Short answer
A call centre RFP should give bidders enough data to design and price a realistic solution: your background and objectives, detailed scope, 12 months of volume and handle-time data, required hours and service levels, quality expectations, technology and integration needs, compliance and data protection requirements, a standard pricing template, evaluation criteria and timeline, and ideally a draft contract. Specify outcomes rather than dictating every process, so providers can propose improvements.
Key points
- Share real data: volumes by interval, handle times, seasonality and current performance.
- Use a standard pricing template so bids can be compared like for like.
- Include a draft contract and ask bidders to mark up the clauses they would change.
- Describe outcomes, not just your current processes, to invite innovation.
Principles of a good RFP
- Be clear. The clearer your requirements, the better and more comparable the proposals.
- Be open about outcomes. Resist asking a provider to copy your in-house processes exactly. Describe what good looks like and let bidders propose how to achieve it — that is where improvements come from.
- Create fair competition. Give every bidder the same information and answer questions in a shared clarification log.
- Put the contract on the table early. Including a draft contract, and asking bidders to comment on it, reduces surprises and shortens negotiation later.
RFP checklist
1. About you
- Company background, customers and brand values.
- Why you are outsourcing and what success looks like.
- Current operating model and any existing providers.
2. Scope of services
- Contact types and channels (voice, chat, email, messaging, social, back office).
- Customer segments and markets.
- Processes, with maps and knowledge articles where possible.
- What remains in-house.
3. Volumes and patterns
- At least 12 months of volumes by channel, in 15- or 30-minute intervals if possible.
- Average handle times, including after-call work.
- Seasonality, campaigns and expected changes (for example from automation).
4. Hours and service levels
- Required hours, including public holidays in your market.
- Target service levels, such as percentage of calls answered within a set time, abandon rate, email response time.
- Quality, customer satisfaction and resolution targets.
5. People and quality
- Skills, licensing or accreditation requirements.
- Training expectations and how you will support them.
- How quality will be measured and calibrated.
6. Technology
- Whether the provider should use your platform or theirs.
- Systems agents will access (CRM, knowledge base, billing).
- Reporting and data feeds you need.
- Your position on AI tools such as agent assist, automated quality monitoring or voice bots.
7. Compliance, security and data protection
- Applicable regulations (for example FCA rules, PCI DSS, HIPAA, debt-collection rules).
- Data protection requirements and transfer mechanisms. See compliance and security.
- Security standards and audit rights.
- Business continuity requirements.
8. Commercial
- A mandatory pricing template.
- Contract term, volume commitments and change mechanisms.
- Draft contract and service level schedule.
9. Process
- Timeline, clarification process and submission format.
- Evaluation criteria and weightings.
- Site visit and presentation arrangements.
Common RFP mistakes
- Sharing only annual volumes, so providers must guess staffing — and price the risk.
- Asking for “your best price” without a pricing template.
- Over-specifying processes and leaving no room for improvement.
- Leaving data protection and security until after selection.
- Timelines that are too short for thoughtful responses.
Frequently asked questions
How long should providers have to respond to a call centre RFP?
Three to four weeks is typical for a mid-sized programme. Allow time for a clarification round where all bidders can ask questions and receive the same answers.
Should I include pricing in the RFP?
Include a mandatory pricing template rather than a target price. Ask for rates, all one-off costs, the assumptions behind them (productive hours, occupancy, spans of control) and how pricing changes with volume.