An RFP is a tender in which suppliers submit their own proposed approach along with pricing. The buyer defines the outcome, not the method.
Contents. Background, scope of work, deliverables, constraints, mandated pricing sheet, weighted evaluation criteria, timeline.
Evaluation. Technical and commercial scoring happen separately, combined by a pre-fixed weighting.
Common mistakes. Prescribing the method, no exclusions list, changing criteria after the fact.
Duration. Six to twelve weeks manually, mostly internal alignment.