Procurement
Event RFP
Write it so the bids can be compared
The failure mode of an event RFP is not a bad supplier. It is five proposals in five different formats, with prices that cannot be compared, leaving you to choose on presentation. The fix is to specify not only what you want built, but the shape of the answer.
The short answer
An event RFP (request for proposal) asks suppliers to propose an approach and a price for a defined scope. A workable RFP states the objective, the constraints, the scope boundaries, the pricing format, the evaluation criteria and the timeline. The pricing format is what makes bids comparable, and it is the part most often left out.
What to put in
| Section | What it must contain |
|---|---|
| Objective | What the event is for, in business terms, not a description of the event |
| Audience | Who attends, how many, from where |
| Dates and venue | Fixed, or open for the supplier to propose — say which |
| Scope | What they do and what you do. The boundary, explicitly |
| Constraints | Budget range, brand rules, approvals, dates that cannot move |
| Deliverables | What you will receive, and when |
| Pricing format | The line items you want priced, in your order |
| Evaluation criteria | What you will score and the weightings |
| Timeline | Questions deadline, submission, decision, kickoff |
| Contract terms | Anything non-negotiable, stated now rather than later |
| Contact | One named person for all questions |
Point
State a budget range. Withholding it does not get you a better price; it gets you proposals aimed at the wrong scale, and wastes the time of suppliers who would have been a good fit. A range plus "tell us what we would get for more or less" works better than silence.
Note
Write the objective in business terms. "A two-day conference for 400" is a description. "Re-engage lapsed customers in three regions" is an objective, and it lets a good supplier propose something you had not thought of.
Making the bids comparable
- 01
Provide the pricing table yourself
List the line items and ask suppliers to fill them in. Free-form pricing cannot be compared.
- 02
Separate fees from pass-through costs
Agency fee, staff time, and third-party costs are different things. Ask for them split.
- 03
Ask for day rates and estimated days
A total hides whether the price is a rate problem or a scope problem.
- 04
Define what is excluded
Who pays for travel, overtime, contingency, currency movement.
- 05
Ask for one optional extra
"One thing you would add, and its price." This is where good suppliers differentiate themselves.
- 06
Set a page limit
It forces prioritisation and makes reading tractable.
- 07
Ask for references for comparable work
Comparable in scale and type, not just impressive.
Point
Supply the pricing table. This single step does more for comparability than anything else in the RFP. Without it, one supplier bundles production into a management fee, another itemises it, and the totals mean different things.
Note
Ask what is excluded, explicitly. The cheapest bid is often the one that excluded the most, and that only becomes visible when you ask every supplier the same question in the same place.
Evaluating
- Publish the criteria and weightings in the RFP, and then use them
- Score independently before discussing — the first opinion spoken anchors the room
- Score the response to the brief, not the design of the document
- Check the team proposed is the team who will work on it
- Normalise prices to the same scope before comparing
- Ask the same questions of every finalist
- Record why you chose — you will be asked, internally and by the unsuccessful bidders
Point
Check whether the people in the proposal are the people who will do the work. Senior names appear in pitches and disappear afterwards. Ask who is assigned, for how many days, and put it in the contract.
Note
Tell unsuccessful bidders, and tell them something useful. They spent real time on your brief. Short, specific feedback costs you ten minutes and determines whether they bid next time.
Mistakes that produce unusable proposals
- No budget range — proposals arrive at the wrong scale
- No pricing format — totals that are not comparable
- Scope boundary undefined — everyone assumes something different
- Too many suppliers invited — three to five is usually right; more wastes everyone's time including yours
- No question period — suppliers guess instead of asking
- Questions answered privately — circulate all answers to all bidders
- An unrealistic deadline — a rushed RFP gets rushed proposals
- Asking for free creative work — the good suppliers decline
Point
Circulate every question and answer to every bidder. Answering privately gives one supplier an advantage, produces proposals built on different assumptions, and is noticed.
Note
Do not ask for detailed creative concepts unpaid. Suppliers with full order books simply decline, so you select from those with spare capacity. Ask for approach and relevant past work instead, and pay for concept work if you need it.
Key takeaways
- Supply the pricing table. It does more for comparability than anything else in the RFP.
- State a budget range. Withholding it produces proposals at the wrong scale, not better prices.
- Write the objective in business terms, so a good supplier can propose something better.
- Define the scope boundary explicitly — what they do and what you do.
- Invite three to five suppliers, and circulate every question and answer to all of them.
- Check the team in the pitch is the team on the job, and put it in the contract.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The objective in business terms, the audience, dates and venue (stating whether they are fixed or open), the scope boundary between what the supplier does and what you do, constraints including a budget range, the deliverables, the pricing format, the evaluation criteria and weightings, the timeline, any non-negotiable contract terms, and one named contact for questions.
Yes, as a range. Withholding the budget does not produce a better price; it produces proposals aimed at the wrong scale and wastes the time of suppliers who would have been a good fit. A range, plus an invitation to say what you would get for more or less, works better than silence.
Supply the pricing table yourself and ask suppliers to fill in your line items in your order. Free-form pricing cannot be compared, because one supplier bundles production into a management fee while another itemises it. Also ask for fees and pass-through costs separately, for day rates and estimated days, and for an explicit list of exclusions — the cheapest bid is often the one that excluded the most.
Three to five is usually right. More wastes everyone's time, including your own in evaluation, and reduces the effort each supplier puts in because their odds are worse. Give a realistic deadline and a question period, and circulate every question and answer to every bidder rather than answering privately.
Not unpaid, and not in detail. Suppliers with full order books decline speculative creative work, so you end up selecting from those with spare capacity. Ask for their approach, relevant past work at comparable scale, and the team who would be assigned. If you need concept work to decide, pay for it.