--- title: Advanis’ Guide for Drafting a Market or Social Research RFP description: Craft a focused RFP for market or social research to ensure your project meets objectives, stays on budget, and delivers impactful insights. Tips for best practices. image: https://blog.advanis.net/hubfs/Back%20view%20of%20businessman%20drawing%20sketch%20on%20wall.jpeg --- [![Advanis](https://blog.advanis.net/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Advanis_May2023/images/logo.png?width=514&height=277&name=logo.png "Advanis")](https://advanis.net/) - [WHO WE ARE](https://advanis.net/who-we-are/) - [SERVICES](https://advanis.net/services/) - [PRIVATE SECTOR RESEARCH](https://advanis.net/private-sector-research/) - [SOCIAL AND PUBLIC RESEARCH](https://advanis.net/social-and-public-research/) - [PUBLISHED WORK](https://advanis.net/published-work/) - [BLOG](https://blog.advanis.net/) - [CAREERS](https://advanis.net/careers/) - [CONTACT US](https://advanis.net/contact-us/) - [English](https://advanis.net/) - [Français(French)](https://advanis.net/fr/) - [WHO WE ARE](https://advanis.net/who-we-are/) - [SERVICES](https://advanis.net/services/) - [PRIVATE SECTOR RESEARCH](https://advanis.net/private-sector-research/) - [SOCIAL AND PUBLIC RESEARCH](https://advanis.net/social-and-public-research/) - [PUBLISHED WORK](https://advanis.net/published-work/) - [BLOG](https://blog.advanis.net/) - [CAREERS](https://advanis.net/careers/) - [CONTACT US](https://advanis.net/contact-us/) - [English](https://advanis.net/) - [Français(French)](https://advanis.net/fr/) ![Featured image: Map writing a cartoon of ideas on a wall - Read full post: Advanis’ Guide for Drafting a Market or Social Research RFP](https://blog.advanis.net/hubfs/Back%20view%20of%20businessman%20drawing%20sketch%20on%20wall.jpeg) # Advanis’ Guide for Drafting a Market or Social Research RFP Published by [Advanis](https://blog.advanis.net/author/advanis) on Oct 14, 2026, 8:00:02 AM A successful social or market research project begins with writing a comprehensive and focused Request for Proposal (RFP) or Research Brief. Clearly defining the organizational need and the project helps to ensure that a) the project is focused so: - you only pay for what you need - the project can be completed on time and on budget (no chance of scope creep if it’s well-scoped), and - crucially, that you achieve your research objectives (*Originally published in 2022, updated for 2026)* Here are some questions to help you start writing an effective RFP: **Organizational & Research Objectives** - What answers must this research provide? What business or public policy questions are driving the need for research? - Which stakeholders / teams at your organization will use the results and how will they use them? Who is the internal champion? - How do you envision this research “living” within the organization? - How will these findings integrate with other internal data to support business decisions or public policy outcomes? - What internal capabilities or capacity gap is prompting you to engage with a partner? Are you looking for end-to-end support or a hybrid model? **Target Population(s)** - Exactly whose perspective do you need? Detail your target audience meticulously—including customer segments, demographics, or specific B2B job titles. Specify whether we are engaging your existing clients, internal stakeholders, or the broader market. - Do you have different objectives/want to learn different things from different target populations? - Are there any underrepresented groups or hard-to-reach audiences that you want special consideration given to? **Methodology & Data Collection** - Do you have a mandated approach for data collection or analysis or are you open to alternative recommendations? - Stimuli (Moderator’s Guide or Survey) - Do you have past research that can be used as reference for this study? …or do you want the consultant to start from scratcha “blank sheet of paper”? - In addition to the objectives and target population details above, other information will help the consultant determine what dataqual collection method(s) to use (in-person, CATI, online, asynchronous, AI moderated): - Do you need the participants to see/hear/smell/touch anything in person to be able to provide their feedback? - Will you need survey respondents to see any images or video or hear any audio to be able to answer the questions? - Are there any safety concerns involved in getting participants together for qualitative research? **Reporting/Analysis** - What format best serves your decision-makers? Specify your need for raw data files, executive summaries, comprehensive reports, or interactive online dashboards. - What role would you like your agency partner to play in socializing the research within your organization? **Timeline & Budget** - When do you need results? Are there critical meetings or decision points that the research must support? - Are there seasonal trends that might impact results such that certain periods should be avoided or prioritized when collecting data? - Is this a one-time study or the start of an “always on” research engagement? - Clearly state your budget range or maximum threshold to ensure proposed methodologies align with your financial realities. - Are you open to alternative models (e.g., retainer, subscription, co-sponsorship)? **Questions for agencies** - - Ask agencies who respond to your RFP to detail their approaches or proprietary quality control measures used to fight back against fraud and poor quality data. - Ask agencies for examples of their reporting and consultative work, to ensure that they can act as true partners in getting this research to decision makers in an impactful manner. - Ask agencies to disclose where and how they use AI across the research workflow, how AI- assisted outputs are validated by humans, and how your data is safeguarded. A comprehensive and focused RFP is the essential first step toward a successful, on-budget, and objectives-driven market or social research project. Need expert guidance to fine-tune your RFP, or ready to discuss your next research initiative? Contact Advanis today to see how our consultants can help you achieve your research objectives. *Originally published in 2022, updated for 2026* [![Ready to learn more?](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/19523297/interactive-214855928854.png)](https://blog.advanis.net/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLI2zcGOIukvXPBtl6%2FIXrpr41%2BhKihyuzE8ka2Hv622PDi80m7au5V%2FehzRzSIvLJM4Gl1W2caPD3mRzPmE6ubliRGOD6LDrLLmiz10TXAxipkZA%2Bd%2Bm1GXtDtAdMUh8SgTbv8Cwv1qlftAxtoV0oM8sFaEBRdJl7GMLk8oa%2FgQfDLCgsqgqBsU3fPQ9FIB&webInteractiveContentId=214855928854&portalId=19523297&hsLang=en) Tags: [Best Practices](https://blog.advanis.net/tag/best-practices), [Success](https://blog.advanis.net/tag/success), [Insights](https://blog.advanis.net/tag/insights), [Tips and Tricks](https://blog.advanis.net/tag/tips-and-tricks), [Market Research](https://blog.advanis.net/tag/market-research), [Sampling](https://blog.advanis.net/tag/sampling), [Research](https://blog.advanis.net/tag/research) [Back to Blog](https://blog.advanis.net) ###### Search / Recherche Advanis’ Guide for Drafting a Market or Social Research RFP 4:22 ###### Subscribe to our blog Get our insights blog updates right to your mailbox once per month. 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