Short answer
A good office fit-out RFP gives every bidder the same brief, the same scope boundaries and the same pricing format, so the quotes you get back can be compared line by line. It should include the site details, a clear scope matrix, a specification level, a priced BOQ format, your commercial terms, the timeline and the scoring method. Do this well and the lowest credible quote becomes easy to spot.
Fit-out RFP in 10 sections
Give every bidder the same brief
- Company and project overview
- Site information
- Space programme
- Scope matrix
- Specification level
- Pricing format
- Programme
- Commercial terms
- Submission requirements
- Evaluation method
Why RFP quality matters more this season
Office demand in India is holding up, and rents are rising. Figures reported on 12 October 2026 put leasing across eight major markets at about 66.7 million sq ft in the first nine months of the year, level with 2025. Annual rent growth in the third quarter ranged from 3% to 13%, with NCR at about 12%. Many companies signing leases now will move in during 2027, and most will try to finish their fit-out inside the rent-free period.
That leaves little time for a messy tender. When an RFP is vague, bidders fill the gaps with their own assumptions. One prices premium glass, another prices basic gypsum. One includes HVAC, another leaves it out. You then spend weeks normalising quotes that were never comparable. A clear RFP saves those weeks and protects the budget. Our guide on why contractors quote different prices for the same office explains where the gaps usually hide.
RFI, RFQ and RFP: which do you need?
- RFI (Request for Information): A short questionnaire to build a shortlist. You ask about experience, team, financial strength and similar-sized projects.
- RFQ (Request for Quotation): A price request against a completed design and BOQ. Use it when your design is already finished and you only need a contractor to build it.
- RFP (Request for Proposal): A request for a full proposal covering approach, design, price, programme and team. This is the right format for design-and-build or turnkey projects, where bidders propose both the design and the build.
For most companies leasing a new office, a short RFI followed by an RFP to three to five shortlisted firms works well.
The ten sections of a fit-out RFP
| # | Section | What to include |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company and project overview | Who you are, why you're moving, target move-in date, decision-makers |
| 2 | Site information | Address, floor(s), carpet and super area, shell condition (bare or warm shell), landlord fit-out manual, building drawings |
| 3 | Space programme | Headcount now and in 3–5 years, workstations, cabins, meeting rooms, collaboration, pantry, server room, special areas |
| 4 | Scope matrix | Who supplies what: landlord, contractor, your IT team, other vendors |
| 5 | Specification level | Quality band, preferred brands or "or equivalent" lists, sustainability goals |
| 6 | Pricing format | A common BOQ or price schedule, provisional sums, exclusions, GST shown separately |
| 7 | Programme | Lease dates, rent-free period, access date, working-hour restrictions |
| 8 | Commercial terms | Payment milestones, retention, liquidated damages, defects liability period, insurance, warranties |
| 9 | Submission requirements | What bidders must submit, format, deadline, site visit date, query window |
| 10 | Evaluation method | How you will score technical and commercial bids |
Section by section: the details that make quotes comparable
Space programme: give bidders real numbers
The space programme is the brief. If you are not sure what to put in it, start with our list of information to give your designer before the first layout.
Site information: share the landlord's documents
Attach the landlord's fit-out manual and as-built drawings, including floor plans, HVAC provisions, electrical load available, fire system details and structural limits. Bidders who cannot see these will either load their prices for risk or leave things out. Arrange one common site visit so every bidder sees the same conditions.
Scope matrix: the single most useful page
Many pricing gaps come from scope boundaries. A simple matrix removes them. List each item and mark who is responsible:
- Civil works, partitions, false ceilings and flooring
- HVAC, including any landlord-provided base system and the tenant-side distribution
- Electrical, UPS, DG backup and raw power
- Fire detection, sprinklers and approvals
- Structured cabling, Wi-Fi, access control, CCTV and AV
- Loose and system furniture, and pantry equipment
- Signage, branding and artwork
- Statutory approvals, landlord approvals and NOCs
- Active IT equipment, such as switches, firewalls and laptops (often your IT team)
Specification level: name a quality band
"Premium finish" means different things to different bidders. Describe the quality band in concrete terms, such as ceiling type, glass thickness, workstation system, flooring and lighting controls, and list acceptable brands with an "or equivalent" option.
Rate bands help with budgeting. Officea Design & Build publishes a 2026 rate card (per sq ft, GST extra) that is a useful reference point:
| Tier | Delhi NCR & Chandigarh | Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Goa |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ₹1,800 | ₹2,000 |
| Medium | ₹2,200 | ₹2,400 |
| Good | ₹2,600 | ₹2,900 |
| High end | ₹4,500 | ₹5,000 |
Telling bidders "we are budgeting at roughly the Medium band" keeps proposals within a realistic range and stops them from over- or under-designing.
Pricing format: one schedule for everyone
- Provide a price schedule split by trade, including civil and interiors, HVAC, electrical, fire, ELV and IT, furniture, and preliminaries.
- Ask for quantities and rates, not just lump sums, so you can see where prices differ.
- Define provisional sums (allowances for items not yet designed) yourself, and give every bidder the same figure.
- Ask for a separate list of exclusions and assumptions. This is often where the real price difference is hidden.
- Show GST separately on every line.
Programme: anchor it to the lease
State the access date, rent-free period and target move-in. Mention any building restrictions, such as night-only noisy work, goods-lift slots or weekend access. Ask each bidder for a week-by-week programme showing design approval, long-lead items such as HVAC units, glass and furniture, and the commissioning period. For typical durations, see how long an office fit-out takes in India.
Commercial terms: decide them before you tender
Put your proposed payment milestones, retention, liquidated damages for delay, defects liability period, warranties and insurance requirements in the RFP. Then ask bidders to confirm acceptance or list deviations. Negotiating these after selecting a firm weakens your position and delays the start.
How to evaluate the proposals
Use a two-stage evaluation. Score the technical proposal first, then open the commercial bids of those that pass a minimum technical score. The weights below are only an example. Set your own before you issue the RFP and share them with bidders.
| Criterion | Example weight | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Design response and test fit | 20% | Meets the space programme, efficient planning, sensible growth allowance |
| Relevant experience | 15% | Similar size and type of projects, verifiable references and site visits |
| MEP capability | 15% | In-house or committed MEP design and execution, not an afterthought |
| Programme and methodology | 15% | Realistic schedule, long-lead planning, site management plan |
| Team and accountability | 10% | Named project manager, single point of contact, escalation route |
| Price (normalised) | 25% | Price after adjusting for exclusions and scope gaps |
"Normalised" is the important word. Before comparing prices, add back anything a bidder excluded that others included, using an agreed rate. The lowest headline number is often not the lowest real cost.
A realistic RFP timeline
- Week 1: Issue the RFI and shortlist three to five firms.
- Week 2: Issue the RFP, then hold a joint site visit.
- Weeks 2–3: Query window. Share all answers with every bidder.
- Week 4: Proposals due.
- Week 5: Presentations, clarifications and technical scoring.
- Week 6: Commercial normalisation, negotiation and award.
Six weeks is achievable for a typical office if decision-makers are available. Shortening the bid period below about two weeks usually leads to rushed, assumption-heavy proposals.
Common RFP mistakes
- Sending only a floor plan and asking for "your best price"
- No scope matrix, so HVAC, fire or furniture is left in no-man's land
- Allowing each bidder to use its own BOQ format
- Answering a query for one bidder without telling the others
- Choosing on headline price before normalising exclusions
- Leaving commercial terms to "discuss later"
Where a design-and-build partner fits
With a traditional route, you appoint a designer, finish the drawings and BOQ, then tender the build. With a design-and-build or turnkey RFP, each bidder proposes the design and the price together, and the winning firm takes single-point accountability for design, MEP, civil work and furniture through to handover. Officea Design & Build works on this model pan-India. Its published case studies include a 3,000 sq ft Gurgaon office delivered in 28 days and a 10,000 sq ft Noida office delivered in 43 days. Whichever route you choose, the same RFP discipline applies. For the trade-offs, read design and build vs traditional office fit-out and see our design and build service.
Frequently asked questions
What should an office fit-out RFP include?
It should include a company and project overview, site information and landlord documents, the space programme, a scope matrix, the specification level, a common pricing format, the programme, commercial terms, submission requirements and the evaluation method. Together these let every bidder price the same thing.
How many contractors should I invite to bid for an office interior project?
Three to five shortlisted firms is usually enough. Fewer limits competition, while more creates evaluation work and discourages serious bidders, who know their odds are low. Use a short RFI first to filter for relevant experience and capacity.
How long should bidders get to respond to a fit-out RFP?
About two to three weeks, including a site visit and a query window, is reasonable for most offices. Larger or more complex projects may need longer. Very short deadlines tend to produce proposals full of assumptions and exclusions.
Why are fit-out quotes for the same office so different?
The usual reasons are different scope assumptions, different specifications and different exclusions, rather than very different margins. A common scope matrix, a defined quality band and a single pricing format remove most of this variation.
Should I use a design-and-build RFP or tender a completed design?
Design-and-build suits companies that want speed and one accountable party, and that can describe their needs clearly. Tendering a completed design suits companies that want to fix the design in detail before pricing, and that have time for a longer, two-stage process.
What does an office fit-out cost per sq ft in 2026?
Officea's published 2026 rates in Delhi NCR are ₹1,800 (Basic), ₹2,200 (Medium), ₹2,600 (Good) and ₹4,500 (High end) per sq ft, GST extra. Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Goa run about 10% higher. Actual costs depend on the building, scope and specification.
Preparing an RFP for a new office? Officea Design & Build offers a complimentary site visit and a layout and budget estimate you can use to set a realistic budget band before you tender. Request yours here.