simply commence direct negotiation at the end of an FBO’s lease with an incumbent FBO?
Unfortunately, many airport sponsors- the city, municipality or governmental authority that operates the airport- elect to undertake an RFP process due to that sponsor’s procurement requirements for long-term or high-value contracts. And yes, occasionally RFPs are undertaken under the well-intended but incorrect assumption that a different FBO might attract new or more aircraft to their airport.
In short, an RFP is a nightmare for an FBO. While most FBO owners and operators will never experience one, an experienced hand at the helm is required to steer the RFP ship; after all, you’ve got an FBO to operate without the distraction of trying to understand the nuances of government procurement. That’s where FBO Partners comes in.
Our Experience | How We Work
On behalf of our clients, FBO Partners has responded to and won the highest-stakes RFPs in the FBO industry the past 10 years. We’re proud to have both helped new entrants to an airport market gain a new FBO leasehold and protect those FBO’s existing leaseholds for their next generation to take the reins. Our response process is straightforward, strategy-driven, and all-encompassing.
FBO Partners acts as the lead consultant on an RFP, we’re the center tent pole that brings all the key performers for the three-ring circus that is an RFP response. Imagine architects, construction firms, graphic designers, sustainability experts; even lawyers and lobbyists, all under one roof moving the same direction. Our engagement begins months before the RFP is published and ends after the ribbon is cut on the new FBO facility.
We’re with you all the way, start to finish. And we’re here to win.