Network Requirements Specification: How to Write an Effective RFP
·2 min read·214 words
How to write a network requirements specification (CDC) for a request for proposal: structure, sections, technical specifications, evaluation and pitfalls to avoid. A CIO guide to successful RFPs. 2026.
Standard requirements specification structure
- 1. Company and project background
- 2. Functional scope
- 3. Detailed technical specifications
- 4. Evaluation criteria (scoring matrix)
- 5. Schedule and deliverables
- 6. Commercial terms and SLA
- 7. Appendices (plans, diagrams and equipment lists)
Technical specifications
- Scale: number of sites, users and devices
- Performance: throughput and latency SLA
- Security: NIS2, PCI, HDS
- Required redundancy
- Interoperability with existing vendors
- Five-year development roadmap
Evaluation criteria
- Technical: 40-50% (features and quality)
- Financial: 30-40% (3-5-year TCO, not just CAPEX)
- Services: 10-20% (support, lead times and training)
- References: 10% (comparable projects)
- Detailed scoring matrix with transparent scoring
Pitfalls to avoid
- Overly detailed requirements: exclude viable alternative vendors
- Insufficient detail: suppliers propose the bare minimum
- Bias: wording that favors a single vendor
- No POC: creates risk for complex projects
- No exit strategy: omitting termination and reversibility clauses
Public procurement (local authorities)
- UGAP: French government purchasing organization with pre-negotiated contracts
- Procedures: MAPA, AOR and formalized procurement procedures
- 2026 thresholds: €40k for a municipality
- Strict rules: publication, deadlines and appeals
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