Welcome to the Hunger Games of IT procurement, where clients pretend they’re running a fair selection process, vendors pretend they have a chance, and procurement teams pretend they understand technology.

Welcome to the Hunger Games of IT procurement, where clients pretend they’re running a fair selection process, vendors pretend they have a chance, and procurement teams pretend they understand technology. If you’ve ever poured your soul into an RFP (Request for Proposal) only to hear crickets, congratulations—you’ve played yourself.

The truth? RFPs aren’t about hiring the best vendor. They exist for three main reasons:

• Corporate theater: The client already picked their favorite, but procurement demands a dog-and-pony show to keep things “fair.”
• Free consulting: The client has no clue what they actually need, so they let vendors do the thinking for them—for free.
• Price leverage: They just want their current vendor to drop their fees and need fake bids to wave around as threats.

And yet, vendors keep playing along. Why? Because every now and then, a real project sneaks in. But if you don’t know how to spot the difference, you’ll waste weeks writing proposals that no one will ever read.

How RFPs Trick Vendors Into Free Consulting

“Request for Proposal” sounds so official, doesn’t it? Like the client has a solid plan and just needs someone to execute it. That’s adorable.

Most of the time, an RFP is just a fancy way of saying, “Help, we have no idea what we’re doing, and we’d rather make you figure it out than pay a consultant.”

You know you’re being scammed when the RFP asks you to:

• Define their business strategy. (“Describe how your solution aligns with our five-year digital roadmap.” Oh? You mean the roadmap you don’t actually have?)
• Provide a full project plan. (“Please include milestones, resource allocations, and risk mitigation strategies.” Cool, so you want me to do all the planning before I even get the contract?)
• Break down pricing in excruciating detail. (“Please itemize all costs, including implementation, training, and support.” Ah, so you can hand my pricing to your preferred vendor to match?)

And the best part? After making you do all this work, they disappear. Months later, when you follow up, you get:

“Oh, we decided to go in a different direction.”

Translation:

“Thanks for the free strategy work! We gave your ideas to someone cheaper.”

Why the Best Proposal Doesn’t Always Win

You’d think clients would pick the most capable vendor with the best solution at a fair price. You’d also think they actually read the proposals before making a decision. Both are false.

Winning a bid has less to do with how well you answer the RFP and more with who already has the inside track.

1. The Client Already Has a Favorite

You can spot this when:

• The RFP sounds suspiciously tailored to a specific solution (“Must integrate seamlessly with VendorX’s proprietary software.” Oh, you mean the vendor you already use?).
• The requirements are written in a way that favors an existing provider.
• The deadline is so short that only someone already familiar with the system could realistically respond.

2. Procurement Just Wants the Cheapest Option

If you see words like “cost-effective” or “budget-conscious,” start running. This means procurement is in charge, and they don’t care about quality—they just want the lowest bid.

• If procurement is running the show, they’ll pick the cheapest option.
• If the business team has control, they’ll pay for value and reliability.

If you’re walking into a price war, you’ve already lost—because someone will always be cheaper.

3. Clients Pick “Safe” Vendors, Not the Best Ones

Most clients don’t want the best vendor; they want the least risky one. If your proposal is too innovative or different, they’ll pass—because change is scary.

• If your competitors have worked with them before, they have an edge.
• If your solution is too new, they’ll hesitate.
• If you aren’t the “safe” choice, you won’t win.

The Three Biggest Mistakes Vendors Make

Losing bids isn’t about having a bad solution—it’s about not understanding the game.

Mistake #1: Writing a Proposal Like a Technical Manual

Clients don’t care about your fancy tech specs. They care about results.

• A losing proposal: “Our AI-driven platform leverages machine learning and advanced automation to streamline workflows.”
• A winning proposal: “Our solution will cut your processing time in half and reduce errors by 40%.”

See the difference? Sell the outcome, not the features.

Mistake #2: Taking the RFP at Face Value

Just because an RFP lists 50 requirements doesn’t mean they actually care about all of them.

• Many are copy-pasted from old RFPs.
• Some are wish-list items that will disappear if the price is too high.
• Others are intentionally vague so they can shift expectations later.

Instead of treating every requirement as gospel, focus on what really matters to them.

Mistake #3: Competing on Price Alone

If you think lowering your price increases your chances, think again.

• Clients expect high-quality vendors to cost more.
• If your price is too low, they assume you’re cutting corners.

Instead of discounting, sell the value:

“Yes, we’re more expensive—but our solution eliminates 80% of your manual workload and guarantees long-term stability.”

If they still just want the cheapest option? Let them suffer. They’ll come back when their budget solution blows up in their face.

Final Thoughts: Stop Wasting Time on Rigged Competitions

The tender process is designed to waste your time—unless you learn to spot the traps.

• If the client already has a preferred vendor, your proposal is just a formality.
• If procurement is running the selection, they’ll pick the cheapest bid, not the best one.
• If the RFP is vague, they’re using you for free consulting.

The smartest vendors don’t chase every opportunity—they focus on winnable deals. If an RFP smells like a time-wasting scam, don’t waste your energy.

Because in the Vendor Hunger Games, the real prize isn’t winning more bids—it’s winning the right ones.