Running a Better RFP: Why Municipal Procurement Doesn’t Have to Be Slow or Painful

Talk to any municipal team about procurement, and the story is usually the same: big technology needs, tight timelines, and not enough staff capacity to run a full RFP without stretching the team thin. It’s not that procurement is the problem, it’s that doing it well requires a level of time and expertise most teams simply don’t have.

We see this all the time. Great teams, great intentions… but not enough capacity to move big technology projects forward.

Where RFPs Really Get Stuck

Most municipalities aren’t struggling because they don’t care about modernization. They’re struggling because:

●       Their systems are aging.

●       Their teams are stretched thin.

●       Requests for new tools and improvements keep piling up.

●       And nobody has enough hours to gather requirements, build the RFP, evaluate vendors, negotiate contracts, and still keep day-to-day operations running.

Procurement often becomes the bottleneck, not because people aren’t doing their best, but because the process demands a level of expertise and capacity that’s hard to come by internally.

A Better Way to Do RFP

This is where bringing in a partner makes a huge difference. More municipalities are outsourcing RFP support not to hand off control, but to make the process smoother, faster, and far less stressful for staff.

At Perry Group, this type of work is a big part of what we do and it’s one of the areas where you can feel the most immediate impact.

What Working With Us Actually Looks Like

Our approach is pretty simple: take the heavy lifting off your plate, keep your team focused on what only they can decide, and make the entire process easier and more efficient.

We start by getting everyone aligned on the vision, scope, and outcomes. Instead of asking your team to start from a blank page, we bring in baseline municipal requirements we’ve refined through years of similar projects. This means your team can react, refine, and shape the solution instead of trying to invent everything from scratch.

We also work side-by-side with your Procurement group to make sure the purchasing strategy, templates, and legal requirements are nailed down early. That alone saves weeks of back-and-forth.

From there, we draft the RFP materials, help refine them with your project team, and get everything ready for Procurement to issue. And we don’t disappear once the RFP goes out, we stay on through vendor questions, evaluations, shortlisting, interviews, demos, reference checks, and even contract negotiations.

By the time a preferred vendor is selected, your team has a clear, documented understanding of risks, next steps, and what implementation will really require.

Municipalities We’ve Supported

We’ve helped municipalities of all sizes through full RFP cycles from Waterloo Region’s development tracking system procurement, to Cambridge’s CRM acquisition, to Guelph’s digital planning improvements, to Hamilton’s accelerated procurement after their cyber incident.

Every situation was different, but the story was the same: big project, small team, too much work, and not enough time.

What Happens When Procurement Is Done Well

The results tend to show up quickly.

●       Teams finally get the roadmaps they’ve been waiting for.

●       Staff spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on meaningful work.

●       Council gets clearer justification for investment.

●       Procurement and Legal get clean, complete packages.

●       And the organization actually selects, buys, and implements the right solution.

One of the biggest shifts we hear from staff is relief. Procurement stops being a barrier and becomes a strategic tool that helps move important work forward.

Why This Matters Now

Municipalities are under enormous pressure tight budgets, aging systems, rising service expectations, and limited staff capacity. And technology projects aren’t slowing down.

A better procurement process doesn’t just get a system in the door faster. It protects staff time, reduces risk, improves decision-making, and increases the chances of a successful implementation.

If you’re staring at an upcoming RFP and thinking, “We know what we want, we just don’t have the time or bandwidth to run this properly,” you’re not alone and there’s a practical way forward.

If you want help making your next RFP less stressful and more successful, let’s talk.