The RFP process is a series of steps an organization should take to prepare, draft, and issue a request for proposal (RFP) — a document detailing all aspects of a project and the requesting bids for it. The purpose of an RFP process is to present a project and collect offers for its completion.
In a previous article, we explored what a request for proposal (RFP) is. Now, we’ll outline the steps of the RFP process, its key figures, tips on how to avoid common challenges, and finally, the top companies that can take the burden off your shoulders.
Table of Contents
RFP Process Steps Explained
- Assemble Your Team
- Collect Business and Solution Requirements
- Draft the RFP
- Distribute Your RFP
- Review Vendor Responses
- Negotiate and Sign the Contract
1. Assemble Your Team
The first step in all RFP processes is to put together a team responsible for creating the document. This team should consist of all the relevant people in your organization who can contribute — stakeholders, the person(s) who will draft the RFP, the approvers, etc. Of course, don’t forget to assign a project manager to ensure the RFP process stays on track and meets the set deadlines.
2. Collect Business and Solution Requirements
The second step of the RFP development process is to pitch yourself, i.e., provide prospective vendors with the background and context to understand your business and its needs. Create a simple and concise RFP document and provide crucial information about your company. Moreover, knowing the exact issues you wish to address will enable vendors to respond properly.
Below are the four vital areas of discovery that you should consider when gathering your business and solution requirements.
2.1. Purpose
All stakeholders must be on the same page about your organization’s needs. Ask yourself:
- What solution are you looking for?
- What issue or challenge do you need to solve?
- Are you looking for a one-time project or ongoing support?
Use the answers to these questions to detail the purpose of your RFP, set expectations, and ensure you get proposals from the most qualified vendors.
2.2. Objectives
In your RFP, explain what goals your business is trying to achieve. Ask your stakeholders:
- How do they expect the vendor to help you reach your goals?
- What role will the vendor play in the business’s success?
2.3. Criteria for Evaluation
Always discuss the most important ranking factors with your team. Ask yourself these questions:
- How will you rank and score the proposals?
- What is the most important information that will help you make the decision? Is it the price, estimated timeline, customer experience, or something else?
2.4. Supplemental Request
When providing information about the solution or service you want to buy, ask if there are any additional features or benefits the vendor can bring to the table. However, remember that these are not necessarily required.
Instead, think of them as "nice to have" additions that would make the vendor's offerings more appealing. This approach invites vendors to emphasize these extras if they provide them without discouraging vendors who don't offer them.
3. Draft the RFP
The third step of the RFP development process is the drafting stage. Here, the team responsible for writing the RFP creates the document following a meticulous structure to clearly outline vendor expectations. The structure includes the following sections:
Introduction
Begin with a summary of the project. Make it brief, highlight the main points, and explain who you are as an organization — what you do, what your industry is, etc. Make sure you also include the proposal's due date.
Company Background
Provide detailed information about your organization, including your objectives, mission, similar projects you had in the past, the people in your company who will review the proposals, etc.
Project Description
Be as detailed as possible when explaining what the vendor needs to provide, the tasks they need to complete, or the products you need to obtain. Include the entire scope of work and detail the specific duties you need them to perform.
Proposal Requirements
List all the information you want vendors to provide in the proposals they submit. Think of it as an instruction manual for suppliers responding to your RFP.
Expectations From Vendors
Outline what you, as an organization, expect from vendors in terms of price, deadlines, communication, and other factors that can help you choose the best proposals. Including your budget can also narrow your search to companies that work at suitable rates.
The Selection Criteria
Explain the criteria for choosing the winning vendor once you've received their RFP responses. By explaining your criteria, suppliers will be able to provide more targeted proposals and make your decision easier.
Timelines and Deadlines
Finally, always include a due date for proposals, a payment schedule, the deadline for signing a contract with the vendor, and the date by which a vendor must supply the service or solution.
4. Distribute Your RFP
Once the RFP is completed and reviewed, the next step is distributing it to potential vendors. One effective way is to create an RFP web page with an online form for all relevant vendor information and a downloadable, editable version of the document.
Email potential suppliers a broad overview of the process and include a link to the RFP webpage where they can find more detailed information. Don’t forget to mention important deadlines and direct contact information in your initial communication.
5. Review Vendor Responses
The fifth step includes gathering the vendor data and reviewing the proposals to find the most qualified service provider. To facilitate the evaluation process, ask yourself these questions:
- Did they provide a timely and adequate proposal?
- How long have they been in business?
- Will the vendor be able to scale as your business grows to meet your future needs?
- Are they members of a trusted organization, trade association, or certified by a government agency?
- Do they have experience working in your market or a similar industry?
Narrow your list of preferred vendors to two to five and set up virtual or live interviews to ask them specific questions about the team and their processes.
To help you shortlist the preferred suppliers, consider the following steps:
- Compare critical factors to vendor strengths
- Identify differentiating factors for an in-depth comparison
6. Negotiate and Sign the Contract
Finally, all RFP processes end with a contract. Once you’ve selected the right vendor, negotiate the terms — including rates, deadlines, and deliverables. When both parties agree to the terms, the RFP process is completed by signing a contract. Subsequently, the vendor can start working on delivering the services to realize your project.
Who Are the Key Figures in the RFP Process Flow?
Nearly every organization assigns a dedicated person or team in charge of the RFP process. This has become the most efficient approach to managing the increasing volume of RFPs — averaging 175 RFPs per year, according to Loopio’s “2024 RFP Trends & Benchmarks” report.
The team should consist of the following members:
- RFP consultant: This individual is responsible for understanding clients’ needs. They explain RFP requirements and facilitate communication with vendors. They also assess vendor qualifications and help select the most qualified vendors.
- Procurement professionals: These individuals coordinate with internal teams to establish the organization’s pain points and what would solve them. They communicate your initial request with the vendor, oversee the progress, and evaluate vendor responses.
- Chief financial officer: A CFO evaluates the cost and ROI of the RFP to decide if the requested solution is financially viable.
- Company stakeholders: This business unit requests the product or service and determines what it should accomplish and what results it should generate. They also take part in evaluating and scoring RFP responses.
How Long Does an RFP Process Take?
Ideally, the RFP process should take 3-4 months. However, this is not set in stone as each project is unique and looks to solve specific challenges. Some RFP processes can even last years.
To set an approximate timeline for your RFP process, consider the time you need for:
- Research that needs to be done
- The first RFP draft
- Stakeholders reviewing the draft
- The document being sent to vendors
- Deadline for RFP responses
When you have an idea of how long each of these stages will take, you can accurately estimate the total duration of your RFP process — from gathering requirements to signing a contract with the vendor.
RFP Process Challenges
Since RFPs generate around $317.8 million in company revenue (according to the previously mentioned Loopio report), make sure to avoid these challenges that can frustrate clients and vendors:
- Vendor preselection: Vendors may feel the RFP is just a formality because some vendors are already favored.
- Insufficient vendor evaluation: Including vendors without proper consideration or evaluation.
- Including incompetent vendors: Adding vendors without the necessary qualifications or experience.
- Lack of organization: Initiating the RFP without being adequately prepared.
- Excessive and irrelevant questions: Overloading the RFP with unnecessary or unrelated questions.
- RFP as leverage: Using the RFP solely to negotiate better terms with existing vendors.
- Lack of stakeholder engagement: Not all stakeholders thoroughly review the RFP responses.
- Delayed or inadequate communication: Vendors are not receiving timely and clear responses.
- Disproportionate RFP size: Lengthy RFPs for small deals can make top-notch vendors give up on participating.
Addressing these challenges can improve the RFP process for all parties involved.
Top RFP Outsource Agencies in 2025
To aid in your RFP process, here’s a list of the top-notch agencies to whom you can outsource your RFP project:
- Daniel James Consulting
- Anderson Collaborative
- N-iX
- Consensus Creative
- Brandefy
- Scalee
- Trolley Web
- Studio Up
- Division Web Design
- Eye Popper Digital LLC
- Bottle Rocket Media
- Votary Films
1. Daniel James Consulting
- Location: 2125 Albany Post Road, Montrose, New York 10548, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $125/hr
- Expertise: Branding, Logo Design, SEO, PPC...
If your RFP requires social media marketing, website & graphic design, enterprise or IoT & industry 4.0 intelligence, Daniel James Consulting is your best choice!
As a full-service business management and marketing firm, it provides extensive business consulting services and interconnected deliverables tailor-made to individual needs, goals, companies, and industries.
The award-winning agency with client retention of more than 7 years has serviced over 200 companies. The best part is that you can get customized packages that will align with your needs for the project you have. Daniel James Consulting also presents an a la carte solutions menu to decrease turnaround time while increasing deliverables.
2. Anderson Collaborative
- Location: 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd Suite 470, Miami, Florida 33146, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $150/hr
- Expertise: Influencer Marketing, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Website Development...
Anderson Collaborative has led high-level marketing strategies for hundreds of businesses across various industries, both small and large. With its team of skilled specialists, contractors, and partners, Anderson Collaborative consistently delivers trusted results to its clients.
If your RFP requires a marketing vantage point, the Collaborative dream-big team is there for you. They solve marketing issues of today with strategies of tomorrow, helping clients across the United States find success in their promotional efforts.
3. N-iX
- Location: 157 Archbishop St., Valletta, VLT 1440, Malta
- Average Hourly Rate: $60/hr
- Expertise: Web Design, Software Development, Google App Engine Development, Google Apps
Founded in 2002, N-iX is a software development company with a strong presence in the U.S. and Europe. Its main services include custom software solutions, team extension, product discovery, and technology consulting, making N-iX a perfect fit for RFP IT projects.
The N-iX team offers expertise in digital transformation, data analytics, cloud computing, embedded software, IoT, UI/UX, QA and testing, AI, machine learning, and data science, among others.
N-iX has formed strategic partnerships with global industry leaders and Fortune 500 companies. Its notable clients include eBay, Siemens, Bosch, Fluke, and Inditex.
4. Consensus Creative
- Location: 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, M5C 1C4, Canada
- Average Hourly Rate: $120/hr
- Expertise: Web Design, Web Development, WordPress Development, UI/UX Design...
For all things website, you can entrust your projects to Consensus Creative — a team composed of experts in web development and design.
Consensus Creative has consistently helped businesses rank on Google and gain more customers through stunning custom web designs and websites optimized for performance and conversion.
If your RFP needs it, Consensus Creative offers unlimited design revisions, quick turnaround times, and website maintenance and support, as well as expert content writing and editing.
5. Brandefy
- Location: 2633 Lincoln Blvd #406, Santa Monica, California 90405, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $125/hr
- Expertise: Video Production and Video Marketing.
When your project plans to incorporate audio and video, Brandefy can take the burden off. It is an award-winning, full-service video production agency based in Los Angeles, CA. Founded in 2011, Brandefy has an undeniable well of knowledge when it comes to all things video production and marketing, making them an excellent choice for RFPs that require tasks such as filming or editing video and audio materials.
By creating attention-grabbing videos for both TV and website marketing, Brandefy takes a customer-focused approach to ensure your project needs are wholly met in terms of budget, requirements, and deadlines.
The company prides itself on its ability to stay one step ahead of its competition by expertly integrating proven strategies and responsible practices into its video production process. Showcasing itself as a one-stop-shop for all your video production needs, Brandefy offers services such as:
- TV Production: Commercials, DRTV, docu-mercials, and infomercials;
- Web Videos: Corporate videos, explainer videos, animated logos, and sizzle reels;
- Distribution: Media buying, internet distribution, video search engine, and optimization (VSEO).
6. Scalee
- Location: 51 Sherif Khimshiashvili St, Batumi, Georgia
- Average Hourly Rate: $25/hr
- Expertise: Custom Development, MVP, Promotion Research, Prototype Development, Marketing Analysis & Benchmarking...
Need a creative boost for your RFP? With creativity at its core, Scalee houses a team of seasoned development and marketing experts whose sole focus is spreading the word about your project. They take your napkin-sketch ideas and turn them into full-fledged, success-driven products.
Curious about Scalee’s process and how it can help your project? Scalee helps clients determine their audience and needs and conducts marketing tests to assist with pitch deck creation, thereby ensuring that all your primary bases are covered.
From analyzing your project and developing a prototype to creating powerful promotion and marketing strategies, Scalee transforms your ideas into its optimal versions before introducing them to the market.
7. Trolley Web
- Location: 1431 N Clayton St. Apt A, Wilmington, Delaware 19806, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: Inquire
- Expertise: Digital Design, Web Design, Small Business Website Design, SEO...
Every project needs a website, but not all get the quality they’ve paid for. With Trolley Web this is not an issue. Trolley Web is a web development company located in Wilmington, Delaware, that provides custom and express websites and builds high-performing, fully functional sites in 10 days or less.
Trolley Web’s team of designers and copywriters do the heavy lifting, taking every part of the RFP deal into their own hands. In just three review sessions, you'll end up with a stunning customized website that will improve the project’s search rankings.
Some of Trolley Web’s clients include Delcollo Acupuncture, Pets for Vets, and DE Painting Pros.
8. Studio Up
- Location: Via Esopo 8, Milan, 20100, Italy
- Average Hourly Rate: $100/hr
- Expertise: 360° Digital Services, Digital Strategy, Branding, Logo Design...
When considering vendors for your RFP, Studio Up should certainly make your list. Its main focus is creating functional custom websites that incorporate good digital strategies.
Studio Up identifies your brand values and creates mood boards, alongside a specific set of rules to best communicate your project to third parties. From designing logos to letterheads and business cards, Studio Up covers every aspect that a business needs to grow.
For its SEO strategy, Studio Up selects the keywords, analyzes competitors' positioning, builds links, and writes optimized content. The agency also provides detailed periodic reports.
Some of its clients include Coca-Cola, Park Hyatt, and Lenovo.
9. Division Web Design
- Location: 1521 Main St., Rahway, New Jersey 07036, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $75/hr
- Expertise: B2B Website Design, Social Media Marketing, Local SEO, eCommerce Consulting, WooCommerce Development...
Some RFPs require an all-in-one service from one vendor that can create, design, and market the website. Division Web Design does just that. It transforms your online presence with a scalable solution geared toward growth and user interaction.
Its design and marketing specialists work closely with you to understand your needs, goals, and website requirements. This allows them to develop ways to creatively showcase your project and build clean, modern websites that get engagement.
Division Web Design’s clients include Yanco China, The Education Trust - New York, and Kerry.
10. Eye Popper Digital LLC
- Location: 696 Pine St. Herndon, Va. 20170
- Average Hourly Rate: Inquire
- Expertise: Digital Strategy, Branding, Web Design, Advertising...
Another great marketing agency that can help elevate your project is Eye Popper Digital.
As a premier digital advertising technology and website solutions firm, it provides digital marketers with a more powerful and holistic solution to advertise across all ad formats, screens, and platforms.
To amplify reach and engagement, Eye Popper Digital leverages an integrated ecosystem of partners for data, inventory, brand safety, and fraud prevention, offering unparalleled solutions.
Its notable clients include FanDuel, BigTeams, and Rumbo.
11. Bottle Rocket Media
- Location: 415 N. Aberdeen St, Suite 1, Chicago, Illinois 60642, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $200/hr
- Expertise: Small Business Branding, Video Production, Creative, Instagram Marketing, Video Marketing, Content Marketing, Email Marketing.
Founded in 2010 and based out of Chicago, Bottle Rocket Media is a video production and marketing agency that covers various industries. Whether tackling projects big or small, Bottle Rocket Media’s end goal is always the same: creating beautiful content for brands to advertise.
Bottle Rocket Media is a full-service agency that (apart from marketing and video production) offers script writing, production, casting, storyboards, style boards, 2D and 3D animation, and voiceover talent, which all but ensures your RFP will attract attention.
Bottle Rocket Media also has an impressive client list, which includes Dyson, United Airlines, American Girl, and the Chicago Cubs.
12. Votary Films
- Location: 25 Union Street, Worcester, Boston, Massachusetts 01608, United States
- Average Hourly Rate: $200/hr
- Expertise: Video Production, Digital Advertising, Creative
Does your RFP require a video production vendor? Add Votary Films to the list!
Founded in 2007, Votary Film is guided by core values centered on authentic storytelling, using creativity for good, continuous improvement, and being kind & courageous.
With its team of creatives and filmmakers, Votary Films takes care of its partners and guides their projects to success through strategic films, achieving new heights and levels of achievement.
RFP Process Takeaways
An efficient and well-structured RFP process is essential for a successful collaboration with any agency or vendor. It can be used to produce:
- SEO RFP
- Branding RFP
- RFP software development
- Website development RFP
- Social Media RFP
- App development RFP
- Digital marketing RFP
- eCommerce development RFP
- Website design RFP
- IT services RFP
RFPs can make the difference between losing and making money for the organization and are a sure-proof way of attaining the quality service or solution needed for the realization of any project. Remember to follow each step of the RFP process diligently — from assembling your team to negotiating with your chosen vendors — and you’ll quickly be on your way to creating a prime RFP for your project.
RFP Process FAQs
1. What does RFP mean?
RFP stands for Request for Proposal. This is a document created by businesses so they can collect bids or proposals from potential vendors or suppliers.
It outlines the organization's requirements and expectations for a particular project and invites interested parties to submit their proposals, including details about their offerings, pricing, and other relevant information. The RFP helps the organization gather and evaluate different proposals and decide which vendor or supplier to select.
2. What is the difference between RFP and RFQ?
The main difference between an RFP (Request for Proposal) and an RFQ (Request for Quotation) is that an RFP is sent when a business wants to gather detailed information and proposals from potential vendors or suppliers. An RFQ is sent when businesses know what specific service they want to purchase and need price quotes.
3. What are the key things to include in an RFP draft?
The key components of an RFP include an introduction, company background, project description, proposal requirements, vendor expectations, selection criteria, and deadlines.
4. What are the key components of the RFP process?
Critical components of RFP include the following:
- Team assembling
- Collect business and solution requirements
- Drafting the RFP
- Distributing the RFP
- Reviewing vendor responses
- Negotiating and signing the contract
5. What should not be included in the RFP?
An RFP shouldn’t include the following:
- Preference towards specific vendors
- Sensitive company information or trade secrets
- Unrealistic or overly restrictive requirements
- Detailed implementation plans (instead of specifying an implementation plan, the RFP should highlight desired outcomes and allow vendors to propose solutions)
- Lengthy or excessive documentation
- Discriminatory or biased language
- Irrelevant or unnecessary questions
- Confidential pricing information from other vendors (you must respect the confidentiality of vendors' proposals and not disclose their information to other participants)
