What is a marketing agency RFP?

A marketing agency RFP (Request for Proposal) is a structured document sent to multiple agencies inviting them to submit proposals for a marketing engagement. In 2026, RFPs are most commonly used by mid-to-large businesses, government entities, and organisations with formal procurement processes when selecting a new marketing agency, renewing an existing contract, or benchmarking current agency pricing. A well-written RFP attracts high-quality agency responses and creates a fair basis for comparison. A poorly written RFP wastes both parties' time and often results in generic proposals that are impossible to evaluate meaningfully.

What should a marketing agency RFP include?

A marketing agency RFP in 2026 should include: company overview and context, marketing objectives and success metrics, current marketing situation (what is and is not working), specific scope of work and deliverables required, budget range (at minimum a range, even if not exact), timeline for the engagement and for the selection process, what the agency should submit in response (format and length), evaluation criteria and weighting, and contact details for clarifying questions. RFPs that omit budget ranges consistently receive poorly calibrated proposals and waste significant time for both parties.

Should I include budget in a marketing agency RFP?

Yes — always include a budget range in your marketing agency RFP in 2026. The most common reason for receiving poorly calibrated proposals is omitting budget. Agencies cannot right-size their recommendations without knowing the investment available, which means you receive proposals ranging from ₹30,000/month to ₹5,00,000/month for the same brief — impossible to compare meaningfully. Providing a budget range (e.g. ₹1,50,000–₹3,00,000/month) does not lock you in; it focuses responses on realistic solutions and saves 40–60% of the evaluation time. Quality agencies will always work within a stated budget or tell you honestly what that budget can achieve.

How many agencies should I include in a marketing RFP process?

For most marketing RFP processes in 2026, 3–5 agencies is the optimal number. Below 3, you risk limiting your perspective and creating negotiating pressure on yourself. Above 5, the evaluation becomes overwhelming, response quality tends to drop (top agencies decline over-crowded RFPs), and you signal to agencies that this is a fishing exercise rather than a serious selection process. Pre-qualify agencies before sending the RFP — only send it to agencies that genuinely fit your needs based on portfolio review, size match, and category experience.

How do I evaluate marketing agency RFP responses?

Evaluate marketing agency RFP responses in 2026 using a weighted scorecard covering: strategic understanding of your business (how accurately did they diagnose your situation?), quality and specificity of recommendations (generic vs. tailored?), team and experience fit (who specifically will work on the account?), relevant case studies with verifiable results, pricing structure and value clarity, and cultural fit signals (communication style, responsiveness, how they handled the process). Weight strategic understanding and relevant results most heavily — these predict execution quality more reliably than proposal design or presentation quality.

How to Write a Marketing Agency RFP in 2026

Why Most Marketing RFPs Fail Before Agencies Read Them

The average marketing RFP in India in 2026 is a 2-page document asking agencies to "propose a digital marketing strategy" for an unnamed industry, with no budget, vague objectives, and a 7-day deadline. The best agencies pass on it. The ones that respond do so with generic proposals that tell you nothing useful.

A well-constructed RFP is an act of respect toward the agencies you want to attract. It demonstrates that you are a serious client who has done internal thinking, knows what you need, and will be an engaged partner. This is exactly what quality agencies look for before deciding whether to invest the time in a thorough response.

The RFP Structure — Section by Section

Section 1 — Company Overview

Give agencies the context they need to understand your business. Include:

What your company does and for whom (specific, not generic)
Current revenue stage or company size
Key products or services being marketed
Current marketing setup — existing channels, current agency (if any), team size
Key competitive context — who are the 2–3 competitors you are primarily measured against

Section 2 — Marketing Objectives

Define what success looks like in measurable terms — not aspirations. "Grow our brand" is not a marketing objective. Examples of proper objectives:

Increase qualified lead volume by 40% within 12 months while maintaining CPL below ₹800
Achieve top 3 Google ranking for 10 primary commercial keywords within 9 months
Reduce blended CAC from ₹2,400 to ₹1,800 while maintaining monthly revenue targets

Agencies that receive objectives with specific metrics can propose specific strategies. Agencies that receive vague objectives propose vague solutions.

Section 3 — Current Marketing Situation

Honest context about what is and is not working. Include:

Current monthly marketing spend (approximate)
What channels you are currently active on and rough performance
What you have tried that has not worked, and any hypotheses about why
Key constraints — brand guidelines you must adhere to, markets you cannot enter, compliance requirements

Section 4 — Scope of Work

Define the specific services you are seeking. Be as specific as possible:

Which channels are in scope (SEO, paid social, paid search, content, email, etc.)
What deliverables you expect monthly (content pieces, reports, ad management hours)
What is NOT in scope — explicitly stating this prevents proposals that bundle in services you do not need

Section 5 — Budget Range

Always include this. It is the single most common RFP error and the biggest driver of wasted evaluation time. You do not need to specify an exact number — a range is sufficient and protects your negotiating position. A range like "₹1,50,000–₹3,00,000 per month excluding media spend" enables agencies to calibrate their team composition, deliverable volume, and pricing to a realistic scope.

The Budget Omission Problem

RFPs without budget ranges receive proposals ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹10,00,000 per month — all technically "responding" to the same brief. These are impossible to compare and signal to quality agencies that you are not a serious buyer. Including a budget range eliminates this problem immediately.

Section 6 — Timeline

Include two timelines: the project timeline (when does the engagement start, how long is the initial term, what are key milestones) and the selection timeline (when submissions are due, when shortlisting happens, when a decision will be made, and when onboarding begins). Agencies plan their pitch resources — a clear selection timeline shows you respect their time.

Section 7 — Submission Requirements

Specify exactly what you want in a response — and keep this reasonable. Asking for an 80-slide strategy deck, a full content calendar, and a 12-month media plan for a speculative pitch is exploitative. A quality submission includes: strategic approach (not detailed execution), relevant case studies, team bios, pricing structure, and responses to any specific questions you posed. A 15–25 page response is appropriate; more is rarely better.

Section 8 — Evaluation Criteria

State how you will make the decision. A weighted scorecard might look like:

Criteria	Weight	What You Are Looking For
Strategic understanding	30%	How accurately did they diagnose our situation?
Relevant case studies	25%	Verifiable results in similar category or challenge
Team and experience	20%	Who will actually work on the account?
Pricing and value	15%	Clear structure, no hidden fees, aligned incentives
Cultural fit and communication	10%	How they handled the RFP process itself

Common RFP Mistakes That Drive Quality Agencies Away

No budget range: Signals either that you are not serious or that you are going to select on price alone
Sending to 10+ agencies: Quality agencies decline over-crowded pitches; you signal a fishing exercise, not genuine selection
Asking for free creative or strategy work: Requesting campaign concepts, full keyword plans, or content strategies as part of the pitch asks agencies to do significant work speculatively
Unrealistic timelines: A 5-day turnaround for a comprehensive RFP response filters out organised agencies and rewards those with copy-paste templates
Vague evaluation criteria: Agencies cannot tailor a response if they do not know what you are evaluating

The quality of your RFP signals the quality of your partnership. An agency that receives a well-structured, honest, specific RFP already knows you will be a good client to work with. That signal attracts better agencies and better responses.

After the RFP: Evaluating Responses

When responses arrive, evaluate them using your pre-stated criteria. Specifically look for:

Did they reference your specific situation — or is this a template response?
Are their case studies verifiable? Do the results cited match the scale and category of your business?
Can they name the specific people who will work on your account?
Is the pricing clearly structured with no ambiguous components?
How did they communicate during the process — were questions asked thoughtfully?

Shortlist to 2–3 agencies for a more detailed presentation. In that session, test strategic understanding directly — present a real challenge your business faces and ask how they would approach it. The answer quality tells you more than any proposal document.