RFP (Request for Proposal)

An RFP is a document a buyer sends to suppliers when they understand the problem they need solved but want suppliers to propose their own approach, methodology, and pricing — not just quote against a fixed spec.

RFPs are common for complex services, custom solutions, or purchases where how a supplier would deliver matters as much as the price. Evaluation typically weighs approach, capability, and price together, not price alone.

An RFP usually includes background on the buyer, the problem to be solved, mandatory requirements, a response format, an evaluation method, and a timeline. Stating the scoring weights up front keeps the evaluation consistent.

Because proposals vary in structure, an RFP takes longer to write and to score than an RFQ. It is worth the effort when the approach genuinely differs between suppliers.