The corporate travel manager's RFP toolkit.

When to run an RFP (and when not to)

An RFP is the right tool when the program has materially outgrown its TMC, when service quality has eroded for two or more consecutive quarters, or when a merger, divestiture, or geographic expansion has changed the scope of the program. It is the wrong tool when the real issue is policy design, traveler behaviour, or an unresolved technology decision — none of which a new TMC will fix.

• Program spend has grown or contracted by 25%+ since the last review.
• Online adoption is stuck below 70% and service tickets are climbing.
• Reporting is delivered in spreadsheets instead of a live platform.
• Duty-of-care coverage no longer matches the traveler footprint.

Assembling the stakeholder team

RFPs run by procurement alone tend to optimise for cost and miss the operational signal. RFPs run by travel alone tend to optimise for relationships and miss the commercial signal. The strongest evaluation teams pair both — with finance, IT/security, HR, and an executive sponsor weighing in at defined gates.

• Procurement — owns the process, contracts, and commercial terms.
• Travel/Operations — owns service model, policy fit, and supplier strategy.
• Finance — owns reconciliation, virtual cards, and reporting integration.
• IT & Security — owns SSO, data residency, and infosec review.
• Executive sponsor — breaks ties and signs the award.

A scoring model that holds up to scrutiny

Use weighted criteria agreed before responses arrive — not after. We recommend the following baseline weighting, adjusted for your priorities:

• Service model & advisor quality — 25%
• Technology platform & traveler experience — 20%
• Reporting, data, and integrations — 15%
• Commercial terms & transaction fees — 15%
• Supplier strategy & negotiated content — 10%
• Risk, duty of care, and security — 10%
• Implementation plan & references — 5%

The 60-question template

Ten questions in each of six categories. Every question should be answerable with evidence — a screenshot, a metric, a named reference — not a marketing paragraph.

• Service model (10) — staffing ratios, after-hours coverage, escalation paths, named advisors, language coverage, SLAs and remedies.
• Technology (10) — booking tool, mobile app, NDC handling, profile sync, content parity online vs. offline, accessibility.
• Data & reporting (10) — standard reports, custom reporting, data feeds, BI integrations, savings methodology, dashboard demo.
• Commercials (10) — transaction fee structure, change fees, unused ticket recovery, supplier overrides, audit rights.
• Risk & duty of care (10) — traveler tracking, communication tools, medical/security partners, incident response, ISO 27001 / SOC 2.
• Sustainability & ESG (10) — emissions data, reporting standards (GHG Protocol, CDP), SAF programs, rail-first policies, supplier scoring.

Shortlist, demo, and decision

Limit the shortlist to three. Each finalist should deliver the same scripted demo — a real booking, a real policy violation, a real disruption — so you are comparing like for like. Reference calls should be with programs of similar size, geography, and complexity, not the largest logo on the slide.

Transition and the first 90 days

The award is the easy part. Build the transition plan into the contract: data migration timelines, profile clean-up responsibilities, communication cadence, and a 90-day scorecard that measures online adoption, service SLAs, and savings against the baseline you set during the RFP.