Write a clear IT RFP without paying a consultant
A free, editable Word template that helps nonprofits and small governments ask the right questions, compare providers fairly, and get IT that fits a tight budget.
A free Word RFP template for nonprofits and small governments hiring an IT provider. Covers scope, compliance, cooperative purchasing and a clear scorecard.
What you'll get
A practical, ready-to-use resource you fill in with your own numbers and keep. No expiring trial, no strings.
What the RFP template does
Hiring an IT provider is hard enough. Doing it on a nonprofit or small-government budget, with grant rules and compliance requirements in the mix, is harder still. Most RFP templates online are written for big enterprises and bury you in legal language you do not need. This one is built for an organization that needs solid IT, has to justify every dollar, and does not have a procurement department to lean on.
You fill in your background, budget and scope, send it to a few providers, and use the built-in scorecard to compare what comes back on the same terms. No consultant required.
Just fill in the blanks
Editable Word template with bracketed placeholders for your org background, budget constraints and scope, so you can send a professional RFP this week instead of next quarter.
Covers the compliance you face
Prompts for HIPAA, CJIS, FERPA and grant-funding rules, so providers answer the questions that actually apply to nonprofit and government work.
Stretches a tight budget
Includes notes on cooperative purchasing options and nonprofit software grants, so you understand the offsets before you compare a single quote.
Score providers fairly
A built-in evaluation scorecard and a local-presence requirement help you weigh responses on the same scale, not on whoever wrote the nicest cover letter.
What is inside the template
- An org background and budget-constraints section with bracketed fields you simply edit
- A scope-of-services section covering managed IT, security, backup and recovery, compliance and projects
- A compliance-needs section prompting for HIPAA, CJIS, FERPA and grant-funding requirements
- A note on cooperative-purchasing options and nonprofit software grants, so you understand your offsets
- A local-presence and on-site response requirement, plus a references request
- A weighted evaluation scorecard so your team can rate every response consistently
A template is a starting point, not legal advice
Want the background first?
If you are still working out how to get solid IT without blowing the budget, our guide on nonprofit IT on a tight budget walks through the practical moves, including what changed with the 2025 Microsoft grant updates. For the wider picture, our IT for your industry hub covers how nonprofit, government, healthcare and other sectors each need different things from a provider.
How it works
Tell us where to send it
Fill in the short form. Just enough so we know who we're helping and can tailor any follow-up, only if you want it.
Check your inbox
We email your copy right away, and the download is yours to keep. No expiring trial, no login.
Put it to work
Use it on your own, or ask us for a second set of eyes. No pressure either way.
We do not sell your information
You get the file and an email copy for later. That is it. No third-party sharing, ever.
Real local humans built this
Vicinity is a genuinely local IT provider with people in Alaska and Hawaii who work with nonprofits and small public agencies.
No sales theater
The template is a working document, not a brochure. Use it whether or not we ever talk.