A well-structured Request for Proposal tells a story about your company's vision and creates a roadmap for potential partners to follow. Consider this scenario: Company A sends out a generic RFP template with industry jargon and vague objectives. Company B presents a clear problem statement, specific goals, and evaluation criteria aligning with their business values. Which company do you think attracts higher-quality vendors?
What sets exceptional RFPs apart isn't length or complexity. It's intentionality. Every section should serve your ultimate goal: finding the perfect partner who understands what you need and why you need it.
This Novicell guide draws from our unique dual perspective—having both responded to countless RFPs and helped clients create them. We'll walk you through each critical step with practical examples and insider tips that reflect what agencies look for when deciding whether to pursue your project.
What Is an RFP?
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a structured document that helps businesses find the right partner for a project. It outlines your requirements, goals, and selection criteria and invites vendors to submit detailed proposals on how to meet your needs. Think of it as a job description but for your project. Instead of hiring an employee, you're choosing a company to deliver a service—building a website, implementing a CRM, or running a digital marketing campaign.
For example, if you're looking for a new website, a vague RFP might get you proposals ranging from £5,000 to £50,000—with little clarity on why. A strong RFP, on the other hand, clearly outlines your business objectives, technical requirements, and key success metrics, leading to relevant, comparable responses.
Step 1: Define Your Objectives
Before writing a single word of your RFP, you need absolute clarity on what you're trying to accomplish. You do not have to be technical just yet, but you need to articulate the business outcome you are looking for. Ask yourself these questions:
- What problem are we trying to solve?
- How will solving this problem impact your bottom line?
- What are our specific goals for this project? (e.g., increasing conversions, improving user experience, streamlining operations)
- Who are the stakeholders that need to be satisfied with the outcome?
The more precise you are, the better your responses will be. Vendors must understand your priorities to provide tailored solutions.
- Vague: "We need a more modern website."
- Precise: "We need to increase our product demo requests by 40% while reducing bounce rates on mobile devices to under 25%, supporting our goal to grow B2B sales in the manufacturing sector by Q3."
Notice how the precise objective gives vendors crucial context about your business goals, target metrics, audience focus, and timeline?
Step 2: Gather Key Information
Before drafting your document, conduct a thorough information-gathering phase that leaves no stone unturned. This critical step prevents those awkward mid-project revelations from derailing timelines and budgets. Here’s what you need to define:
Project scope
Instead of stating "website redesign," define exactly which sections need work, which functionalities must be preserved, and which new capabilities you seek. Walk through your existing systems with stakeholders and document pain points that must be addressed.
Timeline & deadlines
When do you need the project to start and finish? Do you have a hard deadline (e.g., product launch, event date), or is there flexibility? Map out internal approval milestones that vendors should anticipate.
Budget
Being upfront about budget expectations can save time on both sides. It helps vendors tailor their proposals to what’s realistically achievable rather than submitting solutions that don’t align with your financial constraints. It also shifts the conversation from "How much?" to "How effectively can we allocate these funds?"
Key stakeholders
Who makes the final decision? Your stakeholder map should identify not just titles but decision-making authority. Is the CMO the ultimate approver? Does IT have veto power over technology choices? Transparency about your decision process helps vendors tailor presentations to address the right concerns.
Having this information upfront will help you provide vendors with a complete picture of your needs.
Step 3: Structure Your RFP
An RFP should follow a clear and professional structure. Here’s a recommended format:
Introduction
Start with a brief introduction to provide vendors with context. Outline who you are, what your company does, and why you're issuing this RFP. Be clear about what you want to achieve.
- Instead of: "We are ABC Company, a financial services provider seeking website development services."
- Try: "ABC Company is transforming how mid-market businesses access financial services, with 40% growth year-over-year. We're seeking a digital partner who can scale our online presence to match our ambitious growth trajectory while maintaining our reputation for exceptional customer experience."
Project Overview
This section sets the stage for your project. Vendors should immediately understand your primary goals, the challenges you anticipate, the expected business impact, and success metrics and key outcomes. Connect your project directly to business outcomes: "Our current lead generation system converts at just 2.3%, well below industry standard. Every percentage point improvement represents approximately £175,000 in additional annual revenue."
Scope of work
Define what must be delivered without prescribing exactly how. Break down the project into specific tasks and deliverables. Clarity here prevents misunderstandings later. Include:
- Project Phases: Define key stages and expected timelines.
- Deliverables: Specify tangible outputs vendors must provide.
- Responsibilities: Clarify what your internal team will handle vs. vendor tasks.
- Performance Requirements: Set benchmarks for success.
- Technical Specifications: Detail any coding standards, security protocols, or integrations.
- Communication Milestones: Define reporting expectations (e.g., weekly updates, milestone, check-ins).
- Compliance Requirements: Include any legal, security, or regulatory standards vendors must meet.
- Post-Implementation Support: Specify if ongoing support or training is needed.
Requirements
Have you ever noticed how "must-have" lists tend to grow unrealistically? Force yourself to rank requirements in tiers:
- Critical (project fails without these)
- Important (significant impact on success)
- Nice-to-have (valuable but optional)
Another way of breaking down the requirements:
- Technical Requirements: System architecture, software integrations, or hardware specifications.
- Functional Requirements: Features or functionalities the solution must deliver.
- Operational Requirements: Workflow, process requirements, or internal constraints.
This prioritisation helps vendors understand where to focus their expertise and resources.
Budget
Should you disclose your budget? While not required, providing a range helps vendors tailor realistic solutions. If you do include it, clarify whether it covers implementation, support, training, and other costs.
Timeline
Be transparent about time-sensitive business drivers: "The new platform must launch before our annual conference on November 15th, where we'll showcase it to 2,000+ industry leaders." This helps vendors allocate resources and confirm availability.
Evaluation criteria
How will you choose the winning proposal? Outline your decision-making factors:
- Experience & Expertise – Relevant industry experience and past projects
- Cost – Value for money within your budget
- Approach & Methodology – How the vendor plans to execute the project
- References & Case Studies – Proof of success in similar projects
Being transparent about evaluation criteria ensures vendors focus on what truly matters to you.
Submission instruction
Make it easy for vendors to submit their proposals by providing clear instructions:
- Preferred Format: (e.g., PDF, Word document)
- Submission Method: (e.g., email, online portal)
- Required Forms or Templates: Any specific documentation vendors must include
- Contact Information: Who vendors can reach out to for clarifications
Clear guidelines prevent confusion and ensure you receive proposals in a format that makes comparisons easier.
Why Structure Matters
A well-structured RFP reduces back-and-forth, improves proposal quality, and speeds up selection. Vendors will appreciate the clarity, and you’ll receive responses that directly address your needs—without unnecessary fluff.
Step 4: Use Clear and Concise Language
The best RFPs are easy to read and even easier to understand.
❌ "The solution should utilize modern methodologies to enhance user experience paradigms while leveraging omnichannel capabilities to maximize engagement metrics."
✓ "The website must load in under 3 seconds on mobile devices, guide users through our product catalogue with three or fewer clicks, and connect seamlessly with our email marketing platform.
- Be direct. State what you need in plain language.
- Use simple sentence structures. Long, complicated sentences increase the risk of misinterpretation.
- Use headers & subheaders – Break content into logical sections.
- Use tables & charts (if needed) – For technical specifications or timelines.
Step 5: Include a Q&A Period
Even the most detailed RFPs can leave vendors with questions. A dedicated Q&A period helps clarify expectations, reduces misinterpretations, and leads to stronger, more relevant proposals. When structuring your Q&A period, timing matters tremendously. Allow at least 5-7 business days between distributing answers and your submission deadline. This gives vendors time to adjust their approaches based on clarifications.
Step 6: Provide a Response Template
A well-designed template ensures consistency, making it simpler to compare proposals side by side. Without it, you risk receiving unstructured responses that vary in format, making analysis time-consuming. Include things like vendor information, project approach, pricing, timeline, case studies & references.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Creating a successful RFP requires more than just filling in the blanks. Here’s what to avoid:
- Lack of clarity: vague RFPs lead to poor responses. Be specific, provide context, and set clear expectations to ensure vendors respond with the right solutions.
- Unrealistic budget vs expectations of features: don’t expect a high-end solution for a low budget.
- No prior education on the tech driving outcomes: it’s tempting to rely on vendors to tell you what technology to use. However, take the time to learn about the technologies available in your industry—this will allow you to have more productive conversations with potential vendors and ensure their solutions align with your goals.
- Being too general about deliverables: don’t just say, “We need a new website”—outline the exact features, functionality, and expected performance.
- Immitting legal and compliance requirements: forgetting to include legal, regulatory, or compliance requirements can lead to expensive mistakes down the road. Help vendors to avoid submitting proposals that can’t meet these critical obligations.
- Overloading with unnecessary information: stick to the essentials.
Vague RFPs cause poor responses and expensive mistakes.
Final thoughts
Writing a great RFP may take time, but the effort is worth it. A carefully crafted RFP attracts the right vendors, aligns expectations, and ultimately sets your project up for success. More importantly, a clear RFP reduces the stress on your internal teams. By laying out a solid framework for vendor selection and project execution, you eliminate confusion, streamline decision-making, and prevent project delays. Everyone involved will clearly understand the goals, timelines, and deliverables—making collaboration much more productive and efficient.
In the end, a strong RFP is the foundation of a successful partnership and a crucial step toward achieving your project’s objectives. Ready to take your RFP to the next level? Let’s get started - download our free RFP checklist below.