How to Write a Global Mobility or Relocation Services RFP: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve ever run a relocation RFP and found yourself staring at a stack of proposals that all sound alike yet somehow can’t be compared, you’re in good company. The pricing doesn’t line up, the strongest supplier on paper doesn’t quite inspire confidence, and it’s hard to put your finger on where the process went sideways.

Here’s the part that surprises most teams: the issue usually isn’t the responses. It’s the RFP that produced them.

It’s also worth naming something about the guidance you’ll find online. A good deal of the published advice on writing relocation RFPs comes from the relocation companies who later bid on them — useful, certainly, but written from the other side of the table. This guide is written from the corporate’s perspective.

Start with the unglamorous groundwork

The best RFPs are largely written before the document is opened. It’s tempting to skip ahead to the requirements, but three things must be addressed first, and overlooking them is where most RFPs lose their way. So what’s the groundwork?

1. Define your scope. ‘Relocation services’ or ‘global mobility services’ is a broad term. It can mean a full-service partner managing every move end to end, or a few targeted services filling a specific gap. Domestic or global? A handful of moves a year, or several hundred? Be clear on your scope, because it shapes everything that follows.
2. Engage the right people in from the start. A relocation program touches HR, Global Mobility, Total Rewards, Procurement, and Finance, and each function sees a different piece of the puzzle. Determine who will run the RFP – whether an internal function like Global Mobility or an external proposal management firm – you have options. Gathering their priorities before you draft saves you from reworking requirements later.
3. Be clear-eyed about budget. Decide what constitutes a good versus great supplier, and what you can realistically spend, before writing a single requirement. An RFP built on optimistic budgeting produces bids you can admire but can’t act on.

The elements of a strong relocation RFP

A complete relocation RFP is built through ten building blocks. Think of them less as boxes to tick and more as the strategic questions a capable suppliers needs answered to give you a proposal worth evaluation.

1. Company background and program overview — who you are, where you operate, and the shape and size of your mobility program.
2. Employee demographics and policies — who has access to the program (interns through to executives) and the policies that apply to them: domestic (US, Canada, etc.), international, and assignment moves, structured as core, core-flex, or lump sum.
3. Scope of services — the specific services you’re sourcing, stated clearly enough that every bidder is pricing the same thing.
4. Service levels and performance expectations — what great looks like, and how you’ll measure it.
5. Pricing and cost model — structured so you can compare bids side by side rather than guessing.
6. AI, technology and reporting — the platforms, data, and visibility you expect.
7. Compliance, data privacy, and security — tax, immigration, and data-handling requirements, which grow more significant every year.
8. Implementation and transition — how a supplier would move you to live service without disrupting employees mid-move.
9. Case studies, references and evidence — comparable programs they’ve supported, not generic case studies.
10. Evaluation criteria and weighting — signalled up front, so responses come back sharper and more relevant.
11. Timelines and submission instructions — dates, format, and a single point of contact.