How to Write an Amazing Mobile App RFP

 

For a lot of companies, venturing into the mobile application development space for the first time can be intimidating. Mobile app partners can range from a freelance developer to a team of 1,000+.

 

Knowing the right vendor to select for your mobile app development needs starts with having a solid Mobile Request for Proposal (RFP) that details your project. At Clearbridge Mobile, we deal with hundreds of Mobile RFPs a month – not only do we respond to Mobile App RFPs, we also aid in the RFP creation process for clients by helping them define their project. So it was only right we put together a template showing how to create an airtight Mobile App RFP so that everyone could get a jumpstart on finding the right vendor for their mobile app needs.



Below, you will find our Mobile RFP template. Feel free to use our template and customize it as needed. If you’d like this template as a Word document, feel free to reach out to us or download your copy.

Part 1 – To Be Completed By Company

1.   Executive Summary

Provide a short summary of your organization, the business problem, the solution and the proposed project description.

2.   Company Information

Provide a high-level overview of the company. Describe the business problem, your end users, and the proposed solution.

• Why the company exists (problem it is trying to solve)
• Product or service it provides
• Industry and market statistics in which it operates
• Leadership behind the company

3.   Project Description

Provide as much detail about the project to provide a thorough understanding of the solution.

Functionality

Please give a description of the solution you wish to have developed ex: iOS News app that curates content focused on technology. Describe the core functionality of the app.

What kind of features and functions is the app to perform? Are there any similar features in existing apps that relate to the features you wish to have implemented? List the apps and the features. ex: Circa is an app that curates content well

Use Cases

Take us through a use-case of the app. From start to finish, how would a user interact with the app/ website? ex: Use Case #1 – User browses content, starring articles which creates a dynamic feed of content that is of interest to the user.

Stakeholders

Who are the project decision makers and key leaders? Who will be leading the project on a daily basis and who are the other stakeholders? What level of involvement do stakeholders have?

4.   Project Scope Requirements

Services

What services do you require? Do you require services for the entire project life cycle or specific stages of production?

•      Consulting
•      Development
•      Design & User Experience
•      Quality Assurance &Testing

Platform

What platforms will the solution need to be built on?

•      iOS
•      Android
•      Windows
•      Blackberry
•      Web
•      Roku
•      Smart TV & OTT platforms, etc.

Devices

What devices will the solution be developed on?

•      Smartphone
•      Tablet
•      Desktop
•      Wearable

Back End

Do you have existing systems such as web services and/or CMS? If so, describe them. Do the existing systems have available APIs & documentation to access? Is there a need for us to develop web services and/or APIs? Do you have a current internal database? If so, what type? ex: Oracle, Salesforce, MongoDB

Push Notifications

Will you want push notifications for your solution? If so, will the content of the push notifications be customized frequently?

Analytics

Will you want analytics for your solution? If so, what kind of data are you looking to gather? ex: Omniture, Google Analytics for app downloads, usage, event data

5.   Budget

Budget ranges for building applications will vary significantly. The budget is affected by two factors: the complexity and scope of the project, and the quality/experience of the mobile agency. Providing a budget range can help you improve the accuracy of responses.

6.    Project Timeline

When is the project due to launch? Is the launch date associated with an event? Are there outside dependencies that influence the launch date?

7.   Proposal Timeline

Proposal Evaluation Timeline

Please provide a due date for proposals to be submitted by, and an ensuing timeline including evaluation of proposals shortlisted presentations (if required) and selection decision of the winning bidder

Part 2 – To Be Completed By Vendor

8.   Mobile Agency Overview

Company Overview

Please provide an overview of the company, the leadership, and executive team.

• How long has the company been in business? What is its mission?
• What sets the agency apart from competitors?
• How does the agency provide value above its competitors?
• What is the size of your agency? What are the sizes of the development, design, quality assurance, product, and project management teams?
• Where are the employees located? Will any work be done overseas?

Service Offerings

• What kind of services does your company offer? Please provide a description of each
  • Consulting
  • Development
  • Design
  • Quality Assurance
  • Maintenance

Development Lifecycle Philosophy

What development philosophy does the company follow? Why have they elected to follow this philosophy? What have they done to refine or improve it? Who owns the code? What code best practices are followed?

Case Studies

Please provide a list of clients, awards, and summaries of client projects. Please summarize the challenge, solution, and result.

9.   Proposal

Solution Overview

Please provide a summary/description of the product being built.

• Who will be involved in the project? Please provide a short description of the team
• What product management, project management, communication, and development tools will be used? Will we have access to these tools?
• What will the key features be? Please provide a short summary
• What platforms will the solution be developed for? What systems are being built?

Project Scope

Please provide a detailed scope of the project which includes specific feature and functionality items that will be integrated into the solution.

Project Timeline

Please provide a detailed project timeline including estimated start dates, schedule of activities, deliverables, and resources to be used.

Pricing Model

Please provide an estimated price based on your project scope. Please include a fee breakdown in relation to time and scope.

Maintenance / Support Plan

Please provide a summary of the types of service level support plans that are offered and breakdown of services and costs.