# Request for Information (RFI) Template

> Free template from RFP Software Tools (https://rfp-software-tools.com/templates/rfi-template). No sign-up, no email gate. Grey guidance paragraphs like this one explain each section: delete them before you send. Highlighted [square-bracket text] marks every blank you need to fill.

## Cover page and timeline

> Identifies the RFI, the issuer and the dates, and states up front that it is not a solicitation.

**Request for Information: [Title]**

[Issuing organization]   |   RFI reference: [number]   |   Issued: [date]

| Milestone | Date |
| --- | --- |
| RFI issued | [date] |
| Deadline for written questions | [date] |
| Answers to questions published | [date] |
| RFI responses due | [date and time, time zone] |
| Optional vendor presentations | [date range] |

This RFI is for information and planning purposes only. It is not a request for proposal or an offer to contract, and [Organization] will not pay for any costs of responding.

## Background

> Explains who you are and the situation that prompted the RFI, so respondents can tailor answers.

[About the organization: sector, size, locations relevant to this need.]

[Current situation: the process or system in place today, volumes, and what is not working.]

## Objectives and scope

> States what you want to learn and the boundaries of the need.

- [Objective 1, phrased as an outcome]
- [Objective 2]
- [Objective 3]

Out of scope: [items you do not want responses about].

## Questions: company

> Establishes who the respondent is and whether they have done this before.

| ID | Question | Response |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A-1 | Company name, headquarters, year founded and number of employees. | [Respondent answer] |
| A-2 | Describe your experience with organizations of similar size and sector. | [Respondent answer] |
| A-3 | Which parts of the solution do you deliver yourselves, and which through partners? | [Respondent answer] |
| A-4 | Who would be our main contact during any future procurement? | [Respondent answer] |

## Questions: capability

> Learns how each respondent would meet your objectives, in their own words.

| ID | Question | Response |
| --- | --- | --- |
| B-1 | How would your solution address the objectives in the Objectives and scope section? | [Respondent answer] |
| B-2 | Which of our objectives can your standard product meet without customization? | [Respondent answer] |
| B-3 | What would you recommend we change or add to our objectives, based on your experience? | [Respondent answer] |
| B-4 | Which integrations with our existing systems ([list systems]) are available today? | [Respondent answer] |
| B-5 | How is your product licensed or delivered (cloud, on-premises, managed service)? | [Respondent answer] |
| B-6 | What is on your product roadmap for the next 12 months that is relevant to this need? | [Respondent answer] |
| B-7 | What are the main limitations of your solution for an organization like ours? | [Respondent answer] |

## Questions: implementation and support

> Gets a realistic view of effort, timeline and what you would need to provide.

| ID | Question | Response |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C-1 | Describe a typical implementation for an organization of our size: phases and duration. | [Respondent answer] |
| C-2 | What resources would we need to provide during implementation? | [Respondent answer] |
| C-3 | What training and support do you include, and in which time zones? | [Respondent answer] |
| C-4 | How do customers usually measure success in the first year? | [Respondent answer] |

## Questions: security and compliance

> Screens out options that could never pass your security review.

| ID | Question | Response |
| --- | --- | --- |
| D-1 | Which security certifications or attestations do you hold (for example ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II)? | [Respondent answer] |
| D-2 | Where would our data be hosted and processed? | [Respondent answer] |
| D-3 | Do you publish a trust center or a completed standard security questionnaire? | [Respondent answer] |
| D-4 | Which regulations relevant to our sector ([list]) does your solution support compliance with? | [Respondent answer] |

## Questions: pricing indication

> Collects non-binding price models and ranges to set a budget.

| ID | Question | Response |
| --- | --- | --- |
| E-1 | Describe your pricing model (for example per user, per volume, flat rate). | [Respondent answer] |
| E-2 | Give an indicative, non-binding price range for the scale described in the Background section. | [Respondent answer] |
| E-3 | Which one-time costs (implementation, migration, training) would apply? | [Respondent answer] |
| E-4 | Which factors most change the price? | [Respondent answer] |

## Questions: references

> Finds out whether the respondent can point to comparable customers.

| ID | Question | Response |
| --- | --- | --- |
| F-1 | Name up to three customers of similar size or sector who could act as references in a future RFP. | [Respondent answer] |
| F-2 | Share a short case study of a comparable project, including measured results if available. | [Respondent answer] |
| F-3 | Which customers have stopped using your solution in the last two years, and why? | [Respondent answer] |

## Response instructions and terms

> Tells respondents how to submit and sets the confidentiality and no-obligation terms.

- Submit responses to [email or portal] by [date and time, time zone].
- Answer in this document, keeping the question IDs. Limit: [number] pages excluding attachments.
- Send questions in writing to [contact] by [date]. Questions and answers [will / will not] be shared with all respondents.
- Responses will be treated as confidential and used only to plan a possible procurement.
- Responding is [not] a requirement for participation in any future RFP.
- This RFI does not commit [Organization] to issue an RFP or to purchase any product or service.