
Why Your RFP Isn’t Getting [attractive] Responses from Top IT Teams?
16 June 2025
You’ve written the RFP. You’ve sent it to a dozen IT companies. You wait, and…crickets. Or worse: generic copy-paste proposals that don’t answer your actual needs. What gives?
Welcome to the graveyard of outdated procurement methods.
If your Request for Proposal (RFP) isn’t sparking engagement from serious, high-quality IT partners, it’s not because there aren’t good vendors out there. It’s because the way you’re asking is repelling them.
Let’s unpack why
1. You’re spamming the market
Top-tier development teams talk one with another. Many are connected through ecosystems, platforms, clusters or even direct partnerships. If you blast the same RFP to 15 companies, chances are, they’ll find out.
When they realize you’re collecting offers like baseball cards, they lose interest. Why? Because crafting a thoughtful proposal takes serious time and resources. If the win-rate feels like a lottery ticket, the best teams will simply opt out. You end up attracting the desperate, not the distinguished.
2. Your RFP is a wall, not a door
Too often, RFPs read like sealed verdicts: “Here is our need. Here are the requirements. Submit your offer.”
But IT solutions aren’t microwave dinners. They’re collaborative, agile, iterative processes. The best companies want to co-create solutions, not just tick boxes. When there’s no room for dialogue, the RFP feels like a trap rather than an opportunity.
3. Unrealistic expectations = Red Flags
Want a fully scalable platform, with AI integrations, completed in two months, on a startup budget? That’s a fantasy, not a project brief.
Experienced IT vendors can spot an unworkable scope from miles away. And they know that trying to reason with an inflexible RFP is often a waste of time. So they skip it entirely.
4. You’re not selling yourself either
Guess what? You’re not the only one evaluating.
High-end IT companies also want to work with clients who are clear, serious, and collaborative. If your RFP reads like a cold shopping list, without explaining your vision, context, or team dynamics, you’re just another line item in their inbox. IT companies usually think a few steps ahead and evaluate how (in)efficiently they could work with such a client in a long-term.
5. It’s a one-way street
Modern tech partnerships thrive on a discussion-offer cycle, not a one-and-done submission process.
RFPs that invite dialogue, allow Q&A, or even include preliminary calls tend to attract more thoughtful and tailored responses. The best vendors want to understand the “why” before proposing the “how.”
6. You’re Chasing the Cheapest, Not the Best
There’s a painful irony here. Some clients chase the lowest price like it’s the golden ticket, ignoring clear signs that quality will suffer. Then, once the project is delivered with the predictably subpar result, they start pointing fingers.
IT vendors notice when an RFP screams “low budget above all.” The best teams don’t bother replying because they know the inevitable outcome: a frustrated client, endless revisions, and no appreciation for the craftsmanship.
Cheap doesn’t scale. Cheap doesn’t innovate. And cheap certainly doesn’t attract top talent.
So, what should you do instead?
- Qualify first. Use platforms or recommendations to identify a shortlist of quality vendors that match your domain.
- Foster discussion. Share the business context, not just the specs. Ask for feedback, not fixed-price offers right away.
- Be transparent. Let vendors know if you’re talking to others, but signal seriousness by limiting the crowd.
- Show flexibility. Great IT companies want to know they can shape the project with you, not just deliver to a static doc.
- Build relationships, not transactions. Long-term success is built through collaboration, not RFP roulette.
Final Byte
If your RFP is going to 20 teams, expect 18 to ignore it. The other 2 will respond, but probably with templates. But if you treat your search for IT partners as a conversation – not a cattle call – you’ll get real insight, better-fit proposals, and ultimately, better results.
Ready to rethink your procurement game? Start by talking, not just telling. The best teams are listening.