47 Essential RFP Questions to Ask Vendors in 2025 [Expert Guide]

Sample general questions for RFP

The foundation of any effective RFP begins with general vendor questions that provide crucial context about potential vendors. These questions help you build a clear picture of who you're considering partnering with, beyond just their products or services.

Here are 12 essential general RFI questions to ask vendors for your RFP questions template:

Company overview - "Share a brief overview of your company's background, including when it was founded, major milestones, and primary areas of operation. Be sure to emphasize what sets you apart from competitors."
Company structure - "Explain your company's ownership structure (e.g., privately held, publicly traded, partnership, etc.)."
Size and revenue - "Can you provide information about your company's size and annual revenue?"
Mission and values - "What is your company's mission and values?"
Team composition - "What is the breakdown of your workforce in terms of full-time, part-time, and contract employees?"
Geographic presence - "Where is your company headquarters located? Do you have additional offices?"
Industry experience - "Could you share a summary of your company's background and experience within our industry?"
Professional affiliations - "Is your company connected with any industry or professional organizations?"
Certifications and licenses - "What licenses or certifications are held by your company?"
Awards and recognition - "Share any awards or acknowledgments your organization has received recently (within the last three years)."
Industry trends - "Can you describe your approach to monitoring and adapting to emerging industry trends?"
Growth strategy - "What are your growth plans for the next three years?"

These questions serve as the initial layer in the "peeling back the onion" approach to vendor evaluation. Consequently, they help establish whether an RFP vendor has the foundation necessary to be considered for your project.

Here is a blog from Forbes which talks about 19 mistakes companies make when sending RFP.

Sample RFP questions to ask the client

Understanding your client's needs is central to crafting an effective RFP. Beyond evaluating vendors, the RFP process serves as a valuable opportunity to gain deeper insight into what your clients truly value.

Client-focused questions help you accurately define project scope and set realistic expectations. Moreover, they enable vendors to tailor their proposals specifically to your actual needs rather than generic solutions. When considering RFP questions to ask the client, focus on their pain points, goals, and expectations.

Here are 7 essential RFP questions to ask the client regarding their needs:

Current situation assessment - "What challenges or pain points are you currently experiencing with your existing solution?"
Success criteria - "How will you measure the success of this project?"
Timeline Expectations - "What is your preferred implementation timeline, and what factors are driving this schedule?"
Budget parameters - "What budget range have you allocated for this project?"
Stakeholder involvement - "Who are the key stakeholders involved in this project, and what are their specific concerns or priorities?"
Past experience - "Have you worked with similar vendors before? What worked well and what didn't?"
Integration requirements - "What existing systems or processes must this solution integrate with?"

Additionally, consider these client-focused insights when developing your RFP:

Prioritize client requirements: “Do you rank requirements by importance or do you treat all as equally critical?”
Understand their decision-making process: "What is your vendor selection process and timeline?"
Identify deal-breakers: "Are there any absolute requirements that would disqualify a vendor if not met?"

When gathering client input, remember that the questions themselves signal what you value. Therefore, thoughtfully designed RFP questions to ask clients demonstrate your commitment to understanding their needs rather than simply pushing products or services.

Ultimately, effective client questions transform your RFP from a mere procurement document into a strategic tool that builds stronger vendor-customer relationships from the very beginning.

Sample competitor questions for RFP

Gaining insight into how vendors stack up against their competition provides crucial context for your decision-making process. Effective competitor questions help uncover unique selling points while revealing how knowledgeable vendors are about their competitive landscape.

When crafting these questions, focus on eliciting specific, measurable differences rather than generic marketing responses. The goal is to understand each vendor's realistic position in the market, not to collect promotional material.

Here are 5 powerful competitor questions to include in your next RFP:

Competitive differentiation - "What specific features or capabilities set your solution apart from your top three competitors?"
Market position - "How do you position your solution in the market? Are you focused on being a cost leader, innovation leader, or another specific niche?"
Competitor strengths - "What do you consider to be your competitors' strengths in areas where your solution may not be as strong?"
Competitive win/loss analysis - "When you lose deals to competitors, what are the most common reasons?"
Future competitive strategy - "How is your product roadmap designed to maintain competitive advantage over the next 2-3 years?"

On top of this, avoid questions that might create legal constraints, such as requesting proprietary information or encouraging disparagement. The goal is competitive intelligence, not competitive sabotage.

Furthermore, watch for red flags in vendor responses. Excessive competitor criticism often indicates insecurity, while inability to name competitors suggests market unfamiliarity. Conversely, vendors who can discuss competition objectively typically have greater market understanding.

Asking competitor questions serves dual purposes: they provide valuable information about alternative solutions while revealing how vendors think about their products in relation to others. Both insights prove invaluable as you narrow your vendor selection.

Sample functionality and deliverables questions for RFP

The technical capabilities of a vendor's solution often determine project success or failure.

Here are 8 essential functionality and deliverables questions to include in your RFP:

Solution overview - "How does your product or service address our key requirements? Please highlight relevant features and competitive differentiators."
Implementation timeline - "What is your proposed implementation timeline, including key milestones and deliverables?"
Quality control - "What quality control processes do you follow, and what certifications (e.g., ISO 9001) do you hold?"
Integration capabilities - "How does your solution integrate with existing systems? Please share examples of past integrations."
Self-service reporting - "What self-service reporting capabilities are included in your solution?"
Product roadmap - "How is your product strategy and roadmap developed?"
Project management - "What is your project management approach, including planning, monitoring, and reporting?"
Documentation requirements - "What support or inputs will you need from our team to ensure timely implementation?"

Ask vendors to indicate their ability to meet your specific requirements using a simple yes/no/partial response format. This standardized approach makes proposal comparison significantly easier.

Additionally, inquire about their service level agreement (SLA) and performance reporting processes to ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle. When considering integration with existing systems, be sure to ask detailed questions about compatibility, data migration, and potential challenges.

Well-crafted functionality and deliverables questions not only help you select the right vendor but also lay the groundwork for successful project implementation by establishing clear expectations from the outset. These questions form a crucial part of your evaluation criteria for vendor selection.

Sample experience and approach questions for RFP

Evaluating a vendor's experience and approach provides critical insights into their ability to deliver successful outcomes. This section focuses on questions that reveal how vendors tackle projects, their methodology, and their track record of execution. These questions are essential for assessing vendor qualifications and ensuring project goals alignment.

Here are 6 essential experience and approach questions to include in your RFP:

Project team composition - "Who will be assigned to our project, and what are their qualifications and vendor experience?"
Methodology details - "Describe your project management approach to projects similar to ours, including key phases, deliverables, and timelines."
Relevant case studies - "Provide 2-3 examples of similar projects you've completed, including challenges encountered and how they were overcome."
Client references - "Can you provide vendor references from clients with similar requirements or industry challenges?"
Knowledge transfer - "What is your approach to knowledge transfer and training?"
Issue resolution - "Describe your process for handling scope changes, delays, or unexpected challenges."

These questions help identify vendors who don't just promise results but have proven methodologies to achieve them. Essentially, you're looking for partners who can articulate their approach clearly and back it with evidence of success.

Sample customer success questions for RFP

After selecting a vendor, their customer success approach often determines whether your project thrives or struggles. Customer success questions in your RFP reveal how vendors support clients after signing the contract, a critical factor many organizations overlook.

Here are 11 essential customer success questions to include in your RFP:

Implementation timeline - "On average, how long does implementation take? What factors might influence this timeline?"
Customer references - "Can you share 2–3 relevant customer references?"
Scalability - "How does your platform scale to meet evolving business and technology needs?"
Integration capabilities - "What API integrations are available to connect with our existing vendors or tools?"
Training process - "Describe your training and onboarding process for new clients."
Customer requirements - "What is required from us to ensure success?"
Business reviews - "Do you offer quarterly business reviews (QBRs) as part of customer engagement?"
ROI measurement - "How do you help customers measure ROI from your solution?"
Self-service resources - "What self-service tools or resources are available after onboarding?"
Support structure - "Do you use in-house or outsourced resources for customer support?"
Feedback management - "How do you manage customer requests, complaints, and feedback?"

Additionally, inquire about their response time for different support tiers to ensure alignment with your service expectations. Effective vendor communication is crucial for long-term success, so pay close attention to how they plan to keep you informed and engaged throughout the partnership.

Example pricing questions for RFP

Clear pricing information forms the foundation of realistic budgeting and prevents costly surprises later in your vendor relationship. Transparent pricing questions in your RFP help compare proposals objectively while uncovering hidden costs that might otherwise remain buried in contract details.

Here are 6 critical pricing questions to include in your next RFP:

Pricing structure - "Detail your pricing model (subscription, one-time purchase, usage-based, etc.) and provide a complete breakdown of costs."
Additional costs - "What additional costs might we incur beyond the base price? Include potential expenses for implementation, customization, support, or training."
Price protection - "How long will the proposed pricing remain valid? What are your standard price increase policies?"
Volume discounts - "Do you offer volume discounts or preferred pricing tiers? If so, at what thresholds?"
Payment terms - "What are your standard payment terms? Do you offer flexible payment options?"
Competitive pricing - "How does your pricing compare to competitors? What specific value justifies any premium?"

When evaluating pricing responses, consider these procurement questions to ask suppliers:

Are there any hidden fees or charges not explicitly mentioned in the proposal?
How does the pricing align with industry benchmarks for similar solutions?
What is the total cost of ownership over the expected lifecycle of the product or service?

Meanwhile, watch for vague responses or reluctance to provide complete pricing information. Occasionally, vendors avoid pricing transparency to maintain negotiation leverage. Without doubt, vendors who provide clear, comprehensive pricing demonstrate confidence in their value proposition and commitment to transparent business relationships.

When evaluating pricing, consider both immediate budget considerations and potential pricing volatility over time. A vendor with slightly higher upfront costs but more stable long-term pricing may prove more economical in the long run.

Examples of risk management questions for RFP

Identifying and mitigating potential risks remains a vital yet often overlooked component of vendor selection. Effective risk management questions in your RFP help safeguard your organization from disruptions while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Primarily, these questions reveal how vendors handle unexpected challenges and protect sensitive information. After all, a vendor's vulnerabilities can quickly become your own in today's interconnected business landscape.

Here are some essential risk management questions to include in your RFP:

Business continuity - "What are your business continuity and disaster recovery plans, and how frequently are they tested?"
Data security - "What security protocols do you have in place to protect customer data?"
Compliance certifications - "What compliance certifications relevant to our industry does your company maintain?"
Insurance coverage - "What insurance types and coverage levels does your company maintain?"
Third-party dependencies - "Do you use third-party vendors for any critical services? How are those relationships managed?"
Change management process - "What is your change management process for rolling out updates or new features?"
Exit strategy - "What is your process for transitioning services if we decide to change vendors?"
Diverse-owned vendors - "Do you have programs in place to support diverse-owned vendors within your supply chain?"

When evaluating responses to these risk management questions, look for vendors who demonstrate:

Proactive risk identification and mitigation strategies
Transparent communication about potential vulnerabilities
Regular testing and updating of security measures
Compliance with relevant industry standards and regulations
Clear processes for handling data breaches or service disruptions

Remember, effective risk management is an ongoing process. The best vendors will show a commitment to continuous improvement in their risk management practices.

By incorporating these comprehensive sample RFP questions into your vendor selection process, you'll be better equipped to choose a partner that not only meets your immediate needs but also aligns with your long-term business goals and risk tolerance. Remember to tailor these questions to your specific industry and project requirements, and don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions based on the responses you receive.

To further enhance your RFP process, consider creating an RFP questions and answers template that includes these key areas. This will streamline your evaluation process and ensure consistency across all vendor responses. By asking the right questions during vendor selection, you'll be well-positioned to make an informed decision and set the stage for a successful partnership.

Before responding to an RFP, it's crucial to thoroughly review and understand the requirements. Some questions to ask before responding to an RFP include:

Do we have the capacity and expertise to meet all the project requirements?
Are there any areas where we might need to partner with other vendors?
How does this opportunity align with our company's strategic goals?
What unique value can we bring to this project that sets us apart from competitors?

By carefully considering these questions, you can ensure that you're well-prepared to submit a compelling and competitive RFP response. Remember, the RFP process is not just about asking questions, but also about providing clear, concise, and relevant answers that showcase your company's strengths and capabilities.

Common RFP mistakes to avoid

Avoiding these common missteps can save you time, reduce confusion, and lead to better vendor outcomes:

Asking vague or overly broad questions that don’t lead to meaningful responses
Treating all requirements as equally important instead of prioritizing must-haves
Launching an RFP without internal alignment on goals, timeline, or success metrics
Using a generic, one-size-fits-all template that doesn’t reflect your specific needs
Rushing the process and not giving vendors adequate time to respond thoughtfully
Failing to define clear evaluation criteria and scoring methods in advance
Overlooking vendor follow-up or clarification stages that can improve proposal quality

These are simple to avoid with upfront planning, and doing so will lead to more informed, confident vendor decisions.

Bonus: Smart follow-up questions for shortlisted vendors

Once you’ve narrowed down your vendor list, follow-up questions can help you validate claims, clarify uncertainties, and assess fit more accurately. Here are key areas to explore in follow-up conversations:

Can you walk us through a recent implementation similar to ours? What challenges did you face and how were they resolved?
How will your team support us during the first 90 days post-implementation?
What does your onboarding plan look like for organizations of our size and complexity?
How do you handle unexpected changes in scope or timeline during a project?
Can we meet with the actual team members who would be assigned to our project?
How do you collect and act on customer feedback during active projects?
Can you demonstrate how your platform integrates with our existing tools or systems?
What are some measurable outcomes your clients have achieved within the first 6 months?

These follow-ups go beyond the proposal and help you evaluate whether the vendor can deliver in real-world conditions, not just on paper.

Weird RFP questions we've actually seen

Not all RFPs are created equal, and some come with questions that leave vendors scratching their heads. While most are well-intentioned, a few can be confusing, irrelevant, or downright bizarre.

Here are some real examples of strange or poorly framed RFP questions collected from procurement communities and vendor war stories:

“What’s your stance on extraterrestrial data protection?”
(Yes, this was asked – presumably as a joke that made it into the final draft.)
“Can your product prevent political bias in workplace communication?”
A very broad ask for a SaaS tool with no clarification on definitions or expectations.
“If your company were an animal, which one would it be and why?”
Great for a team icebreaker, not so much for a multimillion-dollar procurement process.
“Please confirm whether your platform can operate underwater.”
This was asked in an RFP for cloud-based compliance software.
“Do you have an ethical AI statement signed by a qualified philosopher?”
A good concept, but the wording had vendors unsure what qualified as “philosopher-approved.”
“Submit your response in Comic Sans font only.”
A formatting instruction that turned into a vendor-wide internal meme.
“Describe your company’s energy aura.”
One vendor wasn’t sure if this was spiritual, metaphorical, or a trick question.

What’s the takeaway?

Weird or unclear RFP questions often reflect:

Lack of internal alignment on goals
Copy-paste errors from unrelated RFPs
Attempts at creativity that don’t land
Miscommunication between technical and non-technical teams

What you should do instead:
Keep your questions relevant, actionable, and tied to real evaluation criteria. If you're going to add creative flair, ensure it's aligned with your goals and clearly explained.

Final Takeaway: Ask smarter, win Faster with SiftHub.

Strong RFPs lead to better decisions. But writing clear, targeted questions takes time and coordination. Many teams struggle with this step.

SiftHub makes it easier. Our AI-powered platform helps you create better RFPs, find key vendor insights, and speed up your process. You get clarity without the usual back and forth.

Whether you’re writing questions, reviewing responses, or comparing vendors, SiftHub gives your team one smart workspace. It’s fast, simple, and built to keep you in control.

Want to level up your RFP process?

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