A request for a proposal (RFP) is a standardized document inviting potential vendors to bid on work to be done. A strong RFP will outline your needs, set expectations, and help attract the right vendor for the job. 

Contacting vendors with an RFP can feel daunting. In this article, we're going to help you make an RFP template so you're set up for success. 

What is a request for proposal?

An RFP defines what work needs to be done and invites vendors to bid to earn a contract to complete the work. RFPs can call for either vendors for a specific project or long-term vendors to supply an ongoing service. An RFP should outline the requirements your company has, the goals of the project, and your expectations of the project and vendor.

An RFP is a clear way for both vendor and client to align on your expectations. It should provide potential vendors with the information they need to make a specific, accurately estimated proposal. It should also help you compare different bids, so you can confidently choose the right vendor. A request for proposal is an essential part of the procurement process that many organizations follow.

What are the elements of a strong RFP?

A request for proposal should be concrete — all stakeholders should have a clear understanding of the project, its requirements, and your expectations. Keeping things to factual details and making the details clear is important in avoiding any miscommunications.

Transparency is a key element to consider. If you're not transparent about the issues you're facing and the help that is needed, you might have more trouble attracting and selecting bidders that are best-suited to completing the work. You should also consider letting your bidders know if you're considering others, where you're at in the selection process, and how you will make your decision.

Define the problem to be solved and your requirements. Seek input from all the relevant teams at your company that the work will affect. 

Work out your budget, who will make the final decision on a vendor, and what the timeline is for getting the project complete.

What are the main elements of an RFP template?

Use the following sections for your RFP document.

Introduction

Introduce yourself, your company, and any relevant context that has given rise to the project. 

The project scope

Describe the project as clearly as possible. Include the project name, the overall project goals, and the problems you're looking to solve.

The project requirements

List the desired features, functionality, and technical specifications you need to have met. This may require an in-depth technical specification for some projects.

Deliverables

Define the deliverables you expect to see and set a proposal timeline for them to be met. That way you can see what vendors are able to accomplish on your timeline and see if what you've set for your project is achievable. This sets a framework to track progress for both groups.

Assessment criteria

Describe how the proposals will be evaluated. Criteria should mention cost, experience, technical capabilities, timing, and whatever else is important to this project. 

Response format

Ask vendors to format their proposals in a way that makes sense to your team. This is especially important if you're dealing with multiple vendors. 

With all vendors using the same format, you can easily compare their offerings side-by-side. A response format adds another layer of structure for the vendors to help keep everyone on the same page.

Submissions

Let vendors know how to submit their proposals. Provide a due date, a destination (e.g. a particular email address), and guidance about who to contact if the vendor has questions or experiences difficulty submitting. 

Budget

Set your budget range and expectations. 

Questions

You should allow vendors to ask questions and set up a Q&A session about the project. The vendor can get clarification on the technical aspects or scope of the project. 

You can set a time to answer questions, a method for submitting the questions, and a time to get the answers back to them. Setting this time aside in advance, with the expectation that you'll be asked questions, is the best way to manage everyone's time.

Contact information

Provide contact details for a designated person. This point of contact ensures the vendors have someone they can reach if there are any other considerations that need to be made before proposals are built out.

What is an example request for proposal template structure?

Using the elements detailed above, here's a template structure you can use to build your own RFP. 

[Your company name]

[Company address]

[Company contact information]

[Company website]

Request for Proposal

[Project title]

• Include a title, e.g. "CRM Integration."

[Introduction]

• Provide a brief description of what your company does and the ways that the project is needed. 

[Project scope]

• Give background information on the project, its goals, and objectives.
• Talk about the general scope of work and how it relates to the specific roadblocks to be solved.

[Project requirements]

• Touch on technical requirements and in what ways your company is able to assist, or in the ways you need assistance.
• Bring up functional requirements that you're expecting and what sort of features are needed.
• Mention the performance requirements and what you expect the project to be able to do for your company.

[Deliverables]

• List out the final deliverables you're expecting to receive.
• Build a project timeline for the deliverables and milestones that should be hit by certain dates.

[Assessment criteria]

• List the evaluation criteria that you're looking to evaluate each proposal with.
• Tell the vendors how each criterion will be weighed, scored, or rated.

[Response format]

• Tell the vendors how you want a response to be formatted when they send their response.
• Make note of any required sections you expect to see, like pricing and summaries.

[Submissions]

• Set the submission deadline for all vendors.
• Inform them of the method of submission whether that be through email, a portal, or a form you provide.

[Budget]

• Set your estimated budget range.

[Questions]

• Define the process for how a request for information will be accepted.
• Set a deadline for when questions need to be submitted.
• Provide a date for when answers will be provided and how they'll be delivered.

[Contact information]

• Include the contact name, details, and method.

Reviewing proposals and building partnerships 

Our sample RFP template is made to help you save time, but we can also help you save time each week. When you're receiving proposals and managing an RFP process, staying on top of your inbox is key — efficiency and responsiveness help build good vendor relationships. 

At Superhuman, we bring you blazingly fast email for high-performing teams. Imagine what your team could do with an extra month every year. Get started with Superhuman to move faster and collaborate more effectively.