How to Write a Video Production RFP

A video production RFP (request for proposal) is a document that tells production companies what you need filmed and edited, by when, and how you'll choose a partner, so they can send proposals you can compare side by side. The best ones are short: two to four pages covering your goals, deliverables, shoot details, timeline, budget range and how you'll evaluate bids.

What to include in a video production RFP

1. Company background and audience. Who you are, who the video is for, and what they should think or do after watching.
2. Goals. What the video needs to accomplish (more demo requests, better event attendance, faster onboarding) and how you'll measure it.
3. Deliverables. How many videos, how long, which formats (horizontal, vertical, square), how many versions, captions and any photography. Strangely this is the one skipped the most.
4. Shoot details. Locations and cities, dates or date windows, how many interviews, who's on camera, and whether it's an office, a facility or an event.
5. Creative and brand. Brand guidelines, two or three examples you like (and one you don't), and anything that's off limits.
6. Timeline. Proposal due date, decision date, shoot dates and final delivery date.
7. Budget range. More on this below. It's the single most useful thing you can share. We want to be sure we're pitching ideas that actually fit your budget.
8. Review and approvals. Who signs off, how many review rounds you expect, and whether legal or compliance needs to see scripts or cuts.
9. Legal and procurement. Insurance certificates, release forms, usage rights and ownership, payment terms and any vendor forms you will need.
10. Evaluation criteria and submission instructions. How you'll score proposals, who to send questions to, and the format you want back. How you score is important, if it's really about cost, say it. If you want quality and cost is no object, say that too. It will improve the responses you get, we promise.

Include a budget range

The most common RFP mistake is leaving out the budget. The same request can honestly be quoted at $5,000 or $500,000 depending on production level, crew size, shoot days and how much editing you want, so without a range, vendors guess and you get proposals you can't compare. A range like "$15,000 to $25,000" lets every vendor propose the best version of the project you can afford, and it quickly screens out the ones who aren't a fit.

Not sure what's realistic? Our corporate video production cost guide has 2026 price ranges by project type.

Questions to ask every video production company

• Who will be my day-to-day contact, and will it be the same person for every shoot?
• Who's actually on the crew, and how do you vet them?
• What's included in the price: pre-production, travel, editing rounds, music licensing, captions?
• Are there travel fees or overage charges, and when do they apply?
• How many rounds of revisions are included?
• Who owns the raw footage and the finished videos?
• Can you show work for a company like ours?
• What happens if a shoot date moves or gets cancelled?
• If we're filming in several cities, how do you keep every video looking the same?

Free video production RFP template

Copy this outline into your own document and fill in the brackets.

1. About us
[Company name, what you do, who the video is for]

2. Project goals
[What the video should accomplish, and how you'll measure success]

3. Deliverables
[Number of videos, length of each, formats, versions, captions, photography]

4. Shoot details
[Cities and locations, dates or date windows, number of interviews, who's on camera, event or office]

5. Creative direction
[Brand guidelines link, examples you like, anything off limits]

6. Timeline
[Questions due: date] [Proposals due: date] [Decision: date] [Shoot: dates] [Final delivery: date]

7. Budget
[Budget range, and whether it includes photography, travel or media spend]

8. Approvals
[Who reviews, how many rounds, legal or compliance review]

9. Requirements
[Insurance, releases, usage rights, payment terms, vendor forms]

10. What to include in your proposal
[Approach, team and producer, relevant work samples, schedule, itemized cost, references]

11. How we'll evaluate proposals
[Criteria and weights, see below]

12. Contact
[Name, email, deadline for questions]

How to evaluate the proposals

Score every proposal on the same criteria, so the decision isn't just the lowest number or the flashiest reel. A simple weighting that works for most corporate projects is below - but you are free to provide your own weights.

• Relevant work (30%): have they made videos like this, for companies like yours?
• Process and point of contact (25%): is it clear who runs your project and how?
• Total cost, including extras (25%): travel, overages, revisions and licensing, not just the headline number
• Clarity of scope (10%): does the proposal describe what you'll actually get?
• References (10%): will past clients vouch for them?

Video production RFP FAQ

How long should a video production RFP be?

Two to four pages is plenty. Vendors need clear goals, deliverables, dates and a budget range, not a 30-page document. With the rise of AI we get a lot of long, unnecessarily detailed AI created RFPs. It creates busy work for your vendors, and signals to them the kind of client you will be.

How many production companies should we send it to?

Three to five. Fewer than three doesn't give you much to compare, and more than five means a lot of reading for you and lower effort from vendors who know the odds.

How much time should vendors get to respond?

One to two weeks for most projects, and longer for multi-city programs or large events.

Do we need an RFP for a small project?

Often not. For a single shoot, a one-page brief with the same basics (goals, deliverables, dates, budget) gets you comparable quotes faster. Most companies are always happy to just hop on a call (and would love to avoid the paperwork)

Should we include a budget?

Yes. It's the fastest way to get proposals you can compare and to rule out vendors who aren't a fit.