DAM RFP template

How to use the DAM RFP template

The DAM RFP template is the request a buyer sends after shortlisting, at checkpoint 4 of the Selection Route. It goes to three to five vendors that already passed the segment, hosting, integration and budget filters.

A DAM RFP (request for proposal) is a procurement document that asks shortlisted vendors for a priced proposal against defined scope, scenarios and requirements. The RFI or RFP guide explains when a lighter request comes first.

DAMSelection assessment: a short, scenario-based RFP produces better evidence than a long feature questionnaire. Feature questionnaires collect "fully supported" answers from every vendor, and those answers carry no selection value. The scripted demo then tests what the RFP answers claim.

Copy the ten sections that follow into your own document. Keep the section numbers, so vendors answer in the same order and the scoring panel compares like with like.

The template at a glance

The DAM RFP template has ten sections, and four of them carry scored answers. The table shows what each section does and how the vendor responds.

Section 1: Instructions and timeline

Section 1 of the DAM RFP sets the rules every vendor follows, so no vendor gains an advantage through informal contact. Include these items.

• Single point of contact and the channel for questions.
• Deadline for questions and the date all answers go to every vendor.
• Response deadline, format and maximum length.
• Confidentiality terms and the non-disclosure agreement.
• Statement that roadmap features score as absent unless a release date is contracted.
• Dates of scripted demos and the proof of concept.

DAMSelection rule of thumb: allow vendors two to three weeks to respond. Shorter deadlines produce copied boilerplate; longer ones delay the selection without better answers.

Section 2: Organisation context

Section 2 of the DAM RFP describes the organisation in one to two pages, so vendors propose the right configuration. Cover these points.

• Business: industries, brands, markets and languages.
• Teams that use assets: marketing, e-commerce, product, creative, agencies, retailers.
• Current tools: file shares, legacy DAM, PIM, CMS, e-commerce platform, creative tools.
• Problems to solve, stated as measured baselines from the business case.
• Target go-live date and any fixed constraints such as a contract end date.

Section 3: Scope and volumes

Section 3 of the DAM RFP gives every vendor the same volume sheet, which makes prices comparable. Vendors price these figures and state any assumption they change.

• Named users by role: administrators, contributors, viewers.
• External users: agencies, retailers, distributors.
• Asset count, storage in TB and yearly growth, from the content audit.
• Share of video and large design files.
• Yearly delivery egress in TB and expected AI operations.
• Number of brands, portals, languages and environments.
• Assets and metadata to migrate, with source systems.

Section 4: Scripted scenarios

Section 4 of the DAM RFP lists the four to six scenarios every vendor will demonstrate live on the buyer's sample assets. Each scenario has a context, starting data, steps and pass criteria.

In the written response, the vendor describes its approach per scenario in one page. The vendor names any step that needs services, a partner or a roadmap feature. The live demo then proves the approach. The demo script guide shows how to write scenarios, and the Demo Script Generator builds them from a library of 12.

Section 5: Prioritised requirements

Section 5 of the DAM RFP lists musts and shoulds only, with a fixed response code for every line. DAMSelection rule of thumb: 40 to 80 requirement lines are enough once scenarios cover the main tasks.

Ask for a comment of at most 50 words per line. Start from the requirements checklist and export your selection from the Requirements Builder.

Section 6: Integration and architecture

Section 6 of the DAM RFP asks how the DAM connects to the existing stack, starting with the PIM. Ask for these items.

• Connector status per system: built by the DAM vendor, the other vendor, a partner, or a documented API pattern.
• Who maintains each connector and how upgrades are handled.
• API documentation, rate limits, webhooks and sandbox access.
• Metadata standards supported for import and export, such as IPTC and XMP.

Section 7: Security, hosting and compliance

Section 7 of the DAM RFP is a pass or fail gate, and a vendor that fails it leaves the selection. The security requirements guide gives the full question set.

• Primary hosting region, backup region and location of AI processing.
• Certifications with scope and expiry date.
• Sub-processor list and change notice policy.
• Data processing agreement covering the terms of GDPR Article 28.
• Single sign-on, user provisioning and permission model.
• Contract terms on use of customer assets to train AI models.

Section 8: Commercial schedule

Section 8 of the DAM RFP asks for a five-year price on a fixed price sheet, with a unit rate on every line. Vendors fill in the sheet as given and add notes in a separate column.

• Licence or platform fee per year, with the edition named.
• Users by role and price per extra user.
• Storage included and price for the next two tiers.
• Egress allowance and overage rate.
• AI credit allowance, consumption per action and overage rate.
• Modules, portals, connectors and environments.
• Implementation, migration and training services, fixed price or estimate.
• Renewal cap per year and price after the first term.

The DAM pricing guide explains how to normalise the answers into one five-year comparison.

Section 9: Implementation, support and exit

Section 9 of the DAM RFP asks how the vendor delivers, supports and releases the customer. Ask for these items.

• A phased implementation plan with named roles on both sides.
• The implementation partner, if any, and who carries delivery risk.
• Two references of similar scale and stack, with contact details.
• Service levels for availability and support response, with service credits.
• Support hours in European time zones and the languages offered.
• Training approach for administrators and end users.
• Export method on termination: file formats, metadata included, relationships, timing and cost.

The exit strategy guide lists what a complete export contains.

Section 10: Evaluation method

Section 10 of the DAM RFP publishes how the buyer scores proposals, which keeps the decision defensible. State the weights, the 0 to 5 scale and the evidence used for each score.

The weights are an example; set your own before the RFP goes out and keep them fixed. Fact: EU public contracting authorities award on the most economically advantageous tender under Article 67 of Directive 2014/24/EU. That article allows cost assessment through life-cycle costing under Article 68, which fits a five-year DAM cost model.

Annexes to attach

The DAM RFP annexes hold the material vendors fill in or work with, which keeps the main document short. Attach these five annexes.

1. Annex A: requirement list with response code and comment columns.
2. Annex B: price sheet with fixed rows per cost line and five yearly columns.
3. Annex C: security and hosting questionnaire.
4. Annex D: scenario scripts with pass criteria.
5. Annex E: sample asset pack description, metadata schema draft and controlled vocabularies, shared under the non-disclosure agreement.

What to leave out of a DAM RFP

A DAM RFP gets shorter and sharper when the buyer removes questions that every vendor answers the same way. Leave out the following.

• Generic feature questions such as "supports metadata" or "has search".
• Requests for company history and marketing brochures.
• Requirements already covered by a scripted scenario.
• Could and won't requirements.
• Questions whose answer would not change a score.