Quick answer
Write an agency RFP around the campaign decisions and delivery evidence you need. Give every bidder the same scope, assumptions and pricing structure, then evaluate capability against pre-agreed criteria. Request a small practical example instead of a large unpaid strategy project. An effective RFP exposes dependencies, exclusions and ownership before the commercial relationship begins.
Procurement and marketing leads commissioning an agency for regulated creator campaigns.
Publish a scope bidders can actually price
State the approved or proposed markets, languages, platforms, formats, campaign period and expected operating responsibilities. Separate confirmed facts from assumptions. If operator eligibility is still under review, say so explicitly and ask bidders to identify what can proceed conditionally. Do not force an agency to guess the scope and then compare its guess with another supplier’s different interpretation.
Our editorial framework borrows general evaluation discipline from the UK Government Sourcing Playbook, which is guidance for public services rather than a requirement for this private procurement. The practical principle is to make the requested service and assessment criteria clear before proposals arrive. Keep the brief concise enough that delivery staff can use it.
References: UK Government — The Sourcing Playbook
Ask for evidence tied to the actual work
Request a redacted example of a creator recommendation, approval tracker and campaign report. Ask the bidder to explain what each artifact lets a manager decide. A logo slide may establish claimed experience, but it does not show how the team will investigate a tracking discrepancy or handle a late content change. Verify references through an authorized process when needed.
Provide a small synthetic scenario: one creator, one proposed market and a changed destination before publication. Ask who checks eligibility, who contacts the creator, what evidence is preserved and who can pause the placement. Evaluate reasoning and handoffs, not the production value of a speculative pitch. Do not request confidential records from another client.
Make the fee structure comparable
Require separate lines for agency service, creator costs, production, reporting, optional rights and pass-through expenses. Ask whether any markup applies and what triggers an extra fee. Include the same assumptions about revisions, live support and reporting periods for every bidder. This makes exclusions visible before the cheapest-looking proposal wins on an incomplete scope.
The illustrative scoring table is an editorial starting point, not a proven predictor of agency performance. Set weights internally before reading bids and define what evidence earns each score. Keep mandatory eligibility and data-handling requirements outside the weighted total. A persuasive presentation should not compensate for a missing requirement that makes delivery unacceptable.
| Illustrative criterion | Weight | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery method | 30% | Practical scenario and handoffs |
| Measurement quality | 25% | Sample report and definitions |
| Team capability | 25% | Named team and relevant evidence |
| Commercial clarity | 20% | Itemized comparable scope |
Specify compliance and disclosure handoffs
Ask bidders to describe how they gather platform and market evidence, obtain operator approval, brief creators and check publication. The US FTC disclosure guide is a primary reference for US endorsement considerations; it does not resolve gambling permissions in every country. Your responsible reviewers must identify the actual requirements for the proposed destinations and audience.
Name the final approval owner inside the buying organization and the agency person who prepares the review package. Specify the escalation path when a rule is unclear or a destination changes. Avoid language suggesting that hiring an agency transfers all responsibility. A useful proposal should explain the boundaries of its service and the decisions it needs you to make.
References: US FTC — Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
Define access, reporting and ownership
Say which systems the agency may access, what reporting data it will receive and how customer information must be protected under your approved arrangements. Request sample exports and a reporting dictionary. Define delivery evidence separately from performance: a published placement, an attributed event and an incremental outcome are different claims requiring different support.
Confirm who owns approved assets, campaign records and relationship information, subject to the actual rights negotiated with creators. Include access removal and handover at termination. A buyer should be able to continue understanding historical campaigns after a supplier changes. Do not assume that a shared dashboard automatically provides a complete, portable record of the work.
Run a short, fair evaluation process
Issue one deadline, one clarification channel and a common response format. Share material scope clarifications consistently with bidders. Have evaluators score independently before discussing differences, then use interviews to resolve evidence gaps. Document the final tradeoff instead of editing weights after seeing a favored agency’s proposal.
Use the downloadable worksheet to record each requirement, evidence reference and owner. Before appointment, convert the accepted proposal into a statement of work covering deliverables, dependencies, fees, approval timing, change control and exit. The RFP helps select a partner; the signed scope must carry its useful detail into delivery. Revisit unresolved conditions before authorizing the first campaign rather than assuming selection itself closed them.
Working template
| Decision or assumption | Evidence or value | Responsible owner |
|---|---|---|
| Markets platforms and scope | — | Marketing lead |
| Assumptions and exclusions | — | Procurement |
| Practical scenario response | — | Evaluation team |
| Itemized pricing and markup | — | Finance |
| Mandatory requirements | — | Compliance owner |
Frequently asked questions
How long should an agency RFP be?
Long enough to define scope, evidence, fees and decision rules without burying them in background material. A concise brief with structured appendices is usually easier to compare.
Should we ask for a free campaign strategy?
Use a small bounded scenario to assess judgment. A full speculative strategy can consume substantial work while still failing to show day-to-day delivery capability.
Can we select on the lowest fee?
Only after confirming that the scope, exclusions and required capability are comparable. Evaluate the complete cost and the evidence needed to deliver the work.
Sources and scope
Sources checked September 22, 2026. Numerical examples are illustrative unless explicitly identified otherwise.
- UK Government — The Sourcing Playbook — Provides public-sector delivery-model and evaluation guidance, used as an analogy rather than a private-sector requirement. Checked September 22, 2026.
- US FTC — Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers — Explains US endorsement disclosure considerations, not worldwide gambling permission. Checked September 22, 2026.
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