How to Write a Software RFP That Gets Accurate, Comparable Quotes

A request for proposal, or RFP, sounds like something only large companies and governments write. It is not. If you plan to ask more than one team to quote for your app, web platform or business software, you are already running an RFP. The only question is whether you write it down well enough that the answers mean something.

I read a lot of project briefs. The ones that lead to accurate quotes are rarely the longest. They are the ones that are clear about the problem, the users, the first release and the rules for choosing. This guide shows what to include, what to leave out and how to compare what comes back.

Why quotes for the same idea differ so much

When two quotes are far apart, it is usually not because one team is cheap and the other greedy. It is because each team filled the gaps in your brief with different assumptions. One pictured a single admin user, the other pictured roles and permissions. One assumed a web app, the other quoted native iOS and Android. One included payments and notifications, the other left them for later.

A good RFP closes those gaps before anyone estimates. It does not need to answer every question. It needs to answer the questions that change the size of the project, and to say clearly which ones are still open.

What to include: a section-by-section outline

Use these sections as your template. Short, plain answers are fine.

For the workflows, user stories work well: "As a customer, I want to reschedule a booking so that I do not have to call the shop." The GOV.UK Service Manual has a clear, short explanation, and our own guide on how to write user stories shows examples for apps and business software.

Write down the constraints people forget

Constraints are where hidden costs live. If accessibility matters for your users or your contracts, say which standard you expect, for example WCAG 2.2 at level AA. If you handle payments, health records or personal data at scale, say so, and name any security baseline you want teams to work to, such as the OWASP Application Security Verification Standard.

Also state the practical rules: where data must be stored, which languages the app needs, who owns the code and accounts, and whether you need the team to hand over to an in-house developer later. These answers change the proposal far more than the colour of a button.

What to leave out

• Pixel-level screen specs. Rough sketches or reference apps help. Detailed designs before you have chosen a team usually get redone.
• A required technology stack, unless you truly need one. If you have an in-house team on a particular stack, say so. Otherwise ask teams to recommend one and explain why.
• A long wish list. Separate the first release from "later". Mixing them makes every quote larger and harder to compare.
• Confidential details you do not need yet. Describe the idea well enough to estimate. Share deeper detail under an NDA with the shortlist.

If you already have a product requirements document, attach it, but still write the short RFP on top. Our guide on what a PRD is and how to write one explains how the two fit together.

Ask every team for the same things back

Most RFPs stop at the brief. The part that makes quotes comparable is a fixed list of what every proposal must contain. Ask for:

1. Their understanding of the problem, in their own words.
2. The scope of the first release, listed as workflows, with anything excluded named explicitly.
3. The team: roles, seniority and who your main contact will be.
4. A timeline split into milestones, with what you can see and test at each one.
5. The cost per milestone and the pricing model, fixed price or time and materials.
6. Estimated monthly running costs, such as hosting and third-party services, with assumptions.
7. Every assumption behind the estimate, written down.
8. How code, accounts and documentation are handed over, and who owns them.
9. What happens after launch: warranty period, support and maintenance.
10. Two or three similar projects and a client you can speak to.

Before you set the budget range, check what a realistic first release takes. Our project cost guide and the app timeline calculator give you a starting point, and the guide on setting a software development budget shows how to split it into phases.

How to compare the proposals you get back

Put the answers side by side in a simple sheet, one column per company and one row per item from the list above. Then look for these signs:

• Did they understand the problem? A proposal that repeats your brief word for word tells you less than one that questions it.
• Are assumptions written down? A low quote with no assumptions often grows later. A clear list protects you both.
• Is the scope the same? If one quote excludes the admin panel or payments, add them back before comparing price.
• Can you see progress early? Prefer milestones that end in working software you can test, not documents.
• Do you own the code? It should sit in your own accounts, with clear terms on when ownership passes to you.

Then hold a short call with the two strongest teams and ask them to walk you through their plan. How they answer questions you did not put in the RFP tells you a lot about how the project will run. Before you sign, run the contract through our software development contract checklist.

How we respond to an RFP at Creuto

When a founder sends us a brief, we start with a free 30-minute call to understand the outcome, then send a clear written proposal within 24 hours. It lists the scope as workflows, what is excluded, the milestones, the assumptions and the running costs, so it can be compared line by line with any other quote. A focused first working version is usually ready in about 4 weeks, your code lives in your own accounts from day one, and every launch comes with a 60-day warranty. You can read more about how we work at creuto.com.