How to write a successful request for proposal: Template

A well written Request for Proposal can be a cornerstone for a successful collaboration. A RFP is great because it sets a mutual context for both you and your potential vendors. In an already competitive market, a well-written proposal narrows your options to the ones that suit your company personality and interest best. 

In the current digital times businesses need to adapt to the customer requirements. Depending on your target audience, you can already have certain ideas of what kind of technological innovations you could implement. But usually, these changes can’t be done internally and you must externalize. 

If in our previous article we explained what is a RFP, why it’s important to send one and what are the main points needing to be addressed. In this article we offer you a template that can guide you in your writing. If you are a Business you might find this article helpful.

Request for Proposal Template

In this section we provided an initial RFP structure for you to follow. Keep in mind that this is a template for further inspiration and you must tailor your RFP to best reflect your company’s needs.

There are many pre-existing templates of RFPs online, each with its own approach. That’s why our advice is to analyse them all and adjust them into a final form, suitable for your company and project.

Additional details to include

A Request for Proposal template have a diverse range of shapes, sizes and formats, all depending on the project, company’s personality and, of course, the author in charge of writing it. Keeping this in mind, check out the next sections of this article for further inspiration.

In your RFP you can add a separate first page containing:

• Company name

• Project name

• Address 

• Zip code

• Contact person

• Telephone number of the contact person

• Email address of the contact person

• Fax number 

The body of the Request for Proposal

For extra guidance when writing the body of the RFP we described, in a general note, what should each section of the document include.

Company overview

In this section you should add introductory data about your company. Who founded it? What product or service are you providing? What is your target audience? Any potential collaborators would want to learn more about your company and your brand’s identity before offering any response. 

Project purpose

As the name suggests, in this part you should address what project you have in mind, its purpose and outcomes for your company, but also what services you need from the potential vendor. Our advice is to detail and provide substantial data about your project idea, this way you ensure a complete response. 

Technologies needed 

Because every great idea demands exhaustive research, when you write your request you should have a basic knowledge of what technologies your project requires. If you don’t know for sure what to include in this part, you can address general requirements like: Mobile or web, or both? What should your app include? Any specific functionalities? Any type of particularities you can include, add it! 

Project goals

In this section you should describe the main outcomes of your project. Your goals must be tangible, measurable, achievable and specific. Before writing this part of the proposal, we suggest that you have a planned series of meetings with your team/stakeholders or any reliable person. Here you can clearly outline the objectives of the project in order to receive a maximum positive outcome after launch. 

Deadlines, limitations or risks 

This part is as intuitive as the name suggests. Deadlines should be outlined from the beginning, this way you prevent future time management difficulties for both your company, and your vendors. According to the project’s profile and purpose, you should also consider certain limitations like: holidays, the school calendar (if you need an education related app), the weather etc. 

Metrics and criteria 

For a better evaluation of your RFP estimations, we strongly recommend using a metrics system. You can use an existing one or establish an evaluation according to your needs. However, in this section you should outline the criteria you necessitate in order to start a collaboration with an agency.

Budget specifications 

This section includes clear specifications about your project’s budget. For a precise estimation about the costs of the app, the agencies receiving your RFP will examine your requirements through the prism of your set budget. Be honest and specific when writing this part, this way you set a clear context for a future collaboration.

Wrapping up

There are many pre-existing templates of RFPs online, each with its own approach. That’s why our advice is to analyse a Request for Proposal template and adjust it into a final form, suitable for your company and project.