How to Write an E-commerce RFP That Gets Accurate Quotes

An ecommerce RFP, or request for proposal, is a document that describes your online store project clearly enough for agencies and developers to give accurate, comparable quotes. It explains your business, your goals, what the store must do, which systems it must connect to, your budget range and timeline, and how you will choose a supplier. A good RFP saves time on both sides. Suppliers understand what you need and can price it properly, and you receive proposals you can compare like with like. A vague brief does the opposite: quotes vary wildly, hidden assumptions surface halfway through the project and costs rise.

You do not need to be technical to write a strong RFP. You need to know your business, your customers and your priorities. This guide shows what to include and how to use the responses.

Why a clear brief matters

Online store projects vary enormously in size. Two quotes for "a new online store" can differ many times over because each supplier imagined a different project. One assumed a simple theme and a few hundred products; another assumed custom design, complex pricing and several integrations. Neither is wrong; the brief simply did not say.

A clear brief also protects the project after you have chosen a supplier. Agreed requirements become the basis for the contract, the plan and testing. When something is missing from the brief, it usually returns as a change request with an extra cost and a delay. Spending a few extra days on the document often saves weeks later.

Finally, a good RFP attracts better suppliers. Experienced agencies prefer clients who have thought through their needs, because those projects tend to run more smoothly.

What to include in an ecommerce RFP

Keep the document as short as it can be while still complete. Use headings, numbered requirements and tables, so suppliers can refer to specific items in their answers.

Attach supporting material where it helps: screenshots of your current store, examples of sites you admire, sample product data and a simple diagram of your existing systems. A few pictures often explain more than pages of text, and they reduce the number of questions suppliers need to ask.

Goals and current situation

Begin with why you are doing the project. Goals help suppliers suggest better solutions, not just price the features you listed.

• Increase online sales, conversion rate or average order value.
• Reduce manual work, such as re-entering orders into another system.
• Launch in new markets, currencies or languages.
• Replace a platform that is slow, insecure or no longer supported.
• Support a new business model, such as trade accounts or subscriptions.

Then describe where you are now. Share your current platform, approximate order volumes, catalogue size, traffic levels and main pain points. Explain what works well and must be kept. Honest context about problems helps suppliers spot risks early. If you are unsure whether you need a new platform at all, our guide on choosing an ecommerce platform can help frame the decision.

Writing requirements suppliers can price

Requirements are the heart of the RFP. Write them as things customers and staff need to do, not as technical instructions. "Trade customers see their own negotiated prices after logging in" is clearer and more useful than "custom pricing module".

Prioritise each requirement

Mark each requirement as must have, should have or nice to have. This lets suppliers propose a realistic first phase and price optional extras separately. It also helps you compare proposals fairly, because everyone prices the same essentials.

Cover the whole journey

• Browsing: navigation, search, filters and product pages.
• Buying: basket, checkout, payment methods and delivery options.
• After the sale: order emails, tracking, accounts and returns.
• Running the store: admin tasks, product updates, promotions, reports and user roles.
• Marketing: SEO controls, email sign-up, reviews and tracking.

Be specific where it matters. Mention unusual pricing rules, product options, delivery restrictions or approval steps, because these drive cost. Our ecommerce requirements checklist is a useful starting point for building this list.

Integrations, data and migration

Integrations are often the largest and least predictable part of a project. List every system the store must connect to, and describe what data moves, in which direction and how often.

• ERP or accounting: orders, invoices, customers and stock.
• Warehouse or fulfilment: orders out, tracking numbers back.
• Payment providers: methods, currencies and refunds.
• Marketing tools: email platform, reviews and analytics.
• Marketplaces: listings, stock and orders.

Name the actual products and versions where you can, and say whether they offer documented interfaces. If you are moving from an existing platform, describe what must be migrated: products, customers, orders, reviews, content and URLs. Mention how clean the data is. Suppliers price migration very differently when they know data needs cleaning first.

Say who will do each part of the data work. If your team will clean product data or write new content, the supplier needs to know, and the plan must allow time for it. Content and data tasks left unassigned are one of the most common reasons launches slip.

Speed, security, accessibility and support

Non-functional requirements describe how well the store must work, not what it does. They are easy to forget and expensive to add later.

• Performance: state targets for page speed, such as meeting Google's Core Web Vitals thresholds on key templates.
• Accessibility: ask for compliance with a recognised standard, such as WCAG 2.2 level AA.
• Security: updates, secure hosting, backups and how payment data is handled.
• Hosting: who provides it, expected traffic and peaks.
• Support: what happens after launch, response times and maintenance.
• Ownership: who owns the code, design and accounts.

Ask suppliers to describe how they will meet each one, not just to agree. A specific answer shows real experience. A one-word "yes" to every requirement is a warning sign that the proposal has not been thought through.

Budget, timeline and response format

Many buyers hesitate to share a budget, worried that suppliers will simply quote up to it. In practice, a range leads to better proposals. Suppliers can recommend what is realistic for the money, rather than guessing and proposing something too small or too large. Our guides to ecommerce website cost and total cost of ownership help you set a realistic range.

Share key dates and constraints, such as a peak season to avoid or a contract end date on your current platform. Then tell suppliers exactly what to send back:

1. Understanding of your goals and proposed approach.
2. Recommended platform and reasons.
3. Response to each numbered requirement.
4. Project plan, phases and timeline.
5. Team, roles and relevant experience.
6. Itemised costs: build, licences, hosting, integrations and ongoing support.
7. Assumptions, exclusions and risks.
8. References from similar projects.

Asking for assumptions and exclusions is important. They show where a low quote may hide extra costs later.

Scoring proposals fairly

Decide how you will score proposals before they arrive, so the cheapest or most impressive presentation does not decide on its own. A simple scoring sheet with weighted criteria works well.

• Understanding: how well they grasp your business and goals.
• Solution: how well the proposal meets the must-have requirements.
• Experience: similar projects, platform skills and references.
• Plan and risk: realistic timeline, clear phases and honest risks.
• Cost: total cost over several years, not only the build price.
• Fit: communication, process and how the team works.

Shortlist two or three suppliers for a meeting. Ask them to walk through their approach and answer follow-up questions. Speak to their references, and ask what went wrong on past projects and how it was handled. Our guide to choosing between an agency and a freelancer covers other factors to weigh.

Keep everyone informed. Tell unsuccessful suppliers promptly and offer brief feedback. It builds goodwill if you need them in future. Once you have chosen, carry the RFP forward into the contract and project plan, so the requirements everyone agreed become the basis for testing at the end. Our guide to ecommerce project timelines explains what happens next.

Common RFP mistakes

• Copying a template without adapting it to your business.
• Listing features without goals, which leads to quotes for the wrong things.
• Hiding the budget, which produces proposals that cannot be compared.
• Ignoring integrations and data, the most common source of overruns.
• Too short a response window, which rushes good suppliers and leads to guesswork.
• Choosing on price alone, without checking assumptions and exclusions.

Allow a short period for questions, and share answers with every supplier, so all proposals rest on the same information.

Frequently asked questions

Planning a new store or a replatform? Send us your brief and we will respond with a clear, itemised proposal and honest assumptions.