How to Write a Request for Proposal

Writing a Request for Proposal (commonly called "RFP) takes a little bit of planning in deciding who, what when and how. The RFP format should be written where it's in a standardized format and all vendors proposals look the same and provide the same information. Writing an RFP requires some strategic planning and communication among the departments of the company to provide the right amount of details in formulating a scope of work.

The RFP should have a cover page as well as an executive summary. The cover page of the RFP usually has the project title listed so vendors responding to the RFP know what you're trying to purchase. The RFP should have a table of contents with links to the specific sections in the RFP. Right after the table of contents you should have an introduction and general information such as a definitions list of term used throughout the RFP that are capitalized, your company rights and options regarding the RFP, and some other general terms and conditions.

The next section in a Request for Proposal should provide details on the procurement process such as how to respond to the RFP and the timeline you have formed for the procurement process, and details on the submission of a Proposal such as how many copies you want and what day and time vendors must have their proposals submitted.

The next section in the RFP should spell out the Scope of Services or Scope of Work. This section you should provide as much details, specification and expectation of the vendor as possible. Write the RFP in a format that is easy to follow and use headlines to break up the requirements into categories.

Another section in a RFP you should have is the proposal format. Tell the vendor how you want their proposals laid out so that they're easy to read and compare once you receive them from the vendors. This section is critical so vendors know how to respond to the RFP.

You should have a pricing form for a RFP so vendors can provide the same information and it helps for evaluating the proposals. You should design a pricing sheet that allows for some modification because each vendors solution is different and their pricing will be different as well.

One last thing that you should include in an RFP is your company's contract language. This is very important so the vendor knows up front the terms and conditions and it allows them to take an exception of any term and condition in their proposal. Make sure you put that contract terms and conditions are not inclusive, but may be changed based on proposals received. This way you can add more terms and conditions in the RFP later if the winning vendor has something in their proposal that you need to minimize risk to your company. Another great thing about having the contract sample in the RFP it allows you to start the negotiation process early instead of waiting until you select a vendor.

Getting a good response to a RFP is critical in making sure you get what you really want. Take the time and provide all the information you can so vendors know your expectations. Don't assume the vendor knows what you want and what your expectations are. You must spell it out in as much detail as possible to avoid any delays in your project or any legal issues arising because of a confrontation of something that was left out of the RFP.