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Building an Intranet RFP? Here’s What You Need To Know
Our step-by-step guide to building a winning RFP will help you define requirements, evaluate vendors, and choose the right partner with confidence.
Lisa Ardill
Content Editor at Workvivo
Selecting a new intranet or employee experience platform is one of the most important digital workplace decisions your organization will make. Get it right, and you create a connected, engaging, and future-ready employee experience. Get it wrong, and you risk misalignment, budget overruns, and a solution that never quite delivers.
That’s why we’ve created A Request for Proposals: The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Intranet RFP – a practical, step-by-step resource to help you run a structured, transparent, and successful vendor selection process.
Why a detailed RFP matters more than ever
Today’s workforce expects seamless, consumer-grade digital experiences. At the same time, IT, HR, and Communications teams must balance security, compliance, scalability, and measurable impact. An effective RFP isn’t just a procurement document – it’s the foundation of your entire intranet or EXP project.
Too often, RFPs are rushed or treated as a box-ticking exercise. The result? Vague requirements, mismatched vendors, and months of avoidable frustration. This guide helps you slow down, align stakeholders, and build an RFP that clearly articulates your vision, success metrics, and must-have requirements.
What you’ll find inside
This comprehensive guide walks you through every stage of the RFP journey, including:
1. Understanding your needs
Learn how to run a SWOT analysis, gather end-user feedback, and define clear business objectives before you start evaluating vendors.
2. Assembling your dream team
Discover why cross-functional collaboration – from HR and IT to Legal and Finance – is critical to building a balanced and effective RFP.
3. Defining requirements with clarity
From security and integrations to engagement features and analytics, you’ll learn how to distinguish between must-haves and nice-to-haves – and how to document them clearly.
4. Researching and shortlisting vendors
Explore practical tips for leveraging analyst reports, peer reviews, and AI-powered insights to build a strong shortlist.
5. Drafting and sending the RFP
Get a detailed breakdown of what to include in your RFP document – from executive summary and project scope to evaluation criteria, legal requirements, and timelines.
6. Reviewing proposals and making your decision
Learn how to score proposals objectively, run structured vendor demos, assess risk, and confidently select the right partner.
Along the way, the guide shares practical templates, example prompts, and pro tips to help you avoid common pitfalls like vague requirements, unrealistic timelines, or ignoring end-user input.
How this guide will help you
By following this structured approach, you’ll be able to:
- Align stakeholders around a shared vision
- Create a fair, transparent evaluation process
- Reduce procurement cycle time
- Mitigate risk and compliance concerns
- Select a platform that truly meets your organization’s needs
Most importantly, you’ll move forward with confidence – knowing your decision is grounded in data, clarity, and collaboration.
If you’re preparing to launch a new intranet or employee experience platform, don’t leave your vendor selection to chance.
