Request for Proposal (RFP) Template

1. Introduction and Background

[COMPANY_NAME], with its principal office located at [COMPANY_ADDRESS], is issuing this Request for Proposal (the "RFP") to invite qualified suppliers (each, a "Proposer") to submit proposals for [PROJECT_NAME].

[COMPANY_NAME] is [COMPANY_DESCRIPTION]. The purpose of this RFP is to identify a supplier capable of delivering [HIGH_LEVEL_OBJECTIVE] in line with [COMPANY_NAME]'s strategic priorities for the [YEAR] period.

The successful Proposer will be expected to enter into a formal written agreement with [COMPANY_NAME] following the conclusion of this procurement process. The anticipated contract term is [CONTRACT_TERM], commencing on or about [ANTICIPATED_START_DATE].

This RFP describes [COMPANY_NAME]'s requirements, the information that Proposers must submit, the criteria by which proposals will be evaluated, and the relative importance of those criteria. Proposers are responsible for reading this document in full before preparing their response.

2. Project Scope and Objectives

[COMPANY_NAME] is seeking proposals to deliver the following scope of work:

(a) Primary scope. [PROJECT_DESCRIPTION].

(b) Secondary scope and optional add-ons. Describe any optional or stretch items that Proposers may price separately. Make clear whether these will or will not influence award.

(c) Out of scope. The following items are explicitly outside the scope of this RFP and Proposers should not include them in pricing or proposal narrative: [LIST_OUT_OF_SCOPE_ITEMS].

(d) Strategic objectives. The successful engagement is expected to deliver the following measurable outcomes: [OUTCOME_1], [OUTCOME_2], [OUTCOME_3]. Proposers should structure their response to demonstrate how their solution achieves each outcome.

(e) Volumes and assumptions. Indicative volumes and demand profile are provided in Appendix A. These figures are provided in good faith but are not guaranteed minimums; the final contract may include floor and ceiling commitments to be negotiated with the successful Proposer.

3. Submission Requirements

Each proposal must include the following components, in the order listed:

(a) Cover letter. A one-page letter signed by an authorised representative of the Proposer, confirming acceptance of the terms of this RFP and the validity period of the proposal.

(b) Executive summary. A summary of no more than three pages describing the Proposer's understanding of the requirement, proposed solution, and key differentiators.

(c) Technical proposal. A detailed description of the proposed solution, methodology, implementation plan, staffing model, project governance, risk register, and quality assurance approach. The technical proposal should not exceed [PAGE_LIMIT_TECHNICAL] pages excluding appendices.

(d) Company profile and experience. Description of the Proposer's organisation, ownership structure, years in business, audited financial statements for the past three financial years, and at least three references for comparable engagements completed within the past five years.

(e) Pricing proposal. Pricing presented in a sealed and separately identifiable section, in the format prescribed in Section 9 below.

(f) Compliance matrix. A point-by-point response to each requirement listed in this RFP, indicating whether the Proposer fully complies, partially complies, or does not comply, with a brief explanation in each case.

(g) Required attachments. Insurance certificates, business registration documents, applicable certifications (such as ISO 9001, ISO 27001, SOC 2), and any signed forms requested in the appendices.

Proposals that omit any required component may be deemed non-responsive and rejected without further evaluation.

4. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

Proposals will be evaluated by a committee composed of representatives from procurement, the business function commissioning the work, finance, and where relevant, legal and information security. Each criterion will be scored on a five-point scale where 1 indicates "fails to meet requirements", 3 indicates "meets requirements", and 5 indicates "significantly exceeds requirements". The total score is calculated as a weighted average across all criteria.

The following weighted criteria will be used:

(a) Technical solution and methodology — 30 percent. Assesses how well the proposed approach addresses the scope, the technical merits of the solution, and the soundness of the implementation plan.

(b) Experience, references, and team — 20 percent. Evaluates the Proposer's track record on comparable work, the credentials of the named team, and the quality of references.

(c) Pricing and total cost of ownership — 25 percent. Considers not only the headline price but also total cost of ownership over the contract term, including implementation, licences, support, exit, and any usage-based fees. The lowest compliant price receives the maximum score; other proposals are scored proportionally.

(d) Risk, security, and compliance — 10 percent. Considers data protection, information security, business continuity, insurance coverage, and regulatory compliance posture.

(e) Sustainability and ESG performance — 8 percent. Considers carbon footprint of the proposed delivery model, ethical labour practices, environmental certifications, and alignment with [COMPANY_NAME]'s sustainability commitments.

(f) Supplier diversity and social value — 7 percent. Considers ownership structure, diversity policies, and any community or social value commitments offered as part of the engagement.

Weightings will not be modified after proposals are received. [COMPANY_NAME] reserves the right to require a presentation, demonstration, or site visit from any shortlisted Proposer; any such activity will be conducted under consistent conditions across all shortlisted parties.

5. Timeline

The indicative timeline for this procurement is as follows. [COMPANY_NAME] reserves the right to adjust the schedule and will notify Proposers of any changes via the contact identified in Section 11.

(a) RFP issued: [ISSUE_DATE] (b) Pre-bid conference (optional attendance): [PRE_BID_DATE] (c) Deadline to submit written questions: [QUESTIONS_DEADLINE] (d) Written responses to questions issued: [ANSWERS_RELEASE_DATE] (e) Deadline for any addenda or RFP amendments: [ADDENDA_DEADLINE] (f) Proposal submission deadline: [SUBMISSION_DEADLINE] (g) Shortlist notification: [SHORTLIST_DATE] (h) Shortlisted Proposer presentations and clarifications: [PRESENTATIONS_WINDOW] (i) Notification of intent to award: [INTENT_TO_AWARD_DATE] (j) Contract signature: [CONTRACT_SIGNATURE_TARGET] (k) Contract effective date: [CONTRACT_START_DATE]

Late submissions will not be considered under any circumstances. It is the Proposer's responsibility to ensure timely receipt.

6. Proposal Format Requirements

To facilitate fair evaluation, all proposals must conform to the following format requirements:

(a) Submitted electronically via [SUBMISSION_PORTAL_OR_EMAIL] in PDF format, with a separate Excel workbook for pricing where required.

(b) Use letter-size or A4 page format, single-spaced, with a minimum font size of 11 points for body text and 10 points for tables and footnotes. One-inch margins on all sides.

(c) Each section of the proposal must follow the order and numbering prescribed in Section 3.

(d) Maximum file size: [MAX_FILE_SIZE]. Where the portal imposes a smaller limit, split files into clearly labelled parts.

(e) All pages must be numbered, and a table of contents must be included.

(f) The Proposer's legal name, this RFP number ([RFP_REFERENCE_NUMBER]), and the date of submission must appear on the cover page and in the footer of every page.

(g) Proposals must be in [LANGUAGE] and prices must be quoted in [CURRENCY], exclusive of value-added tax or sales tax unless otherwise stated.

7. Terms and Conditions

By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the Proposer acknowledges and agrees to the following terms:

(a) Validity of proposal. The proposal shall remain open for acceptance for a period of [VALIDITY_DAYS] days from the submission deadline.

(b) Costs of proposing. All costs incurred by the Proposer in preparing and submitting its proposal, including costs of attending meetings, demonstrations, and site visits, are the sole responsibility of the Proposer and will not be reimbursed by [COMPANY_NAME].

(c) Compliance with laws. The Proposer represents that it complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, modern slavery legislation, data protection legislation (including the General Data Protection Regulation where applicable), and sanctions regimes.

(d) No conflict of interest. The Proposer warrants that no conflict of interest, actual or perceived, exists between the Proposer and [COMPANY_NAME] or any individual involved in this procurement, and undertakes to disclose any such conflict promptly should it arise.

(e) Acceptance of terms. The Proposer acknowledges that any contract resulting from this RFP will be governed by [COMPANY_NAME]'s standard terms and conditions, attached as Appendix B, subject to any negotiated departures expressly agreed in writing.

(f) Right to reject. [COMPANY_NAME] reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, to waive irregularities, to negotiate with one or more Proposers, to cancel this RFP at any time before contract signature, and to re-issue the RFP, in each case in its sole discretion and without liability to any Proposer.

(g) No commitment. The issuance of this RFP does not commit [COMPANY_NAME] to award any contract or to incur any costs whatsoever, nor does the receipt of a proposal create any legal or implied obligation on [COMPANY_NAME].

8. Confidentiality and Intellectual Property

(a) Confidentiality of RFP information. This RFP, all attachments, and all information disclosed by [COMPANY_NAME] in the course of this procurement are confidential and shall be used solely for the purpose of preparing a proposal. The Proposer shall not disclose any such information to any third party without the prior written consent of [COMPANY_NAME], except to its directors, employees, and professional advisors who have a legitimate need to know and who are themselves bound by equivalent confidentiality obligations.

(b) Confidentiality of proposals. [COMPANY_NAME] will treat each proposal as confidential and will limit access to the evaluation committee and authorised advisors. Proposers may mark specific portions of their submission as "Confidential — Trade Secret" or "Confidential — Proprietary"; such markings should be accompanied by a short justification. [COMPANY_NAME] will make reasonable efforts to honour such markings, subject to any disclosure obligations imposed by law, regulation, or court order.

(c) Intellectual property in the proposal. The Proposer retains ownership of any intellectual property included in its proposal that pre-exists this procurement or that is developed by the Proposer independently of this procurement. By submitting a proposal, the Proposer grants [COMPANY_NAME] a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use the contents of the proposal for the purposes of evaluation and any resulting contract negotiation.

(d) Use of [COMPANY_NAME] name. The Proposer shall not, without [COMPANY_NAME]'s prior written consent, refer to [COMPANY_NAME], its trademarks, or this procurement in any publicity, press release, marketing material, or external communication.

(e) Return or destruction. On request by [COMPANY_NAME], the Proposer shall return or securely destroy all confidential information received in connection with this RFP and shall certify such return or destruction in writing.

9. Pricing Structure

Proposers shall present pricing in the format set out in Appendix C, and shall include at minimum the following elements:

(a) A fully loaded total price for the base scope, broken down into one-time charges (implementation, set-up, transition) and recurring charges (subscriptions, licences, managed services, support).

(b) Unit prices for any variable or volume-driven components, expressed per relevant unit (per user per month, per transaction, per hour of consulting, per item delivered, and so on).

(c) Prices for optional or stretch scope items, presented separately so they can be selected or de-selected without affecting base pricing.

(d) An indicative total cost of ownership over the full contract term, including extension options, and clearly stating the assumptions made.

(e) Annual price-adjustment mechanism, if any (such as indexation to a published price index or a fixed cap). If no mechanism is proposed, prices shall be deemed firm for the full contract term.

(f) Currency, taxes, and incoterms (where relevant). Pricing shall be in [CURRENCY], exclusive of [TAX_TYPE]. Any duties, customs, freight, or installation charges shall be itemised separately.

(g) Payment terms shall be net [PAYMENT_TERMS_DAYS] days from the date of a valid invoice. Alternative payment terms proposed by the Proposer will be evaluated on their merits but [COMPANY_NAME] reserves the right to require its standard terms.

10. Contract Award Process

(a) Notification of intent. Following completion of the evaluation, [COMPANY_NAME] will issue a written notification of intent to award to the successful Proposer. Unsuccessful Proposers will receive a written notice of the outcome.

(b) Standstill period. A standstill period of [STANDSTILL_DAYS] business days will apply between notification of intent and execution of the contract, during which unsuccessful Proposers may request a debrief and raise any procedural concerns.

(c) Contract negotiation. The intent to award is conditional on successful negotiation and execution of a formal written contract within [NEGOTIATION_WINDOW_DAYS] days. If a contract cannot be agreed within this window, [COMPANY_NAME] reserves the right to terminate negotiations and award to the next-ranked Proposer.

(d) Conditions precedent. Award is conditional on [COMPANY_NAME]'s satisfactory completion of due diligence, including but not limited to financial checks, references, security assessments, and any required regulatory or board approvals.

(e) Debrief. Any Proposer who submitted a compliant proposal may, within [DEBRIEF_REQUEST_DAYS] business days of notification, request a debrief explaining how its proposal was evaluated against the criteria. Debriefs will not disclose any commercially sensitive information about other Proposers.

11. Questions and Clarifications

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing to the contact identified below. To ensure equal treatment of all Proposers, [COMPANY_NAME] will not respond to questions by telephone or in person, and will not communicate substantive information through any channel other than the formal Q&A process.

(a) Contact for questions: [CONTACT_NAME], [CONTACT_TITLE], [CONTACT_EMAIL], [CONTACT_PHONE]. (b) Deadline for written questions: [QUESTIONS_DEADLINE]. (c) Method of distributing answers: anonymised written answers will be circulated to all Proposers who have registered for this RFP, by [ANSWERS_RELEASE_DATE], via [DISTRIBUTION_METHOD]. (d) Any amendment to this RFP will be issued as a numbered addendum. Proposers must acknowledge receipt of all addenda in their cover letter. (e) Proposers shall not contact any other employee, officer, or representative of [COMPANY_NAME] about this RFP. Any unsolicited contact may, at [COMPANY_NAME]'s discretion, result in disqualification.

12. Legal Disclaimer

This template is provided by ProcureSwift as a starting point and does not constitute legal advice. Please have it reviewed by qualified legal counsel before use in any contractual or commercial setting. ProcureSwift makes no warranties about its fitness for any specific purpose.