To write an RFP, set out what you need, the terms that will apply, exactly what each proposal must include, and how you'll score bids, with the relative importance of each factor. Finish with a firm due date and time. The US federal buying rules follow this same order, and it's a sound model even for a small private business.
Design the scoring before you write a single requirement. That's the step most RFP guides skip, and it's the one that decides whether you can compare the bids you get back or end up choosing on gut feel.
A request for proposal (RFP) is the document you send to suppliers when you want them to compete for a piece of work and you care about more than the lowest figure. The clearest public model is the US Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which says RFPs are used to communicate requirements to prospective contractors and to solicit proposals. You don't have to follow the FAR if you're a private company, charity or small business, but its structure is tested and easy to borrow.
What the FAR says every RFP must contain
For competitive buying, the FAR sets a minimum of four things. An RFP must describe:
- the requirement (what you need)
- the anticipated terms and conditions that will apply to the contract
- the information each proposal must contain
- the factors and significant subfactors you'll use to evaluate proposals
Add a due date with an exact time and you have the full skeleton. Everything else, from background to formatting rules, is your judgement.
Five steps to write the RFP
- State the requirement in plain terms. Say what problem you're solving and what a good result looks like. Describe the outcome rather than dictating the method, unless the method matters to you. If you'll later need a detailed scope, a statement of work template is a useful place to draft it.
- Set out the terms. Contract length, how and when you'll pay, who owns the work at the end, and any confidentiality or insurance requirements. Bidders can't cost a job if they don't know the terms. For anything with real legal weight, ask a solicitor or contracts adviser to review this section.
- List exactly what each proposal must contain. For example: their approach, the team who'll do the work, references, and the full cost. A fixed list makes the bids comparable line by line.
- Choose your evaluation factors and say how much each one matters. This is the scoring step, covered in detail below.
- Fix the deadline, the submission method and a contact for questions. Give a date, an exact time and a time zone, plus the date questions close.
Build the score sheet first
Under the FAR, evaluation factors must represent the key areas of importance and support meaningful comparison between proposals. In plain English: score what you care about, and pick factors that will separate the bids. If every supplier will tick the same box, that factor won't help you choose.
The FAR also says cost is evaluated in every source selection, and that quality must be weighed through at least one non-cost factor, such as past performance, technical excellence, management capability, personnel qualifications or prior experience. For larger federal awards above the simplified acquisition threshold, past performance must be evaluated unless the officer documents why not. Those rules bind US federal buyers only, but the logic travels well: never score on cost alone, and always ask for evidence of past work.
Here's an illustrative score sheet you can copy. The weights are examples, not official figures; the FAR only requires that you state the relative importance of each factor.
| Factor | Weight | Bid score | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | 35 | 4/5 | 35 x 4/5 = 28 |
| Past performance | 20 | 3/5 | 20 x 3/5 = 12 |
| Team | 15 | 5/5 | 15 |
| Cost | 30 | 25 of 30 | 25 |
| Total | 100 | 80 of 100 |
Publish the factors and their order of importance in the RFP itself. Bidders write better proposals when they know what you'll reward, and you protect yourself from the accusation that you moved the goalposts after the bids arrived.
A skeleton you can copy
This outline follows the FAR order and adds the practical extras a small business needs:
- Background and the requirement (what you need, in plain terms)
- Terms and conditions that will apply (contract length, payment, ownership)
- What each proposal must contain (approach, team, references, cost)
- Evaluation factors and their relative importance
- Due date, exact time and where or how to submit
- Contact for questions and the date questions close
If you're shortlisting suppliers for automation or AI work, the same skeleton works; pair it with a checklist for picking an AI agency so your factors reflect what matters in that field.
Talk to suppliers before you finalise it
The FAR encourages early exchanges with industry before the RFP is final, through techniques such as industry conferences, public hearings, market research, draft RFPs, requests for information, pre-proposal conferences and site visits. The stated purpose is to improve the understanding of requirements and industry capabilities, which makes proposals easier to prepare and easier to evaluate.
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For a private buyer, a short call with two or three likely suppliers often reveals a requirement you've described badly or a term nobody can meet. One caution: federal buyers must keep these exchanges within procurement integrity rules, and you should apply the same spirit. Whatever you tell one bidder, tell them all.
Deadlines: why the exact time matters
Under the FAR, a proposal received after the exact time specified is late and generally isn't considered. If a federal solicitation gives no time, the default is 4:30 p.m. local time at the designated office on the due date. That default applies only to federal solicitations, so in your own RFP state the time and time zone yourself. A vague deadline invites disputes you don't need.
What the FAR model won't do for you
- It says what an RFP must contain, not how long it should be or how to phrase requirements. That part is judgement.
- Weighting factors doesn't make a decision objective. The FAR leaves the choice of factors and their importance to the buyer's broad discretion.
- It's US federal law. A private company can choose its own format, so treat it as a model, not a rule, and take professional advice on contract terms.
- It gives no standard response window in days, and I couldn't find a reliable figure, so set one that suits the size of the job.
Once proposals arrive, the strongest ones tend to read like a well-built sales proposal: they answer your factors in the same order you listed them. That's another reason to publish the scoring up front.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an RFP and an RFI?
An RFI (request for information) is an early, exploratory step to learn what suppliers can do. The FAR lists RFIs among the early exchanges it encourages before the RFP is final. An RFP asks suppliers to submit a full proposal you'll score and choose from.
Does a private company have to follow the FAR?
No. The FAR governs US federal buying. A private company, charity or small business can set its own rules. The FAR is useful as a model because it spells out what a fair, comparable RFP contains.
Should cost be the biggest scoring factor?
Not necessarily. The FAR requires cost to be evaluated and quality to be weighed through at least one non-cost factor, but it leaves the relative importance to the buyer. Weight cost according to how much it matters for this particular purchase.
Do I have to tell bidders how I'll score them?
In federal buying, yes: the RFP must list the evaluation factors and significant subfactors. For a private buyer it's still wise, because bidders can then address what you care about and the comparison is easier to defend.
Can I accept a bid that misses the cut-off?
In a private process that's your decision, so make it before you publish and write it into the document. Federal buyers are strict on this point, and borrowing that firmness saves arguments with anyone who misses by a few minutes.
Who should review the terms and conditions section?
Anyone with legal weight in the contract, such as payment, ownership or liability, is worth a review by a solicitor or contracts adviser before the RFP goes out. This guide covers structure, not legal advice.
