Procurement preparation
Preparing an event RFP that gets usable proposals
The need is bigger than a price list, and you want suppliers to propose how they would meet it.
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The short answer
A request for proposal (RFP) describes your need and asks suppliers to propose how they would meet it, so both approach and price can be judged. It must contain the background, the scope, mandatory requirements, response format, evaluation method, deadlines and terms.
The evaluation method must be written before proposals arrive and shown to bidders. Without it you risk choosing on impression, and cannot explain the choice to your committee or to a supplier who asks.
Sections of an event RFP
| Section | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Who you are, the event, purpose and audience | Lets suppliers propose something relevant |
| Scope of services | What the supplier will do, and what stays with you | Prevents proposals that cover different things |
| Mandatory requirements | Items a proposal must meet to be considered | Separates must-have from nice-to-have |
| Desirable features | Items that add value but are not essential | Lets suppliers differentiate |
| Response format | Page limits, structure and pricing grid | Makes proposals comparable |
| Evaluation method | Criteria, weights and who scores | Keeps the decision defensible |
| Timetable | Question deadline, submission date, decision date | Lets suppliers plan their response |
| Terms and conditions | Payment, cancellation, confidentiality and conflicts | Avoids late surprises |
Write the evaluation method first
Decide the criteria and what each is worth before writing the rest. Cost is one criterion; approach, team, relevant experience and risk handling are others.
Use a weighted scoring matrix so that scorers apply the same criteria independently, and publish the criteria and weights to bidders. Ask your policy owner whether the organisation prescribes a minimum weight for price or a particular scoring method.
A sequence for preparing an RFP
- Check your procurement strategy for the route, approvals and policy answers.
- Write the scope from your brief, separating mandatory requirements from desirable ones.
- Draft the response format and pricing grid so that proposals can be compared.
- Write the evaluation criteria, weights and scorer roles.
- Set the timetable with the tender timetable and plan how questions will be logged (clarification log).
- Test the draft with a colleague and the RFP completeness checker before it goes out.
Questions for your own policy
- Does the organisation prescribe an RFP form, evaluation panel or approval steps?
- Who may sign off the RFP before issue?
- What conflict-of-interest declarations are required of evaluators?
- How must proposals be received, stored and kept confidential?
- What may be said to unsuccessful bidders, and when?
Pitfalls
- Writing a vague scope and expecting suppliers to define it for you.
- Changing criteria after proposals arrive.
- Asking for so much that only the largest suppliers can respond.
- Leaving price format open, so total costs cannot be compared.
- Hiding mandatory requirements inside long narrative, where they are missed.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional RFP outline for a conference programme and logistics supplier
Fictional organisation and figures, illustrative only.
A fictional trade council wants a supplier to coordinate a two-day conference of about 500 delegates. It writes mandatory requirements, including a named single contact and a weekly status report, and desirable features such as multilingual support.
Evaluation criteria are written as approach 40, team and relevant experience 25, price 25 and risk handling 10, with three scorers using the same form. These are illustrative weights, not a recommendation. The timetable gives a question deadline, a submission date and a decision date, and states that all questions and answers go to every bidder.
Use this yourself
Event RFP outline
Copy this outline and complete each heading. Remove any heading your policy says is not needed, and add what it requires.
- Background: organisation, event purpose, audience, date window, location:
- Scope of services, and what the organiser keeps:
- Mandatory requirements (a proposal must meet all):
- Desirable features:
- Response format: structure, page limit, pricing grid, named contact:
- Evaluation criteria, weights and who scores:
- Timetable: question deadline, submission, clarification, decision date:
- Terms: payment, cancellation, confidentiality, conflicts of interest:
- How questions are answered (shared with all bidders):
- Contact for the process, and how proposals must be submitted:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The scope is clear and you can name the evaluators.
- Your policy provides an RFP form you can follow.
- The decision is lower in value and risk.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- The need spans several workstreams and the scope is hard to write.
- The decision is high in value or visibility and must withstand scrutiny.
- Nobody on the team has written an RFP, or the timetable is tight.
Want the RFP pack written with you?
An Event Blueprint can set out the scope, mandatory requirements, response format, evaluation criteria and timetable for your RFP, and a project lead can run the question log and the comparison with your evaluators. Send your brief and the services you plan to put out.
Questions organisers ask
How long should an RFP be?
As long as needed to define the scope and the method, and no longer. For most events a few pages is enough. Long RFPs tend to hide the requirements that matter.
Should we tell bidders the budget?
That is a decision for your committee and policy. If you do not state it, say how price will be scored. If you do, state whether it includes tax and service charges.
Can we meet bidders after proposals arrive?
Ask your policy owner. If clarification or presentations are allowed, say so in the RFP, offer the same to every shortlisted bidder and record what is said.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.