Agencies Will (Almost) Always Have Questions About Your RFP

Even the most thoughtfully constructed RFP will generate questions. That’s not because you left something out; it’s because your bidders bring a different perspective. What seems obvious inside your organization may feel ambiguous, incomplete, or open to interpretation to someone on the outside. That’s not a flaw in the process, It’s an opportunity.

Smart Agencies Ask Smart Questions

The agencies worth working with aren’t just vendors. They’re thinkers, and thinkers ask questions. No matter how clearly you believe you’ve laid out your needs, strong agencies will view your RFP through a different lens. Their experience with other clients, their category insights, and their problem-solving mindset all shape the questions they ask.

Their goal isn’t to poke holes. It’s to understand. To clarify. To ensure the strategy you’re asking for is grounded in shared understanding, not misinterpretation.

If you’re getting dozens of questions about basics like timelines, deliverables, or scope, that may signal an issue. Your RFP might be vague in the wrong places. (If that sounds familiar, look for my upcoming post on what not to leave vague in an RFP.)

When you invite questions, you’re not exposing weakness. You’re signaling readiness for true partnership.

Where the Process Falls Apart

Many RFPs invite questions in theory, but not in practice. The process breaks down when timelines are so tight that agencies have no time to digest, much less inquire. It breaks down when responses are delayed or shared only with the agency that asked, limiting transparency. It breaks down when questions are treated as a nuisance rather than a chance to clarify.

An even playing field is not created by withholding clarity. It is created by offering it openly and thoughtfully, and in time for it to matter. Questions don’t derail the process; they strengthen it.

How Agency Questions Can Benefit You

Thoughtful questions from agencies do more than clarify the brief.

• They can help you see your own priorities and assumptions more clearly. A smart agency may spot gaps you missed, or surface possibilities you hadn’t considered.
• The kinds of questions agencies ask can also reveal how seriously they’re engaging with your RFP. Specific, well-considered questions show the agency is thinking critically and shaping their response to your needs.
• While it may feel like answering questions slows the process, the opposite is often true. When you provide clarity early, you reduce the risk of confusion, misalignment, or wasted effort later on. Questions, handled well, save time in the long run.

Humility as a Strategic Advantage

Welcoming questions shows humility. It says, “We know what we want to solve, but we’re open to the possibility that others may see things we do not.” That mindset attracts stronger thinking. It results in stronger proposals. Because when you make space for questions, you reveal something about your organization: that you’re collaborative, self-aware, and serious about getting this right.

In the RFP process, those signals matter.

Closing Thought

Your RFP doesn’t have to be bulletproof. It just has to be open to conversation. The smartest agencies will come to you with questions. If you give them the space to ask, and yourself the space to answer, you’ll get better thinking in return.

Next up: We’ll look at how leaving certain things open-ended can lead to better responses. Read it here.

Smart organizations know that stronger RFPs lead to better partnerships. We help teams clarify what they really need, sharpen their evaluation criteria, and structure the RFP to attract the right response from the right partners. Whether you’re looking for a topline diagnostic, a strategic rewrite, or a full-process tune-up, we can help. Let’s talk.

Featured image by Emily Morter via Unsplash