/answers/how-to-write-a-software-development-rfp/index.md · 41 lines
---
title: "How to Write a Software Development RFP"
description: "Describe the problem, the users and the outcome you need, not a full feature list. Include the systems it must connect to, constraints such as security and data rules, how you will judge the first milestone, and who owns the code and accounts. Ask vendors to propose a first milestone with acceptance criteria rather than a single fixed price for everything."
url: https://lidvizion.ai/answers/how-to-write-a-software-development-rfp/
site: Lid Vizion
index: https://lidvizion.ai/llms.txt
---
[Direct answers](https://lidvizion.ai/answers/)
# How should a company write a request for proposal for software development?
Describe the problem, the users and the outcome you need, not a full feature list. Include the systems it must connect to, constraints such as security and data rules, how you will judge the first milestone, and who owns the code and accounts. Ask vendors to propose a first milestone with acceptance criteria rather than a single fixed price for everything.
## What this means in practice
- Lead with the business problem, the users and how success will be measured.
- List required integrations, data rules and security expectations.
- Ask for a scoped first milestone with acceptance criteria and a handover plan.
- State that the company owns the code, repository and accounts from day one.
## How Lid Vizion approaches it
We start with the business decision and operating context, define ownership and measurable milestones, then use configuration, integrations, automation, or custom software only where each earns its place.
## More on Product & milestone delivery
- [How can a team run a short product discovery sprint before committing to build?](https://lidvizion.ai/answers/how-to-run-a-product-discovery-sprint/)
- [How can a product team produce release notes from shipped work without extra effort?](https://lidvizion.ai/answers/how-to-write-release-notes-from-shipped-work/)
- [Which product metrics should a small product team actually track?](https://lidvizion.ai/answers/which-product-metrics-should-you-track/)
[Compare services](https://lidvizion.ai/services/) · [Use a planning tool](https://lidvizion.ai/tools/) · [Explore workflow use cases](https://lidvizion.ai/use-cases/) · [More direct answers](https://lidvizion.ai/answers/)
Talk it through
## Have a version of this question inside your company?
Bring the decision, the constraints, and what a good outcome looks like.
[Talk through the decision](https://lidvizion.ai/contact/?need=milestone-delivery&from=%2Fanswers%2Fhow-to-write-a-software-development-rfp%2F#write) · [Book a call](https://calendar.app.google/bB26LdA9e2gmGFp69)