How should a physician practice write a marketing agency RFP?
A physician practice should write a marketing agency RFP in eight parts: practice background, goals, scope, a budget range, compliance requirements, weighted evaluation criteria, a timeline, and set questions every agency must answer. Send the same document to each agency, ask for answers in the same order, and score them on a sheet you build before any proposal arrives.
- Describe the practice in numbers you already have: providers, locations, open panel capacity, payer mix and current new-patient volume.
- Set goals as outcomes, such as booked new-patient visits by location or payer type, not as tactics like "more SEO".
- Put compliance in the RFP itself: a signed BAA, HIPAA-safe tracking, state medical board advertising rules, consent for texts and a legal check on any patient-linked fee.
- Fix your scoring weights before proposals arrive, so the most polished pitch does not decide the outcome.
- Every practice welcome — retainers from $499/mo, Goals-Driven engagements, Performance-Linked Payout Models available.
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“They were able to get all my ideas and work with me over a period of three to four months and create this amazing website. It's super customized, very modern, and it incorporates all the elements that I had wanted — the patient portal, nice pictures, a very interactive website, patient reviews. I would highly recommend their company to anyone who wants to make an excellent website.”
Does a physician practice need a formal RFP?
A formal RFP is worth it whenever a physician practice is comparing two or more agencies, and it is close to essential for multi-provider groups and practices with several locations. It makes you define goals first, gives each agency the same brief, and produces written answers you can measure the winner against later.
Without an RFP, each agency pitches what it sells best. One quotes for search, another for Google Ads, a third for a new website. The prices cannot be compared and the choice drifts toward whoever presented most confidently.
When a lighter process is enough
- You are renewing with your current agency and only need a revised scope.
- You need one defined project, such as a website rebuild with a fixed specification.
- You are speaking to a single agency on a strong peer referral. Send the questions section anyway.
Who should write it
The managing physician or owners should set goals and the budget range. The practice manager knows the phones, scheduling, referral intake and current results, so they should draft the background and check the questions. In a group, add whoever approves spend and whoever signs contracts. Name one contact to send the RFP and answer every agency question, so all agencies hear the same thing.
If you have not built a shortlist yet, start with how to choose a healthcare marketing agency for a small practice, then use this RFP to compare the shortlist.
What should a physician practice marketing RFP include?
A physician practice RFP needs eight parts: background, goals, scope, budget range, compliance requirements, evaluation criteria, timeline and questions. The background is where physician practices differ most from other buyers. Agencies need your provider count, locations, payer mix, open panel capacity and how patients reach you today, or their proposals will be guesswork.
| Section | What to include | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Specialties, providers by type, locations, hours, payer mix, accepted plans, telehealth, whether panels are open | Shows where you can actually take new patients |
| Current state | Monthly new patients, main sources, current agency or in-house setup, websites and listings, known problems | Gives agencies a baseline to plan against |
| Goals | Outcomes by location, provider or service line, with a time frame | Lets you judge proposals on results, not activity |
| Scope | Channels in or out of scope, who writes and approves clinical content | Stops agencies quoting different jobs |
| Budget range | Management fee range and ad budget range, set by the practice | Keeps proposals realistic and comparable |
| Compliance | BAA, tracking, board rules, consent, review practices, fee structure | Screens out agencies that cannot work safely |
| Evaluation criteria | Criteria and weights you set | Tells agencies what you value |
| Timeline | Question deadline, response deadline, presentations, decision date | Keeps the process short and fair |
| Questions | A fixed list every agency must answer in order | Makes answers easy to compare side by side |
Keep it short. A single-location primary care practice can cover all of this in a few pages. A larger group may add one page per location.
What does a copy-ready physician practice RFP outline look like?
Copy the outline below into a document, fill in the bracketed fields and send it to every shortlisted agency on the same day. Leave the budget and weight fields for the practice to decide. Ask agencies to answer in the same numbered order and to state any assumptions they make.
- About the practice. [Practice name], [specialties], [number of physicians, NPs and PAs], [locations and hours], [payer mix: commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, self-pay or membership], [plans accepted], [telehealth: yes/no], [panels open by provider].
- Where we are today. [Monthly new patients by location], [top sources], [current website and platform], [current agency or in-house team], [what is not working].
- Goals. [Outcome, location or service line, time frame]. Example format: "More booked new-patient visits for [service] at [location] within [period]."
- Scope. In scope: [local search and Google Business Profiles, website, search content, Google Ads, Meta ads, reviews, email, reporting]. Out of scope: [list]. Clinical content approved by: [name and role].
- Budget. Management fee range: [set by practice]. Monthly ad budget range: [set by practice]. Ad spend will be billed to accounts the practice owns.
- Compliance requirements. See the list in the next section.
- Evaluation criteria and weights. [Criteria and weights set by the practice].
- Timeline. Questions due [date]. Proposals due [date]. Presentations [dates]. Decision [date]. Start [date].
- Questions for agencies. Answer each in order:
- Who will work on our account day to day, and where are they based?
- Will you sign our BAA, and which of your tools will touch patient data?
- How do you track calls and forms without ad pixels on intake or portal pages?
- How do you handle content that needs physician approval?
- Which state medical board rules apply to our advertising, and how do you check against them?
- Who will own each account, listing and phone number you create?
- How do you bill fees and ad spend? Is any fee linked to patient volume?
- What will we see in month one, month three and month six?
- How would you hand everything back if we ended the contract?
- Submission. Send to [contact name and email] as one PDF, with pricing on a separate page.
Once you pick an agency, use the physician practice contract checklist to turn the winning answers into contract terms.
Which compliance requirements belong in a physician RFP?
A physician RFP should require agencies to sign a BAA, keep tracking HIPAA-safe, follow your state medical board's advertising rules, get documented consent before marketing texts, follow federal email rules, avoid fake or incentivized reviews, and disclose any fee tied to patient numbers. Ask agencies to confirm each item in writing. Ask counsel to confirm the list fits your practice.
Requirements to list
- Business Associate Agreement. The agency signs your BAA before receiving any protected health information. HIPAA sets the required contents at 45 CFR § 164.504(e).
- Tracking. No advertising pixels on patient portals, intake or appointment request pages. Setups follow the HHS guidance on online tracking technologies, part of which a federal court vacated in June 2024 for unauthenticated public pages.
- Patient lists. HIPAA generally requires patient authorization before protected health information is used for marketing, with narrow exceptions. The HHS marketing FAQ explains when. Agencies should describe how they handle recall and email lists.
- Email. Marketing emails follow the FTC's CAN-SPAM rules, including a working opt-out honored within 10 business days. The FTC notes that hiring a vendor does not shift the practice's own responsibility.
- Texts. Documented prior express written consent before marketing texts, and opt-outs honored.
- Reviews. No fake, bought or incentivized reviews. The FTC rule banning fake reviews took effect in October 2024.
- Advertising rules. Ads, bios and claims follow your state medical board's rules. See our Virginia physician advertising checklist for one example.
- Fee structure. The agency discloses any fee linked to patient or appointment numbers, so your counsel can review it under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and state law.
An agency that answers these in vague terms is telling you something useful.
What timeline should a physician practice RFP follow?
Most physician practices can run an RFP in a few weeks: a short window for agency questions, time to write proposals, one round of presentations and a decision. Keep it brief so good agencies stay interested and your current marketing does not drift. Send the same answers to every agency that asks a question.
A simple sequence
- Prepare. Gather results, logins and current spend. Agree goals and the budget range internally.
- Send. Issue the RFP to a shortlist of three to five agencies on the same day.
- Questions. Accept questions in writing until a set date, then share all answers with every agency.
- Proposals. Give agencies enough time to look at your listings, site and ads before they answer.
- Presentations. Invite the top two or three. Ask the people who would run the account to present, not only the sales lead.
- References. Ask for references from comparable practices and call them.
- Decide and contract. Score, choose, and negotiate the contract using the agency's written answers.
Tell your current agency
If you already have an agency, check your notice period and account ownership before you send the RFP. Make sure the practice holds primary access to every account so a change does not cost you listings or ad history. Our switching checklist covers that in detail.
How should a physician practice score agency proposals?
Score each proposal against criteria and weights the practice sets before any response arrives. Use the same scale for every criterion, have at least two people score separately, then compare. Weight the plan, team and compliance answers above price. A cheap proposal that cannot sign a BAA or explain tracking is not cheaper.
| Criterion | Weight (set by practice) | What a strong answer shows |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding of the practice | [ ] | Refers to your locations, payer mix and open panels, not a generic plan |
| Plan and priorities | [ ] | Clear first steps tied to your goals, with reasons |
| Healthcare and physician experience | [ ] | Has worked with comparable practices and understands referrals and payers |
| Compliance | [ ] | Signs a BAA, explains HIPAA-safe tracking, knows board rules |
| Team | [ ] | Named people, roles and time on your account |
| Reporting | [ ] | Booked appointments and cost per booking, live account access |
| Ownership and exit | [ ] | Practice owns everything; written handover |
| Price and terms | [ ] | Transparent fees, separate ad spend, fair notice period |
Scoring tips
- Score each criterion on a simple scale and multiply by its weight.
- Write one sentence explaining each score, so the decision can be explained later.
- Mark any agency that refuses a BAA or guarantees rankings as disqualified, whatever its score.
We answer RFPs from physician practices the same way: one written plan, a named US team working Central Time, a signed BAA and Goals-Driven reporting every Monday. You can see how we approach physician accounts on our doctor and primary care marketing page, or book a call to request a proposal.
Related pages from the US team
Doctor and primary care marketing USA
How Ichelon Consulting US plans and runs physician practice marketing.
Physician agency contract checklist
Turn the winning proposal into contract terms that protect the practice.
Choosing an agency for a small practice
Build a shortlist before you send the RFP.
Doctor agency red flags
Warning signs to watch for in proposals and presentations.
Every practice welcome — Goals-Driven engagements from $499/mo
We benchmark your last 90 days, agree monthly goals with you, and track them live on Ichelon Agency OS with a report every Monday. Performance-Linked Payout Models are available. Our US leadership is based in Dallas, and strategy calls run in US business hours.
Common questions
How many agencies should a physician practice send an RFP to?
Three to five agencies is a workable shortlist for most physician practices. Fewer gives you little to compare, and more creates scoring work without improving the choice. Build the shortlist first from referrals and research, then send the same RFP to every agency on the same day, with the same deadline and the same set of questions.
Should a physician practice include its budget in a marketing RFP?
Yes, as a range. A budget range for the management fee and a separate range for ad spend keeps proposals realistic and comparable. Without one, agencies guess, and you receive plans that range from a small search project to a full multi-channel program. The practice should set the range itself based on its goals and capacity.
What compliance questions should a physician practice ask agencies?
Ask whether the agency will sign your Business Associate Agreement, which of its tools will touch patient data, and how it tracks calls and forms without ad pixels on intake or portal pages. Also ask how it applies state medical board advertising rules, how it gets consent for texts, how it requests reviews, and whether any fee is linked to patient numbers.
How should a physician practice weight price in an agency RFP?
Price should count, but usually below plan quality, team and compliance. A low fee from an agency that cannot sign a BAA, explain HIPAA-safe tracking or show who works on the account tends to cost more later. Set the weight before proposals arrive, and judge price together with how ad spend is billed and how easy it is to leave.
Who in a physician practice should approve the agency choice?
The managing physician or owners should make the final decision, because they set goals and carry responsibility for what the practice says about care. The practice manager should score proposals too, since they know the phones, scheduling and referral intake. In a group, include whoever approves spend and signs contracts, and have counsel review the final agreement and BAA.
A note on this guide: it explains marketing practice, not legal advice. Rules on privacy, advertising and insurance change and vary by state, so confirm anything compliance-related with your own counsel.
Writing an RFP for your practice?
Book a call with the US team. We'll help you sharpen goals and questions, or send a written proposal that answers every section of your RFP.