FAQ
Including the question worth answering properly rather than in one line: should you run this through Cubely at all, or handle it directly?
Can't find what you're after? Ask Cubi - the chat bubble in the corner of this page - and it'll answer from everything below (or say plainly when it doesn't know).
Platform vs. going direct
Neither is universally right - it depends on how well you already know who you'd hire, and how much a real audit trail and comparison matter for this particular project.
- ✓One scored, ranked longlist per category instead of a spreadsheet of names and gut feel - see lib/scoring.ts's weighting (sector fit, scale, past-project relevance, location, registration completeness, scope alignment).
- ✓Self-declared licensing, insurance, and reference details on file for every firm that's added them, visible before you ever pick up the phone - not independently checked by Cubely, but a real head start over a cold search.
- ✓An RFI step to narrow a long list cheaply before anyone writes a full RFP - see the RFI vs. RFP entry below.
- ✓A real audit trail of who was contacted, what they proposed, who was awarded, and how the engagement actually went - useful the next time you run a similar project, and useful if anyone above you ever asks how a decision was made.
- ✓Free document generation, compliance/renewal tracking, and a leadership-ready portfolio report, whether or not you ever pay for anything.
- ✓You already have a trusted relationship with the firm(s) you want - a platform's scoring and verification exist to solve a discovery problem you don't have.
- ✓The engagement is small enough, or urgent enough, that a structured process would cost more time than it saves.
- ✓The category is unusual or hyper-local enough that no directory (this one included) is likely to have real depth in it yet.
- ✓You need full control over exact wording and relationship history in your own systems, not a third party's.
In practice, most real projects are a mix - one category where you already know exactly who you're hiring (go direct, or just invite them straight into an invite-only project here for the paper trail), and others where you're starting from a much longer, less certain list (that's where sourcing, scoring, and an RFI step earn their keep).
Common questions
An RFI (Request for Information) is informational and non-binding - it's how you narrow a longer list of firms down to a shortlist worth the effort of a real RFP, by asking each one for an overview, a couple of relevant past projects, their team, and a rough budget/timeline sense. An RFP (Request for Proposal) is the real, binding ask - the one that leads to an actual proposal, a shortlist, and an award. On Cubely, RFI is optional per category: skip it if you already know who you want to invite, or run it first if you're starting from a longer list than you're ready to formally engage.
Still have a question this didn't answer?