How to Write a Marketing Agency RFP: A Template and Evaluation Scorecard for GCC Companies

Introduction

A marketing agency RFP (request for proposal) is the document that determines whether you attract the right agencies or spend months comparing proposals that cannot be compared. For marketing directors and procurement teams in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, a weak brief usually produces a weak shortlist, a long pitch and a decision that is hard to defend internally.

The stakes are high on both sides. Industry guidance from VoxComm and the World Federation of Advertisers notes that the average pitch can last up to six months. WFA also reports that agencies spend more than €650,000 a year on pitching, and a single pitch can cost up to €43,000.

This guide gives you a section-by-section marketing RFP template, a weighted agency evaluation scorecard and the fairness rules that strong agencies look for. By the end, you will be able to decide whether to pitch at all, how many agencies to invite, and how to score responses on evidence rather than presentation polish.

Before the RFP: Do You Actually Need a New Agency?

Not always. The 2025 Agency Selection Guiding Principles from WFA and VoxComm put more weight on repairing and improving the existing agency relationship before considering a pitch, including formal reviews and possibly a third-party consultant.

The same guidance notes that changing agency can take more time and resources than fixing the current relationship. Some reviews are not optional, however: some companies require supplier reviews at fixed intervals, for example every three or five years, often driven by procurement rules.

1. Signs a Full Review Is Warranted

We recommend a full review when the problem is structural rather than operational.

• Strategic mismatch: your business has moved into new markets, such as expanding from the UAE into Saudi Arabia, or into categories the agency cannot support.
• Capability gaps: you need skills the agency does not have and cannot credibly build, such as native Arabic content or performance media at scale.
• Unresolved delivery issues: problems raised in formal reviews have persisted across several review cycles.
• Mandatory review cycle: procurement policy requires you to re-tender the account.

If the issues are about briefing quality, slow approvals or unclear reporting, fix those first. A new agency will inherit the same problems.

2. Lighter Alternatives to a Full Pitch

The VoxComm guide lists lighter options:

• Chemistry or working session: a structured session to test how a team thinks and collaborates on a real problem.
• Pitch-in-a-day: a compressed format that limits the time and cost for everyone involved.
• No-pitch pitch: the incumbent or roster agencies answer the brief as if it were a new opportunity.

Build Your Evaluation Team and Align Marketing With Procurement

Agree who decides, and on what basis, before the RFP goes out. The guidance lists stakeholders who may include finance, procurement, legal, IT, the CMO, ESG and the CEO, and suggests a RACI chart (who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed) with one key decision-maker.

Marketing and procurement must agree before the brief is issued, because their priorities can differ. Where procurement owns the supplier process, we recommend a short alignment workshop that settles the following.

• Decision-maker: one named person accountable for the final appointment.
• Scoring panel: a small group that scores every response independently, using the same scorecard.
• Weightings: agreed and locked before any response arrives.
• Commercial guardrails: budget range, engagement type and any supplier registration requirements.
• Legal inputs: NDA, intellectual property and data-handling terms.

What a Marketing Agency RFP Should Include: Section-by-Section Template

A strong marketing agency RFP covers four core areas: business objectives and problem statements, budget, operational details and selection criteria. GCC companies should add market-specific requirements and clear response rules.

Clarity matters more than length. The VoxComm guide cites the 2025 EACA Cost of Pitching study, which found that clear briefing was the leading factor in a successful pitching experience.

1. Company Background and Business Problem

Describe the business, its markets and the commercial problem marketing must solve. “Grow awareness” is not a problem statement; “win more enterprise accounts in Riyadh against two established competitors” is.

Include your audiences, sales cycle, current marketing activity and what has and has not worked. Agencies cannot propose a credible answer to a problem they have to guess.

2. Objectives, Scope and Deliverables

Before writing, define your objectives, deliverables, decision-making criteria, how many agencies you will review and the budget, as the guidance recommends. In the RFP itself, state:

• Objectives: business and marketing goals, with the KPIs you will use to judge success.
• Scope: the services in scope, such as strategy, SEO, paid media, content, social media or PR.
• Deliverables: what you expect monthly, quarterly and annually.
• Out of scope: what stays in-house or with other agencies, so responsibilities do not overlap.

3. Budget and Engagement Type

Be as upfront as possible about planned marketing budget and business size so agencies can size the work. State whether the engagement is a retainer, a project or a roster arrangement, and say so if price is your top priority.

A range is usually enough. If you run a roster, note the guidance’s warning that making roster agencies pitch for every assignment, a “jump-ball” approach, can harm the relationship.

4. GCC Market Requirements

We recommend asking agencies to address each of the following GCC-specific points.

• Bilingual delivery: native Arabic and English copywriting with cultural review, not translation alone. Ask who does the work and whether it is in-house or outsourced.
• Market coverage: which of the UAE and Saudi Arabia the agency serves with people on the ground, and how it adapts to audience differences between markets.
• E-procurement registration: for UAE government work, bidders must register on the relevant e-procurement system. The Ministry of Finance’s Federal Supplier Register is activated within 30 working days if requirements are complete and must be renewed every year. Dubai uses eSupply, Abu Dhabi uses the Abu Dhabi Government Procurement Gate and Sharjah has its own eProcurement Portal.
• Influencer compliance: the UAE Media Council announced an Advertiser Permit for anyone posting advertising content on social media, paid or unpaid, with visitors able to obtain it through a licensed UAE agency. Ask how the agency confirms that talent hold the permit or will arrange it.
• Saudi requirements: if the scope includes Saudi public-sector work, ask agencies to explain how they meet applicable procurement and registration requirements, and confirm those requirements directly with the relevant Saudi authority.

For wider context on compliance, see our overview of advertising rules in the UAE.

5. Response Format, NDA and IP Terms

The guidance recommends standard response templates for the early stages, with some flexibility so agencies can show their qualifications. NDAs can protect both sides.

State your IP position explicitly. Unless it is agreed in advance, ideally in writing, and paid for, creative work presented during a review remains the agency’s intellectual property.

6. Selection Criteria, Timeline and Decision-Makers

Publish your evaluation criteria and their weightings, the dates of each stage, who the agencies will meet and when they will receive feedback. Transparency here signals a serious process and attracts serious responses.

RFP sections checklist:

• Cover and contacts: a single point of contact and a clarification-question window.
• Background and problem: business, markets, audiences and the commercial problem.
• Objectives and KPIs: how success will be measured.
• Scope and deliverables: in scope, out of scope and expected outputs.
• Budget and engagement type: a range, plus retainer, project or roster.
• GCC requirements: bilingual delivery, market coverage, registration and permit compliance.
• Legal terms: NDA, IP position and data handling.
• Evaluation: criteria, weightings and decision-makers.
• Submission instructions: deadline, format, page limits and stage dates.

How Many Agencies to Invite to Pitch

There is no fixed number. The VoxComm guide recommends a funnel, with a long list at the information-request stage, a shorter list at RFP and a final shortlist, and favours fewer but better-qualified agencies.

The guide also warns that inviting too many agencies wastes the client’s time and raises costs for the whole industry. Our practical rule: only invite an agency to the RFP stage if you could realistically appoint it.

1. RFI (request for information): a short questionnaire that screens on hard criteria such as capability, market coverage, conflicts and registration.
2. RFP: the full brief, with written responses scored against your weighted criteria.
3. Shortlist: presentations, compatibility sessions and reference checks, with a list small enough that every agency gets a proper hearing and feedback.

The Agency Evaluation Scorecard

An agency evaluation scorecard turns impressions into a defensible decision: a small number of weighted criteria, agreed in advance and scored on evidence. The VoxComm guide offers example criteria, leaves the weightings to the client and advises keeping the number of criteria to a minimum.

Its examples include similar or relevant client experience, recent relevant awards, team chemistry and alignment, feedback from existing clients, and strategic insight into the client’s business objectives.

1. Suggested Criteria and Example Weights

The weights below are Upscale Digital’s suggested starting point for a B2B mandate in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, not an industry standard. Adjust them to your priorities before the RFP is issued.

2. Score on Evidence, Not Presentation Polish

The guidance is clear that expertise should be the main consideration and that submissions should be scored on evidence against the stated criteria. A practical way to do this is a 1–5 scale with written anchors.

• 1 – No evidence: claims without examples or detail.
• 3 – Adequate evidence: relevant examples, but loosely connected to your objectives.
• 5 – Strong evidence: specific, verifiable examples directly tied to your problem and markets.

Each panellist should score independently before any group discussion and record a one-line justification for every score. Multiply each score by its weight to produce a total that can be explained to procurement and leadership.

3. Compatibility Sessions and Reference Checks

Final interviews should test “compatibility, not chemistry”, in the guide’s words, in the way a job interview would. Insist on meeting the people who will work on your account, not only the pitch team.

Useful reference questions include:

• Continuity: did the team that pitched stay on the account?
• Candour: how did the agency handle a campaign that underperformed?
• Reporting: were reports clear and tied to business outcomes?

Running a Fair Agency Pitch Process: Fees, IP, Payment Terms and Feedback

A fair agency pitch process attracts stronger agencies and better thinking. The essentials are clarity on budget and IP, a considered approach to pitch costs, payment terms kept out of the competition, and genuine feedback.

This is not new thinking. The UK’s ISBA and IPA best-practice guide and its companion Finding an Agency already aimed for a fair, transparent process that does not impose excessive costs on agencies. The 2025 principles build on that foundation.

• Pitch costs: the guidance asks clients to consider the value of the account, search cost, consultant fees, the price or value of IP, a contribution to agency time costs (especially when requesting bespoke work) and third-party costs such as travel. WFA notes that media agencies’ pitching costs are 50% higher than creative agencies’.
• Intellectual property: if you want to use ideas from the pitch, agree it in writing and pay for it.
• Payment terms: standard terms are typically 30–60 days, though nearly a quarter of businesses operate on 90-day terms and some on 120 or more. The guidance says terms should be negotiated after selection, not used as a competitive advantage in the pitch.
• Feedback: give timely, actionable feedback at each stage, live or by video or phone, particularly after the final round.

How Large UAE Organisations Approach Agency Evaluation

UAE government entities use formal procurement. They state that they follow a fair and transparent tendering system, with public invitations to bid that come with guidelines, and mandatory registration on the relevant e-procurement system.

At federal level, Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2023 on Procurement in Federal Government sets the framework for ministries, authorities and their subsidiaries. It came into force on 1 December 2023 and also applies when older contracts are amended, renewed or extended.

Beyond these public-sector tendering rules, the panel structure, weighted scoring and compatibility sessions described in this guide reflect WFA and VoxComm best practice and our own recommendation, rather than a documented UAE standard. Private companies can borrow the government disciplines and combine them with that best practice:

• Written guidelines: every agency receives the same brief, timeline and rules.
• Published criteria: weightings are shared and fixed before responses arrive.
• Supplier checks: licences, registrations and permit compliance are verified at the RFI stage.
• Documented decisions: scores and justifications are kept on file for audit.

Compliance deserves weight in any UAE evaluation, so ask agencies how they keep content and talent compliant with UAE Media Council requirements, and confirm specifics with the official authority.

After Selection: Onboarding the New Agency

Plan for a ramp-up period. The VoxComm guide notes that new agency team members need three to six months to become embedded in the client’s business.

We recommend an onboarding plan that covers:

• Access and data: analytics, ad accounts, CRM views and historical performance on day one.
• Brand and messaging: guidelines, approved Arabic and English terminology and tone.
• KPI baseline: agreed starting metrics so progress is measured fairly.
• Governance: a weekly working rhythm, monthly reporting and quarterly reviews.
• Transition: a clean handover of assets and accounts from the incumbent.

If you are appointing a specialist rather than a full-service agency, our sub-guides cover how to choose an SEO company in Dubai, how to choose a PPC agency in Dubai and how to choose a website development company in Dubai.

Key Takeaways

• Question the pitch first: fixing the current relationship or using a lighter format can be faster than a full review.
• Align before you issue: marketing and procurement should agree criteria, weightings and one decision-maker.
• Brief clearly: objectives, budget, operational details and selection criteria, plus GCC requirements such as bilingual delivery and permit compliance.
• Invite fewer, better agencies: use an RFI-to-shortlist funnel rather than a large open pitch.
• Score on evidence: a weighted scorecard with independent scoring makes the decision defensible.
• Run it fairly: respect agency IP, consider pitch costs, keep payment terms out of the competition and give real feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What should a marketing agency RFP include?

A marketing agency RFP should cover four core areas: business objectives and problem statements, budget, operational details and selection criteria. GCC companies should add bilingual Arabic and English requirements, market coverage across the UAE and KSA, e-procurement registration where relevant, influencer permit compliance, NDA and IP terms, submission instructions, the timeline and the named decision-makers. The 2025 EACA Cost of Pitching study, cited in the VoxComm guide, found clear briefing was the leading factor in a successful pitching experience.

2. How do large companies in the UAE evaluate marketing agencies?

UAE government entities state that they follow a fair and transparent tendering system: invitations to bid are public and come with guidelines, and bidders must register on the relevant e-procurement system, such as the Ministry of Finance’s federal platform, Dubai’s eSupply or the Abu Dhabi Government Procurement Gate. For the evaluation itself, international best practice from WFA and VoxComm, and our recommendation for private buyers, is to agree weighted criteria in advance, score responses on evidence, test compatibility with the team who will run the account and check references with shortlisted agencies.

3. How many agencies should we invite to pitch?

There is no fixed number. Current industry guidance recommends a funnel: a longer list at the request-for-information stage, a shorter list at RFP and a small final shortlist, favouring fewer, better-qualified agencies. A practical rule is to invite an agency to the RFP stage only if you would genuinely appoint it, and to keep the shortlist small enough that you can give every agency proper feedback.

4. Should we tell agencies our marketing budget in the RFP?

Yes, as far as you can. Industry guidance advises being upfront about planned marketing budget and business size so agencies can size their proposals realistically. A range is usually enough. You should also state the engagement type, whether retainer, project or roster, and say so plainly if price is your top priority. Without a budget, proposals become impossible to compare fairly.

5. Who owns the ideas agencies present in a pitch?

Unless it is agreed in advance, ideally in writing, and paid for, creative work an agency presents during a review remains the agency’s intellectual property. If you want rights to pitch ideas, say so in the RFP and offer payment. Many clients also consider a contribution to agency time and third-party costs, particularly when they request bespoke creative or strategic work.

6. How long does the agency selection process take?

The average pitch can last up to six months, so plan stages, panel availability and feedback dates before issuing the RFP. After appointment, expect a new agency team to need three to six months to become fully embedded in your business. Building that onboarding period into your plans avoids judging the agency too early.

Final Thoughts

The best agency selection processes are decided before the RFP is sent: clear objectives, an honest budget, agreed criteria and a fair set of rules. Get those right and the scorecard does the rest.

If you want your objectives, audience and channel priorities clear before you brief agencies, our marketing and brand strategy service covers market and audience research, a channel and budget plan, and positioning and messaging, serving Dubai, Riyadh and Beirut. To talk through your selection plans, get in touch with our team.

References

1. WFA and VoxComm launch new pitch principles — World Federation of Advertisers, 15 July 2025
2. Agency Selection Guiding Principles (June 2025) — VoxComm with WFA, June 2025
3. ISBA and IPA publish best-practice guide on agency search and selection — ISBA, 5 September 2019
4. Finding an Agency — IPA, 5 September 2019
5. Government tendering and awarding — UAE Government portal (u.ae), undated
6. UAE announces ‘advertiser permit’ for social media influencers to regulate online ads — Khaleej Times, 30 July 2025