Building a Better RFP Timeline

Respect the Work You’re Asking For

There’s a subtle but powerful way to improve the quality of proposals you receive: build a timeline that respects the effort required to deliver great work.

Too often, RFPs are issued with aggressive deadlines based on internal pressures that have nothing to do with the agencies you’re soliciting. Your arbitrary deadline shouldn’t become the agency’s crisis. If you want thoughtful, tailored responses (not templated ones), you need to allow time for the people doing the work to actually do the work.

Strategic Considerations When Setting Your RFP Timeline

We’ve seen RFP timelines succeed and fail for all kinds of reasons. Here are a few things worth thinking about before you hit “send.”

• Start by thinking beyond your own deadlines. Agencies don’t always have dedicated new business teams. Responding takes time from the same strategists, creatives, developers, and account leads who serve existing clients. (Note: that will include you, should they win your business). If you value their work, give them the space to show you what they can really do.
• Mind the calendar. Issuing an RFP in mid-December with a due date the first week of January may check a box on your end, but it almost guarantees a rushed response (or no response at all). Plan around major holidays, industry events, and end-of-quarter crunches.
• Q&A isn’t just a formality. If you include a Q&A period (and you should), build in time to deliver clear, thoughtful answers before agencies have to submit their proposals. Responses received days before the deadline help no one.
• Make room for procurement paperwork. If your process requires detailed documentation (ownership structure, insurance, security policies, and so on), allow time for it. Smaller or independent agencies may need extra time to compile these materials, especially over holiday periods or when third parties are involved.
• Factor in internal approvals (yours, not theirs). If your process includes input from procurement, legal, or multiple department heads, account for that before issuing the RFP. A tight external timeline to compensate for slow internal alignment doesn’t serve anyone well.
• Avoid timeline traps. Monday deadlines usually mean weekend work for the vendors. That’s not respectful of agency teams or conducive to great thinking. Late-in-the-week deadlines show more consideration.
• Consider staggered deliverables. For more complex RFPs, you might split the response into phases. For example, request qualifications and a strategic approach first, and detailed pricing later. It gives agencies space to think more deeply and lets you focus your evaluation.
• Be transparent about your review timeline. If you don’t plan to review proposals for two or three weeks after the deadline: say so. Agencies will appreciate the clarity. (More on that in our upcoming post on RFP Integrity.)
• Mind the time zones and the holidays. If you’re considering agencies in different regions, be clear about submission times and time zone. And if you’re reaching across borders, remember that your “regular week” might coincide with a national holiday elsewhere..

A Final Thought on Timing

Timelines tell a story. The factors above cover a few of the things we consider when reviewing RFP timelines; how you manage the process says a lot about what kind of partner you want to be. It signals whether you value deep thinking over fast turnaround, whether you want a partner or just a price. Build a better timeline, and you’ll get better responses.

Next up: You won’t get the right team unless you ask for the right structure.

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 Towfiqu Barbhuiya via Unsplash