LMS Request for Proposal (RFP) Template
A ready-to-use RFP template for organizations purchasing a Learning Management System. Customize each section to match your requirements, then distribute to 3–5 shortlisted vendors with a clear response deadline. Replace all [bracketed text] with your organization's specifics.
Key Takeaways
- 9 comprehensive sections covering organizational context, functional requirements, technical requirements, security, pricing, implementation, support, vendor information, and evaluation criteria.
- Every requirement can be marked Required (R), Preferred (P), or Optional (O) so vendors respond precisely.
- Includes a weighted scoring rubric: Functional Fit (30%), Technical Fit (15%), Ease of Use (15%), Pricing (15%), Implementation (10%), Support (10%), Vendor Viability (5%).
- Share with L&D, IT, Procurement, and business unit stakeholders before sending — requirements you miss now become compromises later.
- Includes 10 demo questions designed to get past the sales pitch and see how platforms actually perform.
Section 1: Introduction & Overview
Start with your organization profile and project context:
- Organization details: Name, industry, headquarters, employee count
- Learner projections: Year 1 count, Year 3 projected growth
- Current LMS: Existing platform (if any) and reason for change
- Project overview: 2-3 paragraphs on primary use cases, expected outcomes, and constraints
- RFP timeline: Issue date → Questions due → Submission deadline → Shortlist → Demos → Trial → Selection → Go-live
Section 2: Functional Requirements
Mark each as R (Required), P (Preferred), or O (Optional). Vendors respond: ✅ Fully supported, 🔧 Supported with configuration, 🔌 Via integration, 🗓️ On roadmap, ❌ Not supported.
Learning & Content Delivery
- ☐ SCORM 1.2/2004 and xAPI support
- ☐ Native video hosting with adaptive streaming
- ☐ Live virtual classroom integration (Zoom, Teams, Webex)
- ☐ Learning paths spanning multiple courses
- ☐ Drip/scheduled content release
- ☐ Cohort-based delivery with start/end dates
- ☐ Multi-language content support
- ☐ Built-in content authoring
Assessment & Certification
- ☐ Quiz engine with multiple question types
- ☐ Question banks with randomization
- ☐ Customizable certificate templates
- ☐ Certificate expiration and auto-recertification
- ☐ Proctoring or assessment integrity features
User Management
- ☐ SSO via SAML 2.0 or OAuth/OIDC
- ☐ SCIM provisioning
- ☐ Role-based access with custom roles
- ☐ Multi-tenant / sub-account architecture
- ☐ Auto-enrollment rules
Section 3: Technical Requirements
- ☐ Cloud-hosted SaaS (no on-premise required)
- ☐ 99.9%+ uptime SLA
- ☐ CDN for global content delivery
- ☐ Sandbox/staging environment
- ☐ REST API with documentation
- ☐ Webhooks and Zapier/Make connector
- ☐ LTI 1.3 support
- ☐ Native mobile apps (iOS/Android)
- ☐ Offline learning with sync
- ☐ Branded/white-label mobile app
Integration matrix: List your specific systems (HRIS, CRM, communication tools, identity provider, content storage) and ask vendors to describe their integration method for each.
Writing an LMS RFP?
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Section 4: Security & Compliance
Vendors must complete this fully. Incomplete security responses may result in disqualification.
- ☐ Encryption at rest and in transit (specify standards)
- ☐ Penetration testing (most recent date)
- ☐ SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, FERPA, CCPA, WCAG 2.1 AA (check all held)
- ☐ Data residency options
- ☐ Sub-processor list
- ☐ Data Processing Agreement (DPA) available
- ☐ Data retention policy after contract ends
Section 5: Pricing
Request pricing for 3 scenarios: current learner count, 2x growth, and 3x growth. Itemize all costs:
- Platform license/subscription (annual)
- Implementation/setup fees
- Data migration costs
- Admin training
- Premium support tier
- Custom integrations
- Additional storage
- Mobile app (if separate)
- API access (if separate)
Key questions: How do you define "active user"? What happens if we exceed our tier mid-contract? Are there annual price increase caps? What discounts for multi-year commitments?
Section 6: Evaluation Criteria
| Criteria | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Functional Fit | 30% | How well the platform meets stated requirements |
| Technical Fit | 15% | Architecture, integrations, security, scalability |
| Ease of Use | 15% | Admin and learner experience (assessed during trial) |
| Pricing & Value | 15% | Total cost of ownership relative to capabilities |
| Implementation | 10% | Timeline, methodology, migration support |
| Support & Partnership | 10% | Responsiveness, account management, long-term fit |
| Vendor Viability | 5% | Company stability, customer base, trajectory |
10 Questions for Live Demos
Use these during vendor demos to get beyond the sales pitch:
- Show us creating a course from scratch — no pre-built content
- Walk through a new employee's first day on the platform
- Show a manager checking team compliance status and following up on overdue training
- Demonstrate your most complex use case handling
- Show us what happens when something goes wrong — an error, a failed upload
- Build a custom report live — don't show pre-built ones
- Show the mobile experience on an actual phone
- Demonstrate the SSO login flow
- Show how an admin troubleshoots a learner issue
- What's the one thing you'd improve about your own product?
Writing an LMS RFP?
Get expert guidance on requirements and vendor selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
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By the LMS Guide editorial team