Website request for proposal template

A brief for comparing web designers and agencies on the things that decide how the project goes: scope, ownership, launch and support.

Free to copy and change, with no sign-up. Download the Website template as a Markdown file, or use your browser’s Print command to print this page or save it as a PDF.

1. About your business

  • Business name: ________________
  • Current website, if any: ________________
  • Locations and service areas: ________________
  • Main services: ________________
  • What you like and dislike about your current site: ________________

2. Goals

  • What the site must do (get calls, take bookings, show past work): ________________
  • Who it is for: ________________
  • How you will know it worked: ________________

3. Scope

  • A page for each main service, and for each area you serve
  • Mobile-first design that loads quickly on a phone
  • Tap-to-call and clear contact options on every page
  • Forms or booking, connected to the tools you use
  • Writing and photos: who provides what
  • Moving content from the old site and setting up redirects
  • Basic search set-up (titles, descriptions, sitemap, Google connections)
  • Accessibility basics (readable text, keyboard use, image descriptions)
  • Training so your team can make simple changes

4. Questions for each bidder

  • Who will design, build and manage the project? Name the people.
  • Show two similar sites and give references we can call.
  • What is the process and the schedule, step by step?
  • What do you need from us, and by when?
  • How many rounds of changes are included, and what happens after that?
  • How will you protect our current search traffic during the move?
  • How fast will the pages load on a phone, and how will you check?
  • What platform will you use, and why? What does it cost to run?
  • What will you not do?

5. Ownership and handover

  • We own the domain name, and it is registered in our name.
  • We own the site content, design files and images, and receive them at launch.
  • We know where the site is hosted, what it costs, and can move it if we choose.
  • We receive all logins at launch.

6. Pricing: please itemise

  • Design and build, with payment stages
  • Writing, photos and any extra pages
  • Hosting, maintenance and support, monthly or yearly
  • Third-party costs (plug-ins, booking tools, stock images)
  • What is charged extra, and how you quote it

7. Timeline

  • RFP sent: ________________
  • Questions due: ________________
  • Proposals due: ________________
  • Interviews: ________________
  • Decision: ________________
  • Launch target: ________________

8. How we will compare proposals

  • Understanding of our business and goals: weight ________________
  • Quality of past work: weight ________________
  • Plan, schedule and people: weight ________________
  • Ownership and handover terms: weight ________________
  • Price and ongoing costs: weight ________________

9. Warning signs in a proposal

  • The agency owns the domain or the content.
  • A site you cannot move or edit without paying the agency.
  • No plan for redirects, so old links and search traffic are lost.
  • A fixed promise about search results.
  • Vague pricing with large extras for ordinary changes.

This template is neutral. It is made to compare any agencies, including ours. More RFP templates, talk to us or see our plans and pricing.

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