Understanding RFI and RFP: Which Procurement Request Fits Your Needs?
- Robert
- Sep 23
- 6 min read
Table of contents
In case you don't have time to read the whole article, here is a short AI podcast summary:
Procurement teams still mix up Requests for Information (RFI) and Requests for Proposal (RFP). The cost of that confusion is real: wasted cycles, annoyed suppliers, and decisions made on thin data. This updated guide keeps the classic structure, but makes it practical for today. You’ll get crisp definitions, when to use each, a side-by-side comparison table, and a simple decision framework. We’ll also weave in relevant considerations like cybersecurity, data privacy, AI, sustainability, and integration requirements.
What is an RFI?
An RFI (Request for Information) is a market exploration tool. You use it early to understand what’s possible, identify capable suppliers, and refine your requirements before you commit to buying. It’s not a solicitation for award and it creates no obligation for you or respondents. In the public sector, that “information only” nature is explicit in federal guidance.
Use an RFI when:
You’re mapping the solution landscape and need clarity on approaches, constraints, and emerging tech.
You want to validate feasibility, rough effort, and risk before you lock requirements.
You need to pre-qualify a long list into a short list for an RFP.
Modern tip: Ask suppliers for security posture references and high-level controls aligned to NIST C-SCRM guidance, even at RFI stage. You’re not auditing yet; you’re gauging maturity and fit.
What is an RFP?
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is a formal, competitive solicitation to obtain binding proposals from a shortlisted set of qualified suppliers. You issue it once requirements are defined enough to evaluate solutions, price, terms, and delivery. In many public and hybrid contexts, RFPs allow negotiation and Best and Final Offers (BAFO) prior to award.
Use an RFP when:
You know what you need and can score proposals against criteria.
You expect trade-offs beyond price: quality, service model, implementation plan, risk, ESG, and innovation.
You’re prepared to negotiate scope, commercials, and service levels with finalists.
Modern tip: Require structured responses for cybersecurity and data privacy, ESG evidence, API and integration details, and even AI model transparency if relevant. Build these into scored sections rather than “attachments only.”
RFI vs RFP: The key differences
Why the distinction matters: RFIs create knowledge and options; RFPs create commitments and choices. U.S. government guidance and procurement bodies draw that same line between exploratory RFIs and competitive, negotiable RFPs.
When to use each (with realistic scenarios)
RFI first, RFP later
You’re evaluating supplier portals with embedded AI analytics. You don’t yet know if you need P2P, only sourcing, or both. Start with an RFI to learn architectures, data models, reporting, and deployment patterns, plus a high-level security overview that references NIST controls. Shortlist three to five vendors. Then run an RFP with scored sections for implementation plan, integrations, security, commercial terms, SLAs, and success metrics.
RFI only
You’re exploring sustainable packaging options. The outcome might be a pilot, not an immediate enterprise contract. An RFI gets you materials science options, MOQs, lead times, and certification pathways without locking into price negotiations prematurely.
RFP only You have a well-defined renewal and want competitive tension on price, service, and roadmap commitments. Your requirements, contract template, and KPIs are clear. Issue an RFP with weighted criteria and request BAFO.
How to choose: a simple decision framework
Ask yourself, honestly:
Do we clearly know what “good” looks like?
If not, run an RFI to define “good,” then RFP.
Is this about learning or awarding?
If you’re educating the team and mapping options, RFI. If you’re selecting a supplier under governance, RFP.
Will we negotiate terms and possibly request BAFO?
If yes, plan an RFP and include negotiation and BAFO language in the timeline.
Do we need deep risk and security review?
If you’re handling sensitive data, RFP should include structured security questionnaires and documentation aligned to NIST SP 800-161 concepts; at RFI, ask for a high-level posture to screen out weak fits early.
Quick rule of thumb:
Learning mode → RFI.
Selection mode with scoring and negotiation → RFP.
Essential RFI & RFP Templates You Can Use Right Now
What to ask in an RFI (keep it high-signal)
Core capabilities by use case, with customer references in your industry.
Architecture overview, hosting model, integration approach and available APIs.
Security and privacy posture at a summary level; certifications, data handling basics.
Product roadmap themes for 12 to 24 months; innovation examples.
Commercial ranges and implementation patterns (not binding quotes).
What to require in an RFP (make it scored and auditable)
A weighted evaluation matrix: solution fit, delivery plan, security, total cost of ownership, service model, ESG.
Detailed security and compliance responses mapped to control families; incident response SLAs.
Integration specifics: named systems, methods, effort, responsibilities, and testing.
Commercials with transparent assumptions, price protections, and change mechanisms.
Governance: KPIs, QBR cadence, improvement commitments, and knowledge transfer.
Timelines for orals, proof-of-concept, negotiations, and BAFO where applicable.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
Issuing an RFP when requirements are fuzzy. You’ll get apples-to-oranges responses and a messy award. Run an RFI first to normalize language and options.
Treating an RFI like a stealth RFP. It undermines supplier trust and creates compliance risk in public settings. Keep RFIs “information only,” as the FAR language underscores.
Ignoring security and supply-chain risk until post-award. You’ll lose time or worse. Surface it earlier; score it properly.
Over-weighting price. RFPs are designed for value trade-offs. Public-sector best practice notes that price need not be the primary factor.
These aren’t small slip-ups. Each one can erode supplier confidence, compromise compliance, or leave you with a partner who looks cheap on paper but costs more in reality. The best procurement teams don’t just know these pitfalls exist; they build processes and use tools that make avoiding them second nature.
Bringing it all together
Think of RFIs and RFPs as two complementary tools, not rivals. RFIs build understanding - they’re your chance to explore the market, learn what suppliers can actually deliver, and refine your own requirements before you lock them in. RFPs drive selection - they turn that understanding into competitive, binding proposals that can be evaluated side by side.
Mature procurement teams rarely treat them as either/or. Instead, they use them in sequence for complex categories:
Start with an RFI to test assumptions, surface new ideas, and set a baseline for what “good” looks like.
Follow with an RFP to push shortlisted suppliers into structured competition, with clear evaluation criteria and negotiation rounds.
This approach isn’t just best practice - it’s validated by government agencies and professional procurement bodies. Both emphasize that RFIs should remain strictly exploratory, while RFPs carry the weight of competitive selection. And here’s the twist: modern risk frameworks, like those from NIST and industry consortia, stress that security, data privacy, and supply-chain resilience can’t be afterthoughts. They belong at the front of the process, starting with the RFI and continuing through RFP scoring.
Handled this way, RFIs and RFPs stop being bureaucratic paperwork and become strategic checkpoints: one for intelligence, the other for commitment. Together, they help you not only buy better but also buy smarter - reducing risk, increasing value, and positioning procurement as a true partner to the business.
How Prokuria helps (RFI and RFP, end to end)
If you want this to work smoothly in the real world, the platform matters. Prokuria lets you:
Launch RFIs fast with reusable templates, branching questions, and supplier self-registration.
Convert qualified RFI responders into an RFP shortlist in a click.
Build weighted scorecards with side-by-side comparisons and governance trails.
Manage security and risk sections with structured questionnaires and attachments.
Run orals, clarifications, BAFO, and final award with clean audit logs.
Ready to make RFI vs RFP a strength?
Book a quick walkthrough with our team: Talk to Robert.