ACCOUNTING RFP

Accounting Request for Proposal

Request for proposal from Northwind Studio seeking a partner for outsourced accounting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting services.

PREPARED FOR

Acme Co

PREPARED BY

Northwind Studio

DATE

August 18, 2026

Northwind Studio

ACCOUNTING RFP

RFP Overview

Northwind Studio is soliciting proposals from qualified accounting firms to provide outsourced bookkeeping, monthly financial reporting, and fractional CFO support. This document outlines the scope of the engagement being bid on, the response format, and the evaluation criteria. Vendors should submit a complete response by the deadline listed below.

RESPONSE DEADLINE

30 days

From the date on the cover page.

CONTRACT TERM

12 months

Initial engagement, renewable annually.

EVALUATION PERIOD

2 weeks

Shortlist interviews and reference checks.

Objectives

Identify the right accounting partner for our stage and industry.
Apply clear, consistent evaluation criteria across every vendor response.
Secure transparent pricing with no hidden fees or scope surprises.
Start the winning engagement on time, without delays to our close cycle.

Northwind Studio

ACCOUNTING RFP

Scope of Work

The RFP process runs across three phases. Each closes with a written deliverable and an internal review before the next begins.

PHASE 1 · VENDOR EVALUATION

Vendor evaluation

Review of written responses against the evaluation criteria, qualification checks on firm size and industry experience, and a shortlist of three to five vendors invited to the interview round.

PHASE 2 · SELECTION AND CONTRACTING

Selection and contracting

Shortlist interviews, reference checks with two current clients, final pricing negotiation, and a signed master services agreement with the selected vendor.

PHASE 3 · ONBOARDING

Onboarding

Access to accounting software and bank feeds, chart of accounts review, transition of open items from the incumbent, and the first close delivered under the new engagement.

What is included

Required vendor qualifications, firm size, and industry experience
Detailed scope of accounting work in the engagement being bid on
Response format, required sections, and submission instructions
Evaluation criteria and scoring weights used across responses
Full RFP timeline from release through contract signature

Not included: legal fees, tax representation before the IRS, and software licenses the vendor may bill separately. Vendors should call out any assumptions in their response.

Northwind Studio

ACCOUNTING RFP

Estimated Engagement Budget

The ranges below reflect our indicative budget for the engagement being bid on. Vendors should submit line-item pricing that maps to these tiers so responses are directly comparable.

Item	Rate	Qty	Amount
Tier 1: baseline bookkeeping and monthly close	$1,500	12	$18,000
Tier 2: comprehensive accounting with fractional CFO	$3,500	12	$42,000
One-time onboarding and transition	$3,000	1	$3,000
Total			$63,000

Payment Schedule

Milestone	Share	Amount
On contract signature (onboarding)	Upfront	$3,000
Monthly retainer	Monthly	Tier-based
Duration	12 months	Renewable

The winning vendor will invoice monthly, with terms of net 15. Any variable or usage-based fees must be disclosed in the response and cannot be added mid-term without written approval.

Northwind Studio

ACCOUNTING RFP

Acceptance

To acknowledge receipt of this RFP and confirm intent to respond, complete the fields below and sign. This document is valid for 30 days from the date on the cover.

PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER

Enter your PO number

RESPONSE DEADLINE DATE

e.g. October 15, 2026

I confirm I am authorized to submit a response on behalf of my firm.

VENDOR

Sign here

Acme Co

ISSUER

Sign here

Northwind Studio

About this template

The Accounting Request for Proposal template is a five-page document for putting your engagement on paper before it starts. It carries an overview with stat cards, objectives, a three-phase scope of work, an investment table with a computed total, and an acceptance page with inputs and signatures.

It is intentionally simple: rename what needs renaming in Bonsai, list your actual deliverables, and set the price. Merge fields handle the client details and date, and the last page collects a PO number, start date, and both signatures.

Details

Format: Doc · 5 pages

Recipients: Client + Provider

Signature: Required

Merge fields: Sender, Receiver, Date

Accounting Request for Proposal Template

Accounting Request for Proposal Template

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