Yahoo wants bidders to submit offers to buy the company in the next two weeks

The deadline for anyone interested in making an offer to buy Yahoo's core business is set on April 11, giving potential bidders just two weeks from today to submit their preliminary proposals, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Yahoo sent out letters to potential buyers asking them to list which parts of the company they'd like to bid for, and how much they're willing to pay for it, according to the report. Yahoo is also asking for details such as how a bidder plans to finance the deal as well as what the internal approval process looks like to make a deal happen.

There are roughly 40 companies and firms that have signed non-disclosure agreements with Yahoo to review materials about its business, according to recent reports. Some of the most frequently mentioned potential buyers are big communications companies like Verizon and AT&T, and private equity firms like TPG and KKR.

One surprise party that's suddenly become involved is Microsoft. According to a report in Recode last week, Microsoft is willing to financially support private equity firms that might be interested in a deal for Yahoo's core business. The report said that Yahoo is asking for $10 billion for its core business.