Your software platform runs your parties, host rewards, guest orders, commissions, and payouts. Moving to a new one later means migrating your data and re-testing your commission runs, so ask the hard questions before you sign.
Many of the RFP templates and checklists you will find for this kind of software are published by software vendors. This one is written for buyers. It does not name, rank, or recommend any vendor, and it starts with what party plan companies need and general MLM checklists tend to skip: parties from booking to close, host rewards and credits, guest ordering, group shipping, and returns after a commission run.
The free download includes four files:
- RFP template (PDF and editable Word file). Sections for your company overview, goals, current systems, data migration, timeline, and budget, plus 91 requirement questions for vendors to answer. Each question has a Must, Should, or Nice priority you can change. It also covers technical needs, pricing, implementation, references, contract terms, and how you will score answers.
- Buying checklist (two-page PDF). What to do before you send the RFP, what to test in demos, what to check before you sign, and the red flags to watch for.
- Vendor scoring sheet (Excel workbook). Score up to four vendors with weighted categories, a Must-item check, and a red flag count.
The buying checklist at a glance
Before you send the RFP
- Write down 3 to 5 measurable goals and what is not working today.
- Agree on who decides: home office, field leaders, finance, IT, compliance.
- List current systems and the data you must migrate, with years of history.
- Mark each requirement Must, Should, or Nice. Keep Must items few.
- Set category weights in the scoring sheet before any proposal arrives.
- Pick a go-live window away from month end and your peak season.
- Send the same RFP and deadline to every vendor (3 to 5 is plenty).
In scripted demos and the sandbox
- Run a full party with your data: booking, guest orders, host rewards, close.
- Return a guest order after the commission run. Watch commissions and host credits adjust.
- Run your comp plan on sample data, then change one rule yourself.
- Enter an in-person order and take payment on a phone.
- Export all data from the sandbox in a standard format.
- Ask who on their team would answer a month-end commission problem.
Before you sign
- Get a three-year cost in writing at today's size, 2x, and 5x.
- Confirm the definition of an active consultant used for pricing.
- Check that data ownership, free full export, and data return on exit are in the contract.
- Check the exit clause, auto-renewal, notice period, and price increase cap.
- Confirm uptime SLA, credits, and month-end support are in the contract.
- Confirm you can change payout provider without changing platform.
- Call references of similar size and model, including a recent launch.
- Plan parallel commission runs before go-live.
Red flags to watch for
- Comp plan lock-in. Plan rules can only be changed by the vendor, live in custom code, or cannot be exported in a readable form. Every plan change becomes a paid change request, and leaving means rebuilding the plan from scratch.
- No data export. No self-serve export of all data, a fee to get your own data back, or vague contract language about who owns the data and the genealogy.
- Per-distributor pricing surprises. Fees per active consultant with a loose definition of active, minimums that rise with growth, or a three-year cost that the vendor will not put in writing at two or five times your size.
- Payout provider dependency. Payouts only run through one provider the vendor chose, switching providers requires a new platform, or payout fees and fund holding are not disclosed up front.
- Demo without your data. The vendor will not run your comp plan or a sample party with your own data before contract signature.
- Hand-picked references only. No references of similar size or model, and no client that launched recently.
- Auto-renew with long notice. Multi-year auto-renewal with a long cancellation window and no price increase cap.
- No SLA credits. Uptime promised in marketing but not in the contract, or month-end commission runs excluded from support.
All four files download directly from this page. No signup is needed.
Use the files as they are or adapt them. They work for a startup choosing its first platform and for a mid-size company replacing one it has outgrown.
Published by Party Plan Solutions, owned by CNR Consulting, which also makes direct selling software.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this RFP template for?
Party plan and direct selling companies, from startups to mid-size, that are choosing a new software platform or replacing the one they have. It also works for hybrid companies that sell through parties, replicated sites, and ecommerce.
Is the template really vendor-neutral?
It names no vendors and does not rank or recommend any platform. Party Plan Solutions is owned by CNR Consulting, which also makes direct selling software, so we say so up front. No vendor paid for, reviewed, or contributed to the template.
What makes it different from a general MLM software checklist?
It starts with party plan needs: party scheduling and closing, host rewards and credits, bookings, guest checkout, ship-to-host orders, and what happens to commissions and host credits when an order is returned after a commission run.
How does the scoring sheet work?
You score each vendor answer from 0 to 5 and multiply it by its priority (Must 3, Should 2, Nice 1). The sheet averages the scores by category, applies your category weights, and shows a total out of 100 for up to four vendors. It also counts Must items scored 0 or 1 and red flags, so a high total cannot hide a deal breaker.
Can I edit the files and share them with vendors?
Yes. The Word and Excel files are fully editable. Replace the bracketed placeholders, delete questions you do not need, and send the RFP to as many vendors as you like.
Disclaimer
This template, checklist, and scoring sheet are general information for software buyers. They are not legal, tax, financial, or compliance advice. Requirements, laws, and vendor offerings change. Have your own counsel and advisors review your RFP, vendor responses, and any contract before you sign. Party Plan Solutions does not rank or recommend any vendor, and no vendor paid for or reviewed this content. Questions: info@partyplansolutions.com.