Website RFP: How to Write One (With a Template)

A website RFP (request for proposal) is a document that explains who you are, what your new website has to accomplish, what it needs to include, your budget range, your timeline, and how you will choose a vendor. Its job is simple: get proposals from several agencies that answer the same questions, so you can compare them side by side instead of comparing apples, oranges, and a sales pitch. A useful RFP is a few pages long, not fifty. Below: when you need one, a fill-in template, common mistakes, and a one-page brief for smaller projects.

Free download: Website RFP template

What Is a Website RFP?

An RFP is a formal invitation for vendors to propose how they would build your website and what it would cost. You describe the problem and the requirements; each agency responds with its approach, team, timeline, and price. A project brief or website requirements document covers the same ground in a shorter, less formal way, while an RFQ (request for quotation) asks only for prices on a fully defined scope, which is rare for websites. Whatever you call it, the content is the same: goals, scope, constraints, budget, and dates.

Do You Need an RFP, a Brief, or Just a Call?

Not every website needs a formal RFP. Writing one takes time, and so does answering one, so match the effort to the project.

• Write a formal RFP if your purchasing policy requires competitive bids, a board or committee must approve the vendor, or the project includes integrations, multiple languages, member areas, or e-commerce.
• Write a one-page brief if you are a small business with a straightforward marketing site. There is a short version at the end of this article.
• Just book a call if you are still figuring out what you need. A good agency can help you shape the scope, and you can write the brief afterward.

What Should a Website RFP Include? A Fill-In Template

Copy the sections below into a document and fill in each one. If a section does not apply, say so in one line rather than deleting it.

1. Organization Overview

• Organization name, website, and location.
• What you do, in two or three plain sentences.
• The main contact, who makes the final decision, and why you are starting now.

2. Project Goals and Success Metrics

• The top three outcomes the new site must deliver, in order of priority (for example: more quote requests, fewer phone calls asking basic questions, more online donations).
• How you will measure each one: form submissions, calls, bookings, donations, sales, or time saved for your staff.
• Your current numbers, if you have them, so vendors understand the starting point.

3. Audience

• Who visits your site: customers, donors, members, job seekers, partners.
• What each group is trying to do when they arrive.
• Languages they speak and the devices they use most.

4. Current Website: What Works and What Does Not

• Current URL, platform (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, custom), and who built it.
• What works today and must be kept: pages that rank, tools staff rely on, content people use.
• What does not work: specific problems, not just "it looks old."
• Sites you like, and what specifically you like about each.

If you are not sure whether you need a full redesign or a lighter refresh, our guide to website redesign cost walks through the difference.

5. Scope: Pages and Sitemap

• An estimated page count, or a draft sitemap listing the main sections.
• Repeating content types: services, locations, events, blog posts, products.
• Pages that need a unique design versus pages that can share a template.
• Content to migrate from the current site and roughly how much.

6. Features and Functionality

List what the site must do, then mark each item as must have, nice to have, or future phase.

• Contact and quote forms.
• Online booking or scheduling.
• Online payments, donations, or e-commerce.
• Member or client login areas.
• Search, filters, or a directory.
• Event calendar, job listings, or a resource library.

7. Integrations

• CRM: where form leads should go (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, or a custom CRM).
• Email marketing platform for newsletter signups.
• Booking, payment, or donation platforms you already use.
• Internal systems or databases the site must read from or write to.

Name the actual tools. "Integrates with our CRM" can mean an hour of setup or several weeks of development.

8. Content

• Who writes the copy: your team, the agency, or a mix.
• Roughly how many pages need new copy versus light edits.
• Languages: English only, or English and Spanish (and whether translation is part of the scope).
• Photography and video: existing assets, stock, or a new shoot.

If you want help deciding who should write it, read our guide to website copywriting.

9. SEO, AI Search, and Analytics

• Keywords or services you want to be found for, and the cities or regions you serve.
• Redirects from old URLs so existing rankings are not lost at launch.
• Technical SEO basics: page speed, mobile performance, structured data (schema), and an XML sitemap.
• Visibility in AI answers from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews.
• Analytics setup: Google Analytics 4, conversion tracking for forms and calls, and Search Console.

10. Accessibility

• Required standard: we recommend WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
• How the vendor will test: automated tools plus manual keyboard and screen reader checks.
• Any legal or funding requirement that applies to your organization.

11. Hosting, Maintenance, and Support

• Whether you want the vendor to host the site or you have your own hosting.
• Expectations for updates, backups, security monitoring, and uptime.
• A warranty period for fixing bugs after launch, then ongoing support and response times.

12. Ownership: Domain, Code, and Accounts

• The domain, hosting, analytics, and third-party accounts must be registered in your organization's name.
• You own the final design, content, and code, or the vendor clearly states any licensed components.
• Handover terms if you change providers later: files, database, and credentials.

These points belong in the contract too. Our article on software development contracts explains what to look for.

13. Budget Range

• A budget range for the build (for example, "between X and Y").
• A separate range for ongoing hosting, maintenance, or marketing, if applicable.
• Whether the budget is fixed or could stretch for the right solution.

Sharing a range is the best thing you can do for the quality of the proposals you receive. Without it, one agency proposes a template site and another a custom build, and neither is wrong. With it, every vendor shows you the best solution they can deliver for that amount, and good agencies will tell you if your goals need less, or more, than you budgeted. If you have no idea where to start, our guide to how much a website costs gives market ranges.

14. Timeline and Key Dates

• RFP release date.
• Deadline for vendor questions, and the date you will publish answers.
• Proposal due date and time, with time zone.
• Shortlist interviews, vendor selection, and contract start.
• Desired launch date, and whether it is tied to a real event (a campaign, a fiscal year, an opening).

Our article on how long it takes to build a website explains typical timelines and what slows them down.

15. Proposal Requirements

Ask every vendor to include the same things, in the same order:

1. A summary of how they understand your goals.
2. Proposed approach and process, phase by phase.
3. The team who will actually work on the project and their roles.
4. Relevant past work with live links, and a timeline with milestones.
5. Itemized pricing, including what is not included.
6. Hosting, maintenance, and support options with pricing.
7. Ownership and licensing terms.
8. References you can contact.

16. Evaluation Criteria and Weights

Tell vendors how you will score them, so they focus on what you care about. Adjust these example weights to your priorities:

Criterion	Example weight	What you are looking for
Understanding of goals	20%	The proposal reflects your goals and audience, not a generic pitch.
Relevant experience	20%	Similar projects, industries, or features, with work you can visit.
Approach and process	15%	A clear plan for discovery, content, design, development, testing, and launch.
Team and communication	10%	Who you will work with, how often you will hear from them, and in what language.
Price and value	20%	Clear, itemized pricing that fits your range, with no hidden extras.
Support and ownership terms	10%	You own your site and accounts, and support after launch is defined.
Timeline	5%	A realistic schedule that meets your key dates.

17. Submission Instructions and Q&A

• Where and how to submit (email address or portal) and the file format you accept.
• A single contact person for all questions.
• Q&A deadline, and a commitment to share every answer with every vendor.
• When vendors will hear back, whether or not they are selected.

What Are the Most Common Website RFP Mistakes?

• No budget. The most common one. You get proposals that cannot be compared, and some strong agencies skip RFPs without a range entirely.
• A feature laundry list. Pasting every feature you have ever seen on another site, without priorities, inflates every quote. Tie features to goals and mark what is a must have.
• Sending it to too many vendors. Twenty proposals take weeks to read, and good agencies know their odds. Three to five well-chosen vendors usually give better responses.
• Asking for free spec design. Requesting mockups before you have chosen a vendor gets you guesses made without discovery, and many experienced agencies decline. Ask for past work and process instead.
• Prescribing the solution. Requiring a specific platform without a reason can rule out better options. Describe the problem and let vendors propose.
• Unrealistic deadlines. A one-week response window leads to rushed, padded proposals.

How Do You Evaluate Website Proposals?

Have each person on your selection team score every proposal alone before you meet. Use a 1 to 5 scale for each criterion, then multiply by the weight from your RFP.

Score	Meaning
5	Exceeds the requirement with specific, convincing detail.
4	Fully meets the requirement.
3	Meets it partially, or with vague answers.
2	Weak or generic response.
1	Missing or does not address the requirement.

For example, a score of 4 on a criterion weighted at 20% adds 0.8 to that vendor's total. Add up the weighted scores, shortlist the top two or three, and invite them to present. Then check references, look at their live sites on a phone, and ask who exactly will work on your project. The lowest price is rarely the best value if it leaves out content, SEO, or support. For more on making the final choice, see how to choose a web design company.

Is There a Simpler Option for Small Businesses?

Yes. For a small business marketing site, a one-page brief gives agencies almost everything they need. Answer these questions:

1. Who we are: business name, what you do, where you serve customers.
2. Why now: what is not working, or what changed.
3. Goal: the one result that matters most, such as more calls, bookings, or quote requests.
4. Customers and pages: who your customers are and a rough list of the pages you need.
5. Must haves: forms, booking, payments, Spanish version, or other key features.
6. Content: what you have and what you need help writing.
7. Sites you like: two or three links and what you like about them.
8. Budget range and launch date.
9. Ownership: who currently holds your domain and hosting accounts.

Send it to two or three agencies and ask each to respond in writing with scope, timeline, and price.

Ready to Send Your RFP or Brief?

At inSpace Agency we have built websites for small and mid-size businesses, nonprofits, and organizations since 2005, in English and Spanish. If you have an RFP or brief ready, send it to us and we will respond with a clear proposal. If you are still shaping it, we are happy to help you think through scope first. Learn more about our web design services, book a free call, or send us your RFP.