Accessibility Software RFP: What to Ask For

A request for proposal, or RFP, is a short document that tells vendors exactly what you want, so their replies can be compared line by line. Without one, each vendor replies in its own format, shows its own demo, and hides its own gaps. With one, a buyer with no technical background can still spot the vendor that answered every question and the vendor that skipped three.

Keep the RFP to two pages. Vendors answer short RFPs faster and more plainly than long ones. Send it to three vendors, give them the same deadline, and score every reply on the same sheet.

Section 1: your site, in one paragraph

State what you run, in plain terms: the platform (WordPress, Shopify, a custom repo, or another setup), the number of sites, the approximate page count, the templates that matter (homepage, product or service pages, contact form, checkout or booking path), and who will review fixes (an owner, a developer, or an agency). Name the pages a vendor must include in its price. A quote that covers only the homepage is not a quote for your site.

State your timetable in the same paragraph: when you want work to start, when the first fixes should land, and when you need a second report. A vendor that cannot meet a dated timetable should say so in its reply, not after you sign.

Section 2: fix method, stated in writing

Require each vendor to state, in one paragraph, what changes when its product runs: source code, or the page at run time in the visitor's browser. Require a sample fix with old code and new code, or a written statement that no source code changes. For sites with a GitHub repository, Axeazy sends fixes as a real pull request with a visible code diff that the owner or developer reviews and merges. For WordPress sites, Axeazy's free plugin applies three render-time fixes: a skip navigation link, a page language attribute, and an alt text fallback. For Shopify stores and other sites with no repo, Axeazy scans the site and gives a guided checklist with computed fix values to apply by hand. Colour contrast is detected and a correct colour is calculated, but a visible colour change is never applied without owner approval.

Require the vendor to list its limits in the same section: which pages, which content types, and which document types are out of scope. Axeazy does not scan PDFs, so a vendor that claims to cover documents should be asked how, and at what price.

Section 3: testing and reports

Require the vendor to name the standard and level it tests against. A clear answer names WCAG 2.2 AA, the current W3C Recommendation, with the pages and paths tested named. Require a description of testing beyond an automated scan: keyboard testing, screen reader testing, and visual checks, with who does them named. The United States Department of Justice guidance backs this up: automated checkers can help, but a clean report does not mean everything is accessible, so pair a manual check with automated checks.

Require a sample report with dates, showing findings, severity, fix steps, and the date of each scan. Require the retest terms: what a retest after fixes includes, how many pages it covers, how soon after fixes it runs, and what it costs. Require the monitoring terms: check frequency, pages covered, how old reports are kept, who gets alerts, and whether reports can be exported as a PDF. Axeazy runs weekly monitoring on paid plans, and every scan and fix is recorded with a date and time.

Section 4: price, in a fixed format

Require every vendor to fill the same price lines, so the replies line up:

• Monthly price for your site, with page, traffic, and site limits stated.
• Yearly total for the same scope, with any annual saving stated.
• What moves the price up: traffic, pages, sites, or templates.
• One-off costs: setup, audit, retesting, documents, training.
• Contract length, renewal date, and what happens to reports and records if you leave.

For scale, Axeazy lists Starter at about $29 a month, Pro at about $79 a month, and Agency at about $199 a month or $1,799 a year, with paid prices shown at checkout and an annual saving of 20 to 25 percent. Check those figures on Axeazy's pricing page on the day you compare. For a manual audit, Accessible.org lists most audits at $1,250 to $2,750, at $100 to $250 per primary page and $25 to $100 per light page, checked October 31, 2026. A vendor that gives only a monthly figure, with tiers and fees left for later, has not filled the format.

Section 5: support, agency terms, and exit

Require the vendor to state support terms: response times, whether support covers fix questions or only billing, and whether a developer can speak to a person who knows the code. If an agency is buying, require the agency terms: white label portal, reports and badge, bulk scanning, per client risk scoring, and the number of client sites included. Axeazy's Agency plan covers up to ten client sites, with a white label portal, bulk scanning, and per client risk scoring, and the details sit on Axeazy's agency page.

Require the exit terms in writing: what happens to code fixes, reports, and records when the subscription ends. Merged code fixes stay in your code, because they are your code. A script product stops when the subscription stops. Require a reference: one sample report, one sample diff, or one retest report, not a review or a badge.

How to score the replies

Score each requirement as answered, vague, or missing, and add the yearly totals side by side. Weight fix method and testing above price: a cheap reply that leaves code unchanged and testing unnamed is not a saving. Ask follow-up questions in writing, and keep the answers with the RFP. When you sign, attach the vendor's RFP reply to the contract, so the promises in the reply are part of the deal.

Related reading

For a shorter version of the same questions, read questions to ask an accessibility vendor, and for the full buyer checklist, read accessibility tool buyer checklist. For agency buying, read best accessibility tools for web agencies.

• Accessibility Tool Features That Matter Most

FAQ

How many vendors should an RFP go to?

Three. Fewer than two leaves no check on the first pitch, and more than four makes scoring slow. Pick one code fix tool, one audit firm, and one other route you are seriously considering.

Should a small site write an RFP at all?

Yes, if the purchase is yearly or covers a checkout path. A two page RFP takes an afternoon to write and saves a year of arguing about what was promised.

What if a vendor refuses to answer in the RFP format?

Treat the refusal as an answer. A vendor that will not put its fix method, price, and exit terms in writing before you sign is unlikely to do so after you sign.

Last checked: October 31, 2026 Sources: W3C WCAG 2.2; ADA.gov web guidance; Accessible.org pricing page; Axeazy capabilities, pricing, and agency pages.

Run Axeazy's free 60 second scan on your homepage first, so your RFP can name the pages and problems vendors must price.