Typically, solicitations don’t change dramatically between generations. So the RFI/RFP for the current contract probably looks a lot like the RFI/RFP for the re-compete
Generally you don’t have a lot of time from when an RFI/RFP is released to when responses are due
So, a favorite technique, especially among large contractors pursuing large bids, is to use the current contract’s RFP as if it was the RFP for the re-compete and create a proposal outline and potentially a proposal rough draft using it
Then when the official RFI/RFP comes out they just have to tweak the outline and content to reflect changes rather than having to start from scratch
The benefits:
Speed: The big and obvious benefit is speed. Since you have a rough draft before an official document is released it puts you way ahead on time
Surfaces gaps: If you ghost a response it will help you identify your gaps and the opportunities to influence the government in ways that favor you
The cost
In theory the marginal extra cost to ghosting a response is small since you have to outline and rough out a response at some point and as we said, solicitations don’t change that much between generations
In practice very few small businesses can invest hundreds of hours into a proposal that might have to be heavily rewritten and that won’t convert into revenue for years.