How to write an RFP

An RFP (request for proposal) is how you buy something complicated, a website build, a fit-out, an IT migration, without comparing apples to spaceships. You describe the project once, properly; suppliers respond in a comparable shape.

When an RFP is worth the effort

Rule of thumb: when the spend is significant, more than two suppliers could plausibly do it, and "cheapest" isn't automatically "best". For a £300 job, three phone calls beat any document.

The structure suppliers respect

1. Introduction and background: who you are, why this project exists, what success looks like. Suppliers write better proposals when they understand the why.
2. Project scope: what must be delivered. Bullet points are fine; ambiguity here becomes change-orders later.
3. Requirements: non-negotiables such as standards, insurance, technologies, references. Separate must-have from nice-to-have.
4. Submission guidelines: what a proposal must include (approach, team, price breakdown, references), the deadline, where to send it.
5. Evaluation criteria, weighted. Tell suppliers how you'll score: e.g. relevant experience 30%, approach 25%, price 25%, timeline 10%, references 10%. This single table raises the quality of every response, because suppliers stop guessing what you care about.
6. Timeline: proposal deadline, decision date, project start, completion. Be realistic; a rushed RFP attracts rushed proposals.

Two mistakes to avoid

• Hiding the budget completely. You don't have to name a figure, but a range ("£10,000–£15,000") stops suppliers pitching the £4k version or the £40k version of your project.
• Scoring in your head. If you didn't write the criteria down before proposals arrive, you'll score on charisma.

The fast way

Vizivo's RFP Generator turns a plain description of your project into the full structure above, including the weighted criteria table, ready to export and send to suppliers.