What is a Vendor Response?
Definition
Formal submission from vendors answering all RFP questions with documentation, certifications, pricing, references, and supporting materials. Vendor responses are evaluated using scoring rubrics to objectively compare capabilities and select the best-fit provider."
Why This Matters
Complete vendor responses with documentation, certifications, and references indicate vendor seriousness and capabilities. Incomplete responses, vague answers, or missing sections warrant additional scrutiny.
Related Terms
Showing semantically related terms from our RFP knowledge graph. Priority connections are highlighted.
Essential Connections
RFP Submission
RFP Fundamentals
The act of vendors delivering completed proposals by the specified deadline in the required format (PDF, Word, online portal).
Request for Proposal
RFP Fundamentals
RFP stands for Request for Proposal—a formal business document used to solicit vendor proposals for products or services.
Proposal Response
RFP Fundamentals
Vendor's formal reply to an RFP with proposed solution, pricing, and capabilities.
Vendor Proposal
Vendor Management & Evaluation
Comprehensive submission from vendors detailing how they meet RFP requirements.
RFP Answer
RFP Fundamentals
Vendor's specific response to individual RFP questions addressing requirements, capabilities, and approach.
Bid Submission
RFP Fundamentals
Formal delivery of vendor response meeting RFP submission requirements and deadline.
Vendor Evaluation
Vendor Management & Evaluation
Comprehensive assessment of software vendors across product fit, security compliance, implementation capabilities, company qualifications, and total cost of ownership.
Evaluation Criteria
Vendor Management & Evaluation
Standardized requirements used to assess and compare software vendors including product capabilities, security certifications, implementation methodology, support SLAs, and pricing structure.
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Related RFP Templates
Explore our top RFP templates - all 75 templates include questions about vendor response