Shopify Agency RFP Template: How to Write an Effective Brief

The RFP Problem

Asking an agency "Can you build us a store?" is like asking a builder "Can you build a house?" You get back what you asked for—vague, inflated, and expensive.

Bad RFPs have symptoms. Agencies pad timelines 40-60% because the brief is ambiguous. Scope creeps because requirements weren't documented. Final costs are 20-30% higher than proposals. The build takes 3-4 months instead of 6-8 weeks.

Good RFPs have the opposite effect. Tier-1 agencies respond faster. Proposals are tighter. Actual cost lands within 10% of estimate. Projects complete on schedule.

The difference is clarity. A strong RFP signals that you've thought through your project, understand Shopify, and know what you want. This attracts serious agencies and repels time-wasters.

Core RFP Components

A complete Shopify RFP has six sections. Here's the structure:

1. Executive Summary (1-2 pages)

• Company name, industry, current revenue, target market
• Current platform (WooCommerce, custom build, Magento, etc.) or "greenfield"
• Project timeline (launch date, hard deadline)
• Budget range (e.g., "$50K-$100K" or "open budget")
• Success metric (e.g., "launch by Q3" or "process 500 orders/month")

2. Business Context (2-3 pages)

• Brand positioning and unique value (not just "we sell X")
• Target customer persona (demographic, purchase behavior, geography)
• Current traffic / conversion metrics (if existing store)
• Competitive landscape (who are you selling against)
• Growth targets (5-year plan, revenue goals)

3. Technical Requirements (3-5 pages)

• Store features (product filters, variants, subscription, B2B, etc.)
• Integration requirements (ERP, accounting, email marketing, analytics)
• Payment and shipping (gateways, carriers, tax compliance)
• Custom development scope (headless, custom apps, API endpoints)
• Performance requirements (page load time, API throughput, uptime SLA)

4. Design & UX (1-2 pages)

• Visual style guide or existing brand assets
• Mobile-first requirements (what % of traffic is mobile?)
• Accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA compliance required?)
• Content structure (site architecture, menu hierarchy)
• Design reference examples (3-5 competitor stores you like)

5. Project Scope & Constraints (2 pages)

• In-scope deliverables (store build, content migration, training, etc.)
• Out-of-scope (editorial content, paid ads, ongoing support)
• Team availability (can you dedicate a product manager to the project?)
• Hosting (Shopify standard, Shopify Plus, headless?)
• Support expectations (post-launch SLA, response times)

6. Evaluation Criteria (1 page)

• How you'll judge proposals (see section below)
• Timeline for RFP process (e.g., "responses due April 15, decision by May 1")
• Contact for questions
• NDA or confidentiality requirements

Making Technical Requirements Concrete

This is where most RFPs fail. Merchants write vague requirements like "integrations with our marketing tools" and then argue about scope with the agency later.

Be specific. Here's a template for each requirement:

Feature: Product Search

• Must search product title, description, and tags
• Must filter by: price range, category, color, size, brand
• Must sort by: relevance, price (low to high), rating
• Performance target: search results within 500ms
• Scalability: must support 100K+ products
• Reference: [show an example from a competitor]

Integration: Inventory Sync

• System: NetSuite ERP
• Frequency: real-time (sync every 30 seconds max)
• Sync direction: NetSuite → Shopify (reads only)
• Data synced: product availability, quantity, location
• Error handling: alert on failed sync within 5 minutes
• Agency will use: [Shopify API or third-party connector?]

Custom App: Subscription Management

• Allow customers to set delivery frequency (biweekly, monthly, quarterly)
• Allow customers to skip deliveries (up to 2 per quarter)
• Discount: 15% off subscription orders vs. one-time
• Failure handling: charge next payment if card fails (3 retries)
• Reference: See subscription example at [competitor store]

This level of detail prevents the "well, I thought you meant..." conversations.

Evaluation Scorecard

Don't just pick the cheapest or fastest proposal. Create a scorecard. Here's a template:

Evaluation Criterion	Weight	How to Score
Technical approach	30%	Does the proposal address all requirements? Any red flags? Is the tech stack appropriate?
Team experience	25%	Have they built similar stores? Case study evidence? Shopify expertise?
Communication clarity	20%	Is the proposal clear? Did they ask clarifying questions? Do they understand your business?
Timeline credibility	15%	Is the schedule realistic? Are milestones specific? Do they account for your review/feedback cycles?
Post-launch support	10%	What's included? Responsiveness SLA? Training plan? Bug fixes?

Score each on 1-10. Weight the scores. Pick the highest total, not the lowest cost.

Example: Agency A costs $60K and scores 78/100. Agency B costs $40K and scores 55/100. Agency A is worth the premium.

Red Flags in Proposals

Some proposals signal trouble:

• "Timeline depends on requirements clarification" — They don't understand scope
• "We'll charge hourly for overages" without a clear definition of scope — Expect surprise bills
• "Launch in 4 weeks, including content migration" for a 500-product store — Unrealistic
• "We use a proprietary framework" for a Shopify build — Why? Shopify Plus is more expensive for a reason
• No mention of testing, QA, or launch checklist — They'll miss bugs
• Proposal doesn't reference your specific business requirements — They wrote a template response

Ask for clarification. If they can't explain why they're making a choice, they don't understand your project.

What to Ask Agencies in Follow-Up Calls

Don't just read proposals. Call the top 2-3 finalists. Ask:

1. "Walk me through your project process." Listen for: feedback loops, stakeholder communication, testing phases, launch readiness.

2. "Tell me about a similar project that went wrong. What happened?" Listen for: honesty, problem-solving, client communication during crisis.

3. "What's included in post-launch support?" Listen for: SLA specificity, training depth, handoff plan.

4. "What's your recommendation for our specific situation?" Listen for: strategic thinking, not just "we can build whatever you want."

5. "Can you introduce us to 3 merchants you've worked with?" Listen to: their feedback on communication, timeline accuracy, support.

The Tenten Approach

We score RFPs the same way. A clear brief with specific requirements, evaluation criteria, and realistic timeline tells us the merchant has thought through their project. It raises the quality of everyone's work—yours included.

When we see a weak RFP, we push back. We ask clarifying questions. We challenge scope assumptions. We fight for clarity upfront because it saves chaos during the build.

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Ready to hire the right Shopify agency?

A strong RFP attracts better proposals, better partners, and better outcomes. Use this template to structure your brief. Spend time on technical requirements—that's where most projects go wrong. And during the evaluation process, talk to the agencies. You're making a six-figure partnership decision; phone calls are worth the time.

If you're evaluating Shopify Plus and need guidance on agency selection or architecture choices, Tenten can help. We've built stores for brands doing $1M to $100M+ and can advise on build vs. buy decisions.

tenten.co/contact

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Editorial Note
The RFP template above is based on projects we've led at Tenten and conversations with 50+ merchants hiring agencies. Most RFPs we see are weak—vague requirements, unclear budgets, unrealistic timelines. This framework separates merchants who get what they pay for from those who overpay for disappointment.

Frequently Asked Questions