Free website RFP checklist and template: Ask for what you need.

Background on your organization, your goals and audiences, the scope of work, how much content there is and who moves it, the systems the site connects to, the accessibility standard, hosting and support, your budget, a timeline, what every proposal must include, and how you’ll score them. The outline this checklist drafts follows that order.

Yes. It doesn’t name a vendor, a product or a platform, and nothing in the document points to us. Where there’s a choice, like open-source or hosted platforms, both are presented as acceptable, and you decide.

Your number should come from your budget, not from us. The outline records your amount or range if you have one, and explains how to state it. A stated budget gets you proposals for the same size of project, which are easier to compare.

WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA. State and local governments are covered by the Justice Department’s ADA Title II rule, which adopts WCAG 2.1 AA. WCAG 2.2 AA adds six more criteria, and a site that meets it also meets 2.1 AA. Either way, ask vendors how they test, not just whether they comply.

By what matters most to this project. Weights add up to 100 and go in the RFP itself, so vendors know how they’ll be scored. If cost matters more than anything else, say so; if accessibility can’t be traded away, give it real weight.

No. It’s a planning aid. Your procurement office and your attorney decide what your RFP must say, including response periods, insurance and contract terms.

No. They’re saved in this browser only, so you can come back to them. If you ask for an emailed copy, we use them to build that email and send it, and don’t save them anywhere else. “Start over” clears them.