A good tender is the cheapest insurance a network project can buy. When every supplier answers the same questions, you can compare them on facts, not on brochures. Our free Enterprise Network RFP and Evaluation Checklist gives you 40 questions in eight sections, plus a weighted scoring sheet.

Download the RFP Checklist (PDF, free to copy and use)

How the scoring works

Score each answer from 0 (not supported) to 5 (exceeds the requirement with evidence). Average the scores in each section, multiply by the section weight and add them up. A supplier with a weighted total of 3.5 or more out of 5 is usually ready for award.

The eight sections, with sample questions

A. Product fit and performance (20%)

• Do the switches provide the required ports, PoE standard (802.3af/at/bt) and total PoE budget with at least 20% headroom?
• Which Wi-Fi standard do the access points support, and do they need 2.5G ports?

B. Total cost of ownership (15%)

• What is the five-year cost including licences, support and spares?
• Are management, controller or PoE features licensed separately?

C. Local availability and lead time (15%)

• Where is stock held, and how many units are available now?
• Who is the local importer of record?

D. Warranty and RMA (15%)

• What is the warranty period, in writing, for each product family?
• Where are faulty units returned, and how long does replacement take?

E. Technical support (10%)

• Will the supplier review the design before order?
• Are manuals and video guides publicly available?

F. Security and compliance (10%)

• Can the supplier provide CE, FCC and RoHS certificates for each model?
• Can every serial number be verified as genuine?
• Do managed switches support 802.1X, ACLs, SSH/HTTPS and SNMPv3?

G. Management and scalability (10%)

• Which standard protocols are supported (802.1Q, LACP, RSTP, LLDP, SNMP, Syslog)?
• Is there a Layer 3 or chassis upgrade path?

H. Partner ecosystem (5%)

• How many distributors and resellers operate in your country?
• Will the supplier sign an authorisation letter for the tender?

Three mistakes to avoid

1. Writing the tender around one brand. Specify requirements, not part numbers, so qualified suppliers can compete.
2. Ignoring warranty logistics. A long warranty is worth little if the unit must be shipped abroad for repair.
3. Skipping authenticity checks. Grey-market and counterfeit units carry security and support risk.

Let us answer it for you

Send us your project requirements and the Navijin team will complete the checklist with datasheets and certificates attached. Request it on our quotation page, or read the Market Guide 2026 for the full evaluation framework.