You need a new network, a new phone system, or a new security solution. You know you should get competitive bids, but you've never run a formal technology RFP before. Where do you start?

Most business owners either skip the RFP entirely (and overpay), or they hire a consultant to write one (and pay $3K-$5K). But you don't need either extreme.

In this guide, I'm walking you through how to run a technology RFP without IT experience—including templates you can adapt for your situation.

What Is an RFP, Anyway?

RFP stands for "Request for Proposal." It's a formal document that says: "We need X. Please tell us how you'd provide it, what it costs, and answer these specific questions."

An RFP does several things:

  1. Forces vendors to be clear. Instead of vague marketing language, they have to spell out exactly what they'll provide.

  2. Makes comparison possible. When all vendors answer the same questions in the same format, you can compare apples to apples.

  3. Protects you legally. A documented RFP process shows due diligence if something goes wrong later.

  4. Saves time. One document gets sent to five vendors instead of five separate conversations.

  5. Reduces vendor confusion. Vendors know exactly what you're looking for, so responses are more relevant.

For IT vendors, a technology RFP is standard. They expect it. They're used to answering detailed questions.

When You Actually Need an RFP

You should run a formal RFP when:

  • Significant budget involved: Spending $5,000+ on a project warrants a formal process
  • Multiple vendors to compare: If you're getting 3+ bids, standardize your approach
  • Complex requirements: Choosing between different solutions (cloud vs. on-premise, for example)
  • Long-term commitment: Multi-year contracts deserve careful evaluation
  • Stakeholder alignment needed: Multiple people in your company have input

You probably don't need an RFP for:

  • Small purchases (<$2,000)
  • Simple, standardized services
  • Vendors you already know and trust
  • Emergency situations where speed matters

The Technology RFP Process (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Define What You Actually Need (Project Scope)

Before you send anything to vendors, get crystal clear on what you're solving for.

Example: You need a new network.

Ask yourself:

  • How many employees? (This affects capacity and price)
  • What's your budget range? (Helps you set realistic expectations)
  • Do you have existing equipment to integrate? (Vendors need to know about legacy systems)
  • What's your timeline? (90 days? 6 months? This affects vendor availability)
  • Who are your key stakeholders? (CEO, CFO, office manager, IT staff?)
  • What are your top 3 pain points? (Current network is slow, unreliable, insecure?)

Write these down. Use them as the foundation for your RFP.

Step 2: Identify What You Don't Know (Knowledge Gaps)

Be honest: What decisions do you need help with?

For a network RFP, you might need help deciding:

  • WiFi vs. wired, or both? Should you go all-in on WiFi or keep some wired access?
  • Cloud vs. on-premise? Where should your data live?
  • Managed service vs. break-fix? Do you want proactive monitoring or reactive support?
  • Single vendor vs. multiple? Is it better to have one vendor responsible for everything or best-of-breed solutions?

These are the questions your technology RFP should ask vendors to help you answer.

Step 3: Select Your Vendors

Identify 3-5 vendors to send your RFP to. Consider:

  • Tier 1: Your preferred vendors (you've researched them, you like them)
  • Tier 2: Solid alternatives (you want competitive bids)
  • Tier 3: One wild card (new vendor, different approach)

Avoid sending RFPs to 10+ vendors. You'll get overwhelmed comparing responses. Stick with 3-5.

Step 4: Build Your RFP Document

Your RFP should include:

Section 1: Executive Summary

Brief overview of your company, project goals, and timeline.

Example: "We're a 50-person consulting firm looking to upgrade our network. Current system is 7 years old, experiencing reliability issues, and lacks modern security features. We want a proposal for a complete network redesign and installation within 90 days."

Section 2: Current State and Goals

Describe what you have now and where you want to be.

Example: "Currently: 3 aging switches, 8 access points spread across office, 30% dead zones Desired state: Reliable, secure WiFi throughout office, cloud-ready infrastructure, room for growth"

Section 3: Technical Requirements

List what the solution must include.

Example network RFP:

  • Enterprise-grade WiFi 6 access points
  • Managed switch with redundancy
  • Network monitoring and alerting system
  • 24/7 support SLA
  • Backup and disaster recovery plan
  • Security hardening and assessment

Section 4: Business Requirements

Non-technical but critical.

Example:

  • Project timeline: Design by [date], installation by [date]
  • Pricing: Fixed price, not time and materials
  • Warranty: 3-year hardware warranty included
  • Training: 4 hours of staff training included
  • Post-installation support: 30 days of 24/7 support included

Section 5: Vendor Questions

Questions that help you evaluate vendors, not just their solutions.

Example questions:

  • How many similar-sized projects have you completed in the past 2 years?
  • Who are your current customers in our industry?
  • What's your standard support SLA (response time)?
  • How do you handle vendor management if subcontracting?
  • What's your approach to testing before going live?
  • Can you provide references from customers like ours?
  • What training do you provide to staff?

Section 6: Proposal Format Requirements

Tell vendors exactly how to respond.

Example:

  • Executive summary (1 page max)
  • Technical solution (3-5 pages, use our technical requirements as headings)
  • Project timeline and milestones (Gantt chart preferred)
  • Detailed pricing breakdown
  • Team composition and key personnel
  • Risk mitigation plan
  • References (minimum 3, from similar companies)

Section 7: Evaluation Criteria

Tell vendors how you'll judge their proposals.

Example:

  • Technical fit (40%): Does the solution meet our requirements?
  • Cost (25%): Total cost of ownership for 3 years
  • Vendor stability (20%): Experience, references, financial stability
  • Service and support (15%): SLA, support hours, responsiveness

This tells vendors what matters most to you.

Section 8: Timeline and Process

When do you need responses? When will you decide?

Example:

  • RFP sent: January 15
  • Proposals due: February 1
  • Vendor presentations: February 5-9
  • Final decision: February 15
  • Project starts: March 1

Step 5: Send the RFP

Send your RFP to selected vendors with:

  • Clear submission deadline (2-3 weeks is standard)
  • Submission format (PDF email, online form, etc.)
  • Contact for questions (assign one person to answer vendor questions)
  • Statement that you're accepting proposals from multiple vendors

Keep it professional. This is a formal process.

Step 6: Evaluate Responses

Create an evaluation scorecard and score each vendor on your criteria.

Simple scorecard example:

Criterion Weight Vendor A Vendor B Vendor C
Technical fit 40% 38/40 36/40 35/40
Cost 25% 22/25 23/25 20/25
Vendor stability 20% 18/20 19/20 15/20
Service/support 15% 13/15 14/15 12/15
TOTAL SCORE 100% 91/100 92/100 82/100

This removes subjectivity. Numbers don't lie.

Step 7: Host Vendor Presentations

Don't make your decision purely on paper. Have vendors present their proposals.

Ask them:

  • Walk us through your solution and timeline
  • Why is your approach better than alternatives?
  • What's the biggest risk in this project? How do you mitigate it?
  • Tell us about a similar project you did. What went right? What didn't?
  • If we have concerns post-launch, how quickly can you respond?

Listen to their answers. Do they understand your business? Are they confident or defensive?

Step 8: Check References

Call the references they provide. Ask:

  • Did the project come in on time and budget?
  • What was the biggest surprise (good or bad)?
  • Has their support been responsive?
  • Would you work with them again?

References are incredibly informative. People are usually honest when you call them directly.

Step 9: Negotiate and Decide

By now, you should have a clear winner. Before signing:

  • Negotiate any final terms (price, timeline, included services)
  • Get everything in writing (don't rely on "we'll figure it out later")
  • Clarify support, warranties, and escalation processes
  • Understand the change order process (what happens if scope changes?)

Common RFP Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Writing a 50-page RFP. Vendors won't read it. Keep your technology RFP to 8-12 pages. Be concise.

Being vague about requirements. "We want a secure network" tells vendors nothing. Be specific: "We want WPA3 encryption, network segmentation, and daily backup to offsite location."

Asking vendors to commit to unlimited scope. "Tell us everything you'd do" gets vague answers. Define what you want evaluated.

Not checking references. You skip this because it's boring. Don't. References are your best due diligence.

Picking the cheapest option. The lowest price often means lowest quality or hidden costs. Use your weighted evaluation criteria; don't just pick the cheapest.

Ignoring red flags. If a vendor is evasive, slow to respond, or can't answer your questions clearly, that's a signal. Trust your gut.

Not getting everything in writing. Verbal agreements disappear. Contracts protect everyone.

RFP Template You Can Use

Here's a simplified template you can adapt for your situation:

TECHNOLOGY RFP TEMPLATE

Company: [Your Company]
Project: [Network redesign, phone system, security solution, etc.]
RFP Date: [Date sent]
Proposal Due: [Date due]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
[Describe your company, project, and goals in 2-3 paragraphs]

CURRENT STATE
[What do you have now? What's not working?]

GOALS AND SUCCESS CRITERIA
[What do you want to achieve? How will you know it's successful?]

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Requirement 1
- Requirement 2
- Requirement 3
[List 5-10 specific technical requirements]

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS
- Timeline: Design by [date], implementation by [date]
- Budget range: $[X] to $[Y]
- Support SLA: [24-hour response, etc.]
- Warranty: [3 years, etc.]

VENDOR QUESTIONS
1. How many similar projects completed in past 24 months?
2. What's your approach to project management?
3. How do you handle change requests?
4. What training is included?
5. What's included in ongoing support?
6. Can you provide 3 references from similar companies?

PROPOSAL FORMAT
- Executive summary (1 page)
- Technical solution (address each requirement)
- Project timeline (Gantt chart)
- Detailed pricing
- Team and credentials
- References

EVALUATION CRITERIA
- Technical fit: 40%
- Cost: 25%
- Vendor capability: 20%
- Support and service: 15%

TIMELINE
- RFP sent: [Date]
- Questions due: [Date]
- Proposals due: [Date]
- Presentations: [Dates]
- Final decision: [Date]
- Project start: [Date]

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
[Send to: [email address], Format: PDF, Other notes]

When to Get Professional Help

You don't need a consultant to run your RFP, but consider hiring one if:

  • Very large budget ($50K+) and you want expert evaluation
  • Complex requirements (multiple systems, integration needs)
  • Unfamiliar territory (you're buying something you know nothing about)
  • Stakeholder disputes (different departments want different things)

A fractional CTO can help you write a solid RFP, evaluate responses, and negotiate with vendors. It's worth $2,000-$5,000 to get it right on a $30K project.

The Value of a Good RFP Process

Running a formal technology RFP takes effort. But it:

  • Ensures you get competitive bids. You're comparing options, not accepting the first offer.
  • Protects you legally. You followed a documented process.
  • Gets better solutions. Vendors craft proposals around your specific needs.
  • Builds accountability. Everything is in writing.
  • Saves money. Good vendors will compete for your business with better pricing.

On a $30,000 technology project, saving even 10% through better negotiations covers the effort many times over.

Ready to Run Your Technology RFP?

Sandbar Systems helps businesses run technology RFPs and evaluate vendors. We'll help you define requirements, create your RFP, evaluate proposals, and negotiate with vendors—without you needing technical expertise.

Get Our Free RFP Template

Schedule Your Free Consultation

Call us: (804) 510-9224 Email: info@sandbarsys.com

Whether you're looking for a new network, phone system, or other technology, we'll guide you through the process and make sure you get the best solution at the best price.