Your 22-Step Guide

to the RFP Process

When it comes time to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for your
project, it’s important to follow an efficient process to get the best bids.

The RFP Process Overview

RFPs help to provide an even playing-ground for comparing vendors, but often the process is
time-consuming and doesn’t get you the quality bidders you were looking for.

Which is why we’ve created this guide — a step by step RFP process, to help you deliver RFPs the right way.
Whether it’s your first time creating an RFP or your hundredth, the 22 steps outlined in this guide will give
you a systematic and practical path to building an effective RFP process for your organization.

The RFP Process Overview

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2 STEP 01 Identify Your RFP Team page 6 STEP 12 Questions from Vendors
STEP 02 Gather Requirements STEP 13 Bidder’s Conference

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3 STEP 03 Vendor Invitation page
7 STEP 14 Create a Scoring Matrix
STEP 04 NDA Process STEP 15 Collect Responses
STEP 05 Compile Questions
page
8 STEP 16 RFP Review — Create Scorecards
page
4 STEP 06 Compile Pricing Template STEP 17 Vendor Shortlist
STEP 07 Construct an RFP Overview Document
page 9 STEP 18 Shortlist Presentation Meetings
page
5 STEP 08 Timeline for RFP STEP 19 Contract and Scope of Work Review
STEP 09 Collection of RFP Documents

STEP 10 Decide on your RFP Format

page 10 STEP 20 Pricing Concession

STEP 21 Executive Review

page
6 STEP 11 Launch the RFP STEP 22 Award Business

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STEP 01
Identify Your RFP Team
Your RFP team will be comprised of a mix of contributors, subject
area experts, finance and legal, and a project/proposal manager.

Project/Proposal Manager Contributors

The project/proposal manager is the Contributors are end users or
individual specifically responsible for stakeholders from any business areas
managing your RFP process. The role that will be affected by the service you
of the project manager is to ensure that are procuring. These individuals should
milestones aren’t missed, stakeholders also be involved throughout the RFP
are involved, and nothing is missed process from defining the scope to
throughout the process. interviews with the vendors.

It always makes sense to solicit advice from a subject area expert to help with defining RFP
requirements. They can provide expertise on new or emerging technology, best-in-class vendors,
and help to build out questions to weed out potential bidders.

STEP 02
Gather Requirements
Gathering all the requirements of your project at the start of the RFP
process is critical to ensure your RFP is a success.
If requirements are not fully outlined, you may end up with bids from vendors that cannot fully
meet your needs. Set project goals and work closely with your RFP team to determine your
requirements at the onset of the project.

For more complex RFPs, a Request for Information (RFI) or Request for Quote
(RFQ) can be put out ahead of the RFP. These three types of documents are called RFXs collectively.

Request for Information (RFI) Request for Quote (RFQ)

The RFI can help to get a feel for the market. The RFQ can help to set budgets.

Both the RFI and RFQ can help to better define requirements and give you a clear
picture of the types of products or services that are out there.

If requirements are not fully outlined, you may end up with bids from vendors that cannot fully
meet your needs. Set project goals and work closely with your RFP team to determine your
requirements at the onset of the project.

Using RFP procurement automation software is an efficient way to assign sections of an RFP and
collaborate with your RFP team — greatly streamlining the RFP process. The traditional spreadsheet
RFP format will also work, but use a collaboration platform like Google Docs or Sharepoint to track
edits and contributions.

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STEP 03
Vendor Invitation
Unless you’re publicly posting your RFP, you’ll next have to decide which vendors to invite
to bid. These vendors should be selected based on those you know will be able to fulfill your
project requirements.

How do you know which vendors will be qualified to bid

? on your project?
Having run a preliminary RFI or soliciting the help of a subject matter expert
is particularly helpful in identifying suitable vendors.

STEP 04
NDA Process
Before you provide access to your RFP, you’ll want to have vendors
sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Have your legal team or counsel draft the NDA to protect your organization, but also weed out
any unqualified bidders.

From processes and strategies to designs and corporate structure, RFPs can provide valuable
information about your company to your competitors. Further, an NDA will deter collusion, bid-
rigging between vendors, and provide you with legal recourse if any information is leaked.

Provide at least 3-5 business days for the vendors to review, request changes or submit inquiries,
and provide their signatures.

STEP 05
Compile Questions
Unless you’re publicly posting your RFP, you’ll next have to decide which vendors to invite to
bid. These vendors should be selected based on those you know will be able to fulfill your
project requirements.

TIP #1 TIP #2
When asking questions, stick Avoid asking questions that require
to multiple choice, yes/no, and long paragraph-style responses.
objective questions to make it Ask one question at a time and be
easier to compare proposals later. specific to avoid vague responses.
Whenever possible, solicit exact
and measurable responses.

Format your RFP into sections, so you can easily assign sections to specific team members.
Section-based RFP formats also make it easier for vendors to complete, and for you to
assess and score later.

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 STEP 06
Compile Pricing Template
Next, create a pricing template that includes fields for all components
of your requested services. Vendors will use this template to provide
their fees on a per-component basis.

If you are working with an RFP management software like DirectRFP®,

vendors can fill in their pricing in a set format, and the data will be compiled in
a side-by-side comparison for you as the buyer.

Alternatively, if you’re using spreadsheets, ensure that you set up the pricing chart so that it will
be easy to compile later. In addition, ensure that the files are locked so vendors don’t edit items
or change the templates themselves. This can cause major issues later if undetected.

Do provide some open fields for vendors to provide notes on any commitments, minimums,
or caveats.

Asking for specific prices, rather than in a bundled format, will put you in a better position to
compare vendor prices on an apples to apples basis.

STEP 07
Construct an RFP Overview Document
An RFP overview document provides vendors with the specific
requirements they must fulfill to respond to your RFP.

At a minimum, the document should include these items:

Timeline for the RFP
Submission due date and time
Instructions on delivery
Rules for communicating with your team (who and how)
Required documents and content in their submission
Pertinent information about your company that will inform their response

Reduce RFP creation time by 60%

DirectRFP allows procurement teams to easily create, share, structure, measure,
and analyze RFPs in one place.

REQUEST A DEMO

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STEP 08
Timeline for RFP
The timeline should align with your company’s goals and deliverables
for the project — including when you want the solution/service
implemented by.
A timeline should be included within your RFP overview document. Key items
that should be listed in your timeline include:

1. RFP launch date

2. Due date for questions from vendors
3. Date answers will be provided from your team
4. Date, time, and location of bidder’s conference (if applicable)
5. Due date of the RFP
6. Announcement of finalists
7. Date of finalist presentations
8. Final award

STEP 09
Collection of RFP Documents
Many organizations require proof of specific documents, certifications,
or policies in order to qualify a vendor.
These can range from insurance certificates and health and safety forms, to statements on
diversity and environmental practices.

Work with your internal team to ensure that your organization’s required documents are
included within your RFP format. It is best to get your legal department and/or HR involved to
be comprehensive.

STEP 10
Decide on Your RFP Format
Next, it’s time to decide how you will launch and manage your RFP.
Some companies decide to do this manually through emails and attachments. Others choose
to utilize online RFP management software.

Procurement software like DirectRFP® can improve the RFP process

immensely by providing a single platform for managing the entire RFP
process — including communication and file management.

Other cloud-based procurement portals can also help to provide a central platform where
documents can be uploaded, stored and downloaded. These portals usually come with basic
functionality to gate documents based on deadlines and access levels.

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 STEP 11
Launch the RFP
Launch time!
Be prepared. Here is when you’ll start fielding questions around process,
requirements, and more from your vendor. If you’ve followed all the previous
steps, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’ve set yourself up for success!

Now it’s time to send out your RFP package or give access to your digital RFP to your
selected vendors. Alternatively, you will post your RFP on RFP portal sites.

STEP 12
Questions from Vendors
Your timeline should have provided all vendors with a deadline for submitting questions about
the RFP. Ensure you have a way to collect these questions in a common format — such as an
excel template or RFP management system.

Keep in mind that your answers will need to be shared with all vendors
in order to ensure fair bidding. Email or a shared forum are effective
ways to communicate with the entire group.

STEP 13
Bidder’s Conference
A bidder’s conference is a conference call or in-person meeting where all bidders gather to
ask any additional questions that were not addressed in the question phase of the RFP. These
conferences ensure all bidders receive the same information and gain time with the project
stakeholders to develop a deeper understanding of the project.

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producing RFPs by 50%.

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 STEP 14
Create a Scoring Matrix
Next, you’ll need to develop a scoring matrix that measures a vendor’s
ability to meet your requirements.

Your requirements will range from technical requirements and pricing to softer internal
requirements such as a vendor’s approach to diversity and the environment.

In general, your RFP questions will be considered your technical requirements. Be sure to work
closely with your internal stakeholder team to determine the weighting for each question and
other requirements.

The weight of a question is a number range (say between 1 and 10) which quantifies
the importance of that question to the overall RFP. Critical requirements could be
given a score of 9 or 10, while questions that aren’t as critical could get a 3 or 4.

The score is the number given to each response. The sum of the scores for all
possible responses for a single question must add up to 100. For a yes/no question,
a “yes” response could have a score of 100 and the “no” response could have zero.
Setting up your responses in a multiple-choice format makes it easy to score later.

STEP 15
Collect Responses
Now it’s time to close submissions and collect those responses.

If you’re manually collecting RFPs...

you’ll likely receive your responses in either printed or email form.
Manual collection requires certain care — particularly if you need to
timestamp responses or if you requested vendors to provide pricing
proposals separate from their main response.

If you went with procurement management software, you’ll find the collection process much
easier. Most RFP software like DirectRFP® is built so that vendors complete the RFP within
the platform, and you as the buyer can access that information in real time.

Reduce RFP creation time by 60%

DirectRFP allows procurement teams to easily create, share, structure, measure,
and analyze RFPs in one place.

REQUEST A DEMO

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STEP 16
RFP Review — Create scorecards
It’s now time to score those responses, which is, for the most part, a
manual process.
Get started by giving every member of your RFP team a copy of each proposal submission.
Organize these responses side-by-side.

Next, you’ll need to give your team scorecards for recording their responses. A good
eProcurement platform will usually have some sort of scoring feature. In the case of DirectRFP®,
all questions have weighting and scoring built in. Your RFP Team can weight all the questions in
advance, so that vendor responses can be scored in realtime. This cuts out the manual review
process significantly.

Whether you are reviewing the RFPs manually or digitally, it’s recommended that each proposal
be reviewed for errors, and also to validate any notes that have been left by the vendors.

STEP 17
Vendor Shortlist
Following scoring select a shortlist of vendors that meet critical
requirements and have scored above competitors.
Eliminate any vendors who score lower than average and any that do not meet critical
requirements.

The shortlist of vendors is usually 3 or 4 but can be more or less, depending on the number of
qualified vendors. The shortlist of vendors will move onto the next stage of the RFP process.

STEP 18
Shortlist Presentation Meetings
Once you have your shortlist of vendors, it’s time to invite them in for
an in-depth presentation and discussion.

This is not a time to be shy.

Ask for specific details about the vendors capabilities. Get a feel for
the way the prospective vendor communicates and works, to ensure a
good fit with your organization. After all, you may be working with these
people for years, depending on the length of the project or contract.

After the vendors have presented their proposals you should have a much better idea of their
capabilities and solution.

At this point you should be able to narrow your selection down to the two best-suitable vendors
to move forward to the final contract and scope review phase. We recommend keeping at least
2 prospects, as there could still be unforeseen issues that could deem one a bad fit.

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 STEP 19
Contract and Scope of Work Review
Now that you have narrowed down your selection to the final two providers, you will want
to receive copies of their actual scope of work (SOW) and contracts to review for any open
questions or possible concerns.

If there are items that are missing in the documents that were covered in the RFP, you will want
to ensure you address those. All aspects of the contract or scope should be clearly stated and
listed out.

The contract and the RFP are two different entities. Just because something was stated in the
proposal, doesn’t mean that it is binding, unless it is explicitly stated in the contract.

STEP 20
Pricing Concession
The scope and agreement that were reviewed in the prior step should
contain the pricing details of the solution.

If you would like to see any edits or adjustments to pricing, this is the time to negotiate those
pricing concessions. You will want to get this addressed prior to awarding the business.

STEP 21
Executive Review
If this is a requirement, you will want to put together a presentation showing the vendors’
rankings, pricing, and any additional comments or details about the vendors.

Including information about some of the alternate companies that did not get the contract is
beneficial to assure company executives that your decision is based on due diligence.

STEP 22
Award Business
With final approval from your stakeholder team and executives, it’s at last time to award your
business to your selected vendor. At this stage, you’ll want to request a signed and finalized
copy of their agreement.

An efficient RFP process is essential to finding the right vendors. Contact us for a free demo.
By following the 22 steps above, you’ll set you and your team on Phone: 916-757-1100 I Email: [email protected]
the path for RFP success. DirectRFP® is the only procurement Contact Us
platform built to simplify the RFP process.

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