In theory, the Request for Proposal (RFP) process is meant to bring the best solutions to the table.

In reality, for many organizations—especially in government and large enterprises, the RFP process is often where innovation goes to die.

When innovation is needed most, the system built to enable it becomes the bottleneck.

1. RFPs Are Built for Certainty, Not Innovation

Traditional RFP processes in government are designed to eliminate risk by specifying every detail up front. But true innovation thrives in uncertainty and exploration.

When the process:

  • Asks for exact solutions instead of problems to solve
  • Requires rigid compliance over creative thinking
  • Disqualifies newer or smaller vendors over lack of past performance

…you end up encouraging the safe and familiar, not the innovative and transformative.

2. Slow Procurement = Missed Opportunities

Innovation today happens fast. Startups, digital firms, and tech partners move in weeks, not quarters.

A slow procurement cycle that takes 6 – 12 months to approve a vendor means:

  • Emerging technologies are outdated by the time they’re adopted
  • Internal momentum fizzles out
  • Top innovators don’t even bother applying

By the time the project begins, the market has moved on.

3. The Best Vendors Don’t Want to Play the RFP Game

Many of the most innovative partners, especially in SaaS, AI, and cloud – avoid government RFPs altogether because:

  • The paperwork is massive
  • The win rates are low
  • The timelines are glacial

So, instead of getting the best, the system filters in those who are simply good at navigating bureaucracy.

4. One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work Anymore

Innovation isn’t linear, and neither should your procurement be.

Trying to apply the same RFP process to buy AI-powered analytics software as you would for office furniture doesn’t make sense. Yet, it happens all the time.

Modernizing the RFP process means:

  • Segmenting based on complexity and innovation level
  • Using agile procurement methods like pilots, proofs of concept, and challenge-based sourcing
  • Building flexible scopes, not rigid checklists

5. RFPs Must Focus on Outcomes, Not Inputs

Instead of asking:

 “Does your tool have X, Y, and Z features?”

Ask:

 “How will your solution reduce citizen wait times by 40%?”

Public sector innovation requires clarity in goals, but flexibility in how vendors achieve them.

Let providers bring the “how.” You focus on the “why.”

Final Thought

If your RFP process is taking months to issue and years to complete, it’s not enabling innovation, it’s actively blocking it.

The intent behind RFPs is right: ensure fairness, transparency, and value.
But the execution must evolve.

  • Shift toward agile procurement.
  • Prioritize outcomes over inputs.
  • Build space for experimentation.

Because in today’s fast-moving world, the slowest part of your innovation strategy shouldn’t be the way you hire the people to do it.