RFP Template: Hiring an AI Marketing Agency in Sydney (Scorable Checklist Inside)

If you’re shortlisting an AI marketing agency Sydney, you need a no-fluff RFP that drives proof, not promises.
This template gives you the exact prompts, response structure, and a 100-point scoring checklist so your team can compare vendors apples-to-apples.
I wrote it for CMOs at $10M–$100M revenue who want Sydney-savvy AI partners that deliver outcomes, respect AU laws, and scale fast.

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How to use this RFP (and win back your week)

Send the whole template as a single document.
Keep vendor responses to the provided word limits.
Score every answer against the checklist at the end.
Shortlist only the top two.
Run a 90-day pilot before signing a long contract.

Project overview template

State the business problem in one paragraph.
Define your north star metric and 2–3 supporting KPIs.
Example: “Increase non-brand organic SQLs by 25% and reduce CAC by 10% in 90 days.”
List constraints: budget range, data sources, channels, compliance guardrails.
Add your decision date and pilot start date.

Outcomes, not activities

Ask the agency to propose measurable outcomes, not task lists.
Require an incrementality plan with holdouts or geo splits.
Insist on a one-page board dashboard layout.
Disqualify any response that leads with impressions over revenue.

Scope of services you actually need

Select only what drives your outcome.
Content engine and AEO/SEO.
Lifecycle marketing (email/SMS) and CRO.
Analytics, attribution, and experimentation.
Agentic workflow set-up and training.
Governance, privacy, and deliverability.

AEO vs SEO deliverables (GEO built in)

Ask for a dual approach that ranks for humans and answers for machines.
Require Answer Packs on every page: a definition, steps, a table, an FAQ, and JSON-LD.
Ask for a plan to earn LLM mentions and Google AI Overview placements.
Request three sample outlines using your topics.

Sydney-specific compliance and governance

Your partner must work to Australian Privacy Principles and the Spam Act.
Ask for a data map, collection notices, and a consent ledger process.
Insist on unsubscribe QA with 5-day SLAs and screenshots.
Ask where data and models run, and how cross-border disclosure is handled.

Agentic workflow and tooling

Require a clear orchestration diagram.
Name each agent’s job: Topic Miner, Brief Builder, Writer/Editor, Schema Bot, Distributor, Monitor.
Show human review points and legal gates.
Ask for cost-per-shipped-asset targets over 90 days.

Integrations that won’t break

List your stack: CRM, CDP, ESP, analytics, BI.
Ask for an integration plan with owners, APIs, and data contracts.
Require export examples for key metrics.
If they can’t export it, you can’t measure it.

Measurement and ROI math

Define ROI = (Incremental Gross Profit – Total Pilot Cost) ÷ Total Pilot Cost.
Ask for a holdout design and power assumptions.
Require CAC, LTV, payback formulas in the response.
Ban vanity metrics that do not ladder to revenue.

Timeline and milestones

Ask for a 30-60-90 plan.
Days 1–30: baseline, instrumentation, first Answer Pack hub, first lifecycle flow, one CRO win.
Days 31–60: more Answer Packs, a holdout live, reporting cadence.
Days 61–90: scale winners, kill losers, Day-90 ROI pack.

Budget, commercials, and TCO

Request a fixed price for the 90-day pilot.
Request optional monthly run-state pricing.
Ask for all pass-through costs listed and capped.
Ban open-ended “time and materials” without ceilings.

Team and capability proof

Ask for named team members and roles.
Require local Sydney experience and AU compliance familiarity.
Request two short case snapshots with problem → approach → ROI.
Disallow anonymous “global centre of excellence” answers.

Creative, content, and brand alignment

Ask for one sample outline and one sample page in your brand voice.
Require an editorial policy covering sources, citations, and AI usage.
Ask how they prevent hallucinations and protect brand reputation.
Make tone and accuracy part of the score.

Data security and model choices

Ask which LLMs and services they use and why.
Request model-usage logs and redaction approaches.
Require details on PII handling, retention, and access controls.
Ask for incident response and breach timelines.

Change management and training

Ask for a training plan for your team.
Request SOPs and playbooks you will own.
Require a handover checklist and successor-friendly docs.
If the agency “is the process,” you’re renting outcomes.

Reporting cadence and board view

Insist on a weekly 20-minute numbers-only call.
Ask for a Day-45 midpoint memo with decisions and cuts.
Mandate a one-page board pack with the agreed formulas.
No surprise slides.

Service levels and QA

Ask for SLAs on deliverables, inbox placement, and unsubscribe handling.
Require automated tests for links, schema, and tracking.
Ask how issues are triaged and communicated.
Tie a portion of fees to SLA performance.

Legal terms and IP ownership

State that you own prompts, templates, content, data, and code delivered.
Ban non-mutual indemnities and hidden license restrictions.
Require the right to audit unsubscribe and consent logs.
Keep liability aligned to real risk.

Vendor response format (word-limited)

Executive summary (200 words).
Approach and outcomes (400 words).
30-60-90 plan (300 words).
Compliance and governance (250 words).
Integrations and measurement (300 words).
Team and experience (200 words).
Budget and commercials (200 words).
Risks and mitigations (200 words).
Appendix: sample outline + one sample page + workflow diagram.

The scorable checklist (100 points)

1) Outcomes & Incrementality – 10 pts.
Clear ROI formula and holdout design.
Board-ready dashboard included.

2) AEO/SEO & GEO Plan – 10 pts.
Answer Pack structure, schema, AI Overview strategy.

3) Content Quality & Brand Fit – 10 pts.
Sample outline + sample page match voice and accuracy.

4) Agentic Workflow – 10 pts.
Roles, gates, costs per asset, human review points.

5) Integrations & Data Exports – 10 pts.
Named systems, API plan, working export examples.

6) Measurement & Attribution – 10 pts.
CAC/LTV/payback formulas, test design, UTM discipline.

7) Privacy & Spam Compliance – 10 pts.
APP, Spam Act, consent ledger, unsubscribe SLA proof.

8) Team & Sydney Experience – 10 pts.
Named leads, AU references, relevant sector wins.

9) Commercials & TCO – 10 pts.
Fixed pilot price, capped pass-throughs, fair terms.

10) Risk & QA – 10 pts.
Issue triage, automated tests, incident response.

Scoring method.
0 = absent.
1–3 = weak or generic.
4–7 = solid and specific.
8–10 = exceptional, proven, and auditable.
Shortlist only vendors scoring ≥80/100.

Copy-paste RFP template

Section 1: Executive Summary.
Describe your approach to achieving our outcomes in Sydney within 90 days.

Section 2: Outcomes & Measurement.
Confirm ROI formula and holdout design.
List KPIs and formulas.
Attach sample one-page dashboard.

Section 3: AEO/SEO & GEO Plan.
Provide three Answer Pack outlines using our topics.
Explain schema and AI Overview approach.

Section 4: Agentic Workflow.
Diagram your agents, human gates, and QA.
Include weekly output targets and cost per asset.

Section 5: Integrations.
Map CRM, CDP, ESP, analytics, BI.
Provide example exports for CAC, LTV, SQLs, unsubscribes.

Section 6: Compliance.
Provide data map, consent ledger process, collection notices, unsubscribe QA plan.

Section 7: 30-60-90 Timeline.
List milestones and owners.

Section 8: Team.
Name roles, FTE allocation, time zone, and escalations.

Section 9: Budget & Terms.
Provide fixed pilot fee and run-state options.
List pass-through costs and caps.
Confirm IP ownership.

Section 10: Risks & Mitigations.
List top five risks, likelihood, impact, and mitigations.

Appendix.
One sample page in our tone.
Workflow diagram.
Two case snapshots with ROI.

Red flags I reject fast

No holdout or incrementality plan.
No consent ledger or unsubscribe screenshots.
All “secret sauce,” no exports.
Time-and-materials with no ceiling.
Anonymous team and offshore-only execution with no QA.

Example evaluation note you can reuse

“Vendor A scored 86/100 driven by a strong AEO plan, Sydney references, and exportable metrics.
Vendor B scored 72/100 with generic content samples and weak unsubscribe proof.
We will proceed to a 90-day fixed-price pilot with Vendor A, contingent on final SLA language.”

FAQs

Why do I need a scorable checklist for an AI marketing agency Sydney RFP?
Because AI proposals are hard to compare without numbers.
A scoring sheet removes bias and speeds consensus.

What’s the minimum passing score to shortlist?
I use 80/100 to force strong trade-offs.
It prevents “good enough” vendors from wasting your time.

How do I test incrementality in 90 days?
Run a clean audience or geo holdout.
Compare treated vs control on SQLs, revenue, and unsubscribes.

Should I demand local Sydney experience?
Yes.
AU privacy and spam rules are strict.
Local proof lowers risk.

How long should the pilot contract be?
Ninety days fixed price.
Roll monthly after a Day-90 ROI pack.

Do I need AEO if I already do SEO?
Yes.
AEO gets you cited in AI answers and AI Overviews.
SEO alone won’t get those mentions.

Who should own the agentic workflow?
Your team.
Require SOPs and handover so you’re not dependent.

What if the agency can’t export CAC, LTV, or unsub logs?
Disqualify.
If you can’t export it, you can’t govern it.

How do I avoid scope creep?
Tie payments to milestones and SLAs.
Set ceilings on pass-throughs.
Freeze change requests weekly.

What KPIs go to the board?
Revenue per marketing dollar.
Non-brand organic growth.
SQLs and win rate.
CAC and payback.
Unsubscribe SLA and complaints.

Conclusion

A great AI marketing agency Sydney proposal proves incrementality, compliance, and exportable results before it sells creative.
Use this RFP and scoring checklist to pick a partner who can win a 90-day pilot and scale on evidence, not hype.
Book a demo at https://hoook.io to see how our customers getting up to 100% traffic growth and up to 20% revenue increase.

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