Agency RFP Template [What to Include + Examples]

If you found this free agency RFP template, that means you’re looking for resources to find the most qualified agencies for your project or company.

At Slam Media Lab (Slam), we’ve been on the client side. We used to work at nonprofits, tech companies, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies trying to find the right creative agency. Before starting Slam, we worked with marketing agencies of all sizes – two people, 50 people, 100 people, 1000s of people. Plus, every year, Slam receives hundreds of creative agency RFPs to respond to, so we have truly seen it all.

Writing the right marketing creative agency RFP requires you to figure out what’s important to your organization. But over and over, we have seen organizations make the same mistake.

This is why we’ve created a FREE advertising and creative agency RFP template to download, plus we’ll include a creative agency RFP example so you can confidently find the right creative and advertising partner.

How to Fill Out the Agency RFP Template Right

The agency RFP process starts with your company clearly communicating your needs and objectives for the project. Please avoid using language that is vague – being specific on all ends will make a difference.

Here’s our quick marketing agency RFP template checklist:

Clearly communicate your project needs and goals. Avoid buzzwords, state specific goals. Example: I want a new brand and a website design with 10-12 pages.
Share a reasonable timeline. If you want great answers from your RFP, give them time so they can thoroughly answer your questions. Rushed timelines tend to give you low quality responses. 2-3 weeks is reasonable.
Define the characteristics of a great partner. Example: A great creative marketing agency partner has a dedicated project manager and a lead designer, instead of having to go through an accounts manager. We don’t want to work with a team that has too many layers of communication.
Limit the amount of marketing agencies responding to your RFP. When there are TOO many options, it’s really hard to choose from. Our recommendation: Select 10-12 marketing agencies and do a pre-RFP engagement with them. Narrow down to 5-6 that are fully engaged and give them the request for proposal.
Provide a budget range. This is a big one. Be truthful about your budget and don’t waste anybody’s time. If you don’t share your budget, you’ll get proposals that will be out of your range. You don’t want that. This will make sure you narrow down the right partners.
Share your decision-making criteria. How are you picking the right agency? Who will be making the decisions? How long until you make a decision? This might seem small but it really gives everybody transparency on how long this process is.
Be honest. If you don’t have all the answers, that’s okay. Say that in the agency RFP. Tell them you want to have these conversations.

If you want to partner with Slam, reach out! We’re usually booked 1-2 months in advance, but always make time for the right partners.

RFP Agency Template & Example for Marketing, Advertising, Creative, Brands & Digital Work

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If you fall under one of these categories, the marketing RFP template will work well. Here are the sections you’ll see in the template:

Summary of the Project
About the Company
Point of Contact
Customers and Audience
Scope of Work and Deliverables
Expertise and Experience Required
Timeline
Budget
Creative References
How to Submit

Once you download the marketing creative agency RFP template, you’ll also get an example reference on how to fill it out!

Ready to Partner with an Award-Winning Marketing Creative Agency?

We are not your typical agency. We give a sh*t, move fast, and build stuff that is creative and fun. We treat our clients the way we want to be treated. We’re your partners, not just a service provider or a vendor. We’re a marketing and design agency based in San Francisco, the heart of Silicon Valley and innovation.

Here at Slam, our mission is simple: to help you get more business, make an impact, and win online! We’ve done it several times, so we know what’s up. We focus on:

Contact our team to kick-off the conversation.

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