When you hear the phrase “request for proposal” or “RFP,” you might feel a slight shudder through your body. For those of us who have crafted an RFP in our career, they can seem like a necessary bureaucratic evil, evoking anxiety and frustration. However, RFPs and their procurement cousins— RFAs, RFIs, and RFQs— can be a powerful and often underestimated lever to improve classroom instruction. Like the transformation Cinderella underwent from being viewed as a nuisance by her stepmother and stepsisters, to being the queen of the land, we encourage education leaders to view RFPs with the same transformative potential. 

When written with clear objectives and a coherent scope of work, RFPs, specifically those for instructional materials and professional learning, can help school systems maximize their impact on students through academic planning. However, the problem is that most RFPs on the market are not well-written. 

Rivet Education conducts daily reviews of RFPs for instructional materials and professional learning. We then share that data with publishers and professional learning organizations featured in the Professional Learning Partner Guide. Our analysis shows that far too many RFPs are poorly written, which can result in a lower-quality vendor pool and, ultimately, low-quality materials and services. Providers in the PLPG have also shared similar concerns with the quality of RFPs they receive, making it difficult for them to put the best proposal in front of potential clients. 

Here are the top mistakes Rivet and our PLPG providers find in RFPs related to professional learning and what you should do instead.

If these missteps sound familiar, we encourage you to view our Characteristics of Strong RFPs guide for helpful tips on writing clear and coherent service requests. 

• Refine your RFP strategy: Get 1:1 support in crafting a strong scope of work and rubric.
• Access essential resources: Get our RFP guide, template, and video tutorials to help you write high-quality RFPs.
• Get expert feedback on your draft RFP: We will provide concrete feedback to ensure that you receive high-quality bids and services.
• Get your RFP in front of the best providers: We’ll notify the nation’s best curriculum publishers and professional learning providers, featured in the Professional Learning Partner Guide, about your RFP.

Have questions? Email us at info@riveteducation.org.