RFP: The Unspoken Tax on Creative Agencies

At some point in the creation of your research communication material, you may have used a Request for Proposal, the famous RFP document.

To remember: A request for proposal (RFP) is a commercial document often used by companies and organizations to solicit proposals from potential service providers for a project or engagement.

However, the RFP process has been a topic of debate in the creative industry, as it can be time-consuming, expensive, and potentially disadvantageous for smaller companies or agencies. Let me explain.

What nobody tells you about RFPs

One of the main problems with the RFP process is the possibility of excluding smaller companies or agencies from the process. The cost and time investment required to respond to an RFP can be significant, and smaller companies may not have the same level of resources or staff to dedicate to the process.

This can leave smaller studios at a disadvantage compared to larger agencies, which have dedicated RFP teams or greater capacity to take on the costs and risks associated with the RFP process.

Resources are not the only challenge. The RFP process can also be biased towards larger companies with larger teams. Smaller or newer agencies have different standards for experience and reputation, which can make it difficult to be selected for an RFP project.

This leads to a situation where smaller companies are effectively shut out of the RFP process, which can limit the pool of possible service providers for clients—resulting in a less diverse or innovative set of proposals.

Is it possible to solve this problem?

Short answer: yes! To solve this problem, clients can take steps to make the RFP process more inclusive and accessible to smaller creative service companies. Some suggestions:

• Include providing more information about the project upfront;

• Allow more flexibility in proposal requirements.

Clients can also consider alternative approaches to selecting service providers, such as seeking recommendations or conducting a more open search that doesn't rely on the traditional RFP process.

By putting these suggestions into practice, clients can broaden the pool of possible service providers and increase the diversity and innovation of proposals.

Uncomplicating the process

The RFP process for creative services can be a complex and challenging process for both clients and service providers. However, by taking steps to make the process more inclusive and accessible for smaller companies, clients can help ensure that they are receiving the best possible service and solution for their projects.

By adopting these alternative approaches to selecting service providers, you contribute to increased diversity and innovative proposals, leading to more effective and impactful solutions.