A good request for proposal (RFP) attracts the right agencies, produces proposals you can genuinely compare and sets the project up for success. A poor one, vague on goals, silent on budget and packed with irrelevant requirements, produces proposals that range from a few thousand pounds to six figures, and makes choosing almost impossible. Here's how to write a website RFP that works, with a template.
What makes a good RFP
- Clear business goals, not just a list of pages
- Honest information about budget and timeline
- Enough detail for accurate proposals, without dictating the solution
- A fair, transparent selection process
The essential sections
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| About you | Your organisation, audience and what makes you different |
| Project background | Why you need a new site now; what isn't working |
| Goals and success measures | The outcomes the site must deliver |
| Audiences | Who the site is for and what they need |
| Scope | Approximate pages, key templates, content, features |
| Functional requirements | Forms, booking, e-commerce, search, members areas |
| Integrations | CRM, payments, email, booking, accounting |
| Content | Who writes it, how much exists, migration needs |
| Technical requirements | Hosting, CMS preferences, accessibility, security, performance |
| SEO and migration | Existing rankings to protect, redirects |
| Budget | A range, and what it should cover |
| Timeline | Key dates and any fixed deadlines |
| Selection process | Proposal deadline, evaluation criteria, decision date |
| What to include in proposals | Approach, team, examples, timeline, costs, support |
Be honest about budget
| Without a budget | With a budget range |
|---|---|
| Proposals range from tiny to huge | Proposals are comparable |
| Agencies guess at scope | Agencies tailor solutions to what's possible |
| Good agencies may decline to respond | Agencies can decide quickly if they're a fit |
Our guide to how much a website costs helps you set a realistic range.
Describe goals, not solutions
| Solution-focused | Goal-focused |
|---|---|
| "We need a homepage slider" | "Visitors need to understand our three services within seconds" |
| "Must use WordPress" | "Our marketing team must be able to publish pages without developers" |
| "40 pages" | "Here are the sections and content we have today" |
Let agencies propose how to meet the goals. You'll get better ideas.
Copy-and-paste RFP template
WEBSITE PROJECT: REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
1. About us
2. Background: why a new website, and why now
3. Goals and how we'll measure success
4. Audiences and their key needs
5. Current site: what works, what doesn't, key analytics
6. Scope: sections, templates, features (approximate)
7. Integrations
8. Content: who provides it, migration needs
9. Technical: CMS preferences, hosting, accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA),
security, performance
10. SEO: rankings to protect, redirect requirements
11. Budget range: £__ to £__ (including/excluding VAT, content,
hosting, support)
12. Timeline and key dates
13. Proposal requirements:
- Approach and process
- Relevant case studies
- Team and who we'll work with day to day
- Timeline and milestones
- Itemised costs and ongoing support options
14. Selection process:
- Questions deadline:
- Proposal deadline:
- Shortlist presentations:
- Decision date:
15. Contact details
Evaluating proposals fairly
Agree weighted criteria before proposals arrive:
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Understanding of goals and audience | 25% |
| Relevant experience and case studies | 20% |
| Approach and process | 20% |
| Team and communication | 15% |
| Value for money | 15% |
| Ongoing support | 5% |
Shortlist two or three agencies for a conversation. The way they ask questions, challenge assumptions and explain their process tells you a lot about what working together will be like. Our guide on how to choose a web design agency lists the questions to ask.
Common RFP mistakes
- No budget, or an unrealistic one
- Long lists of features without goals
- Sending it to too many agencies
- Very short deadlines that discourage thoughtful responses
- Choosing purely on price
- Requiring free design work as part of the pitch
RFP or a simpler brief?
For smaller projects, a concise website brief and conversations with a few agencies may be enough. A formal RFP suits larger projects, public sector organisations and situations where a documented selection process is required.
Sample evaluation scorecard
| Criterion | Weight | Agency A | Agency B | Agency C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding of goals | 25% | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Relevant experience | 20% | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Approach and process | 20% | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Team and communication | 15% | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Value for money | 15% | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Ongoing support | 5% | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Multiply each score by its weight and add them up. Scorecards don't make the decision for you, but they keep the discussion focused on what you agreed matters, rather than on whichever pitch was most entertaining.
Questions agencies will ask you
Prepare answers to these, and add them to the RFP where you can:
- What's driving the project now?
- Who will make decisions, and how quickly?
- Who will provide content, and is it ready?
- Which integrations are essential?
- Is the budget fixed, or is there flexibility for the right solution?
- Are there fixed deadlines, such as a launch event?
- What happens after launch: will you need ongoing support?
- What did you like and dislike about previous agencies?
How we help
Our vendor and platform selection consulting can write your RFP, shortlist agencies and run a fair evaluation. If you'd like a quick scope and estimate first, try the free AI Project Blueprint.
The short version
Explain your organisation, goals, audiences, scope, integrations, content, technical needs, budget range and timeline. Describe goals rather than solutions, send it to three to five agencies, evaluate against weighted criteria agreed in advance, and talk to a shortlist before deciding.
