A good request for proposals does two jobs: it attracts the vendors who fit your project, and it gets you proposals you can actually compare. Most weak RFPs fail at the second job. They list features but not goals, hide the budget, and leave every vendor guessing in a different direction.
This template is written for nonprofits and public agencies planning a website redesign. Use the sections that fit, and cut the ones that don't.
The website redesign RFP template
1. About your organization
Who you are, who you serve and how the website fits your mission. Two or three paragraphs is enough.
2. Goals and how you'll measure them
What should the new site do better than the old one? Name measurable goals where you can, such as more people completing a program application, fewer calls asking for information that's already online, or more newsletter sign-ups.
3. Audiences
List your main audiences and the top tasks each comes to the site for. This tells vendors more about the design than any feature list.
4. Current site and what's not working
Link the current site, and share what you know: analytics, survey results, complaints, and anything staff work around.
5. Scope
- Roughly how many pages and page types, and who will write or migrate the content
- Features and integrations, such as donations, events, a CRM, search or forms
- Services you need: research, content strategy, design, development, training, hosting and ongoing support
6. Technical requirements
- Accessibility: name the standard, WCAG 2.1 Level AA. State and local governments must meet it under the ADA Title II rule.
- Content management: whether you need a particular CMS, or want vendors to recommend one
- Hosting, security and privacy requirements
- Analytics and reporting
7. Budget
State a budget range. It's the single most useful thing you can share: it lets vendors propose the best solution for your money instead of guessing, and it saves everyone time.
8. Timeline
Give the dates for questions, proposals, decision and project start, plus any fixed launch date and the reason for it.
9. What to include in proposals
- Approach and process
- Relevant work, with links
- The team who will actually do the work
- Timeline and cost, broken down by phase
- References
10. How you'll evaluate proposals
List your criteria and roughly how much each one counts. Vendors write better proposals when they know what matters to you.
11. Contact and questions
Name one contact, set a deadline for questions, and share answers with every vendor.
Common mistakes
- Hiding the budget. You'll get proposals that can't be compared.
- Listing features instead of goals. Vendors will build exactly what you wrote, even if it doesn't solve the problem.
- Asking for free design work. Spec designs made without research tell you little about how a vendor will solve your problem.
- Leaving accessibility out. Adding it after launch costs far more than building it in.
- Too little time. Give vendors at least a few weeks to respond, and give yourself time to talk to finalists.
Want inspiration first? See our list of the best nonprofit websites, or read about discovery and procurement support.