Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsChoose a software development company by defining the outcome first, then comparing candidates against the same requirements, evidence, risks, and full costs. The right choice depends on your product, existing systems, security exposure, budget, and need for support—not on a universal ranking or a low headline quote.
1. Define what the company must deliver
Before requesting proposals, write a brief that gives every candidate the same basis for estimating the work. State the business outcome, who will use the software, and how you will decide whether it is acceptable. If the brief leaves key assumptions open, proposals may price different projects and cannot be compared fairly.
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Include the requirements that shape the work
- Outcome and users: Describe the problem to solve, the intended users, and the results the software should support.
- Scope: Identify required features and deliverables, what is excluded, and what your own team will handle.
- Systems and constraints: List integrations, existing technology, data considerations, security exposure, performance needs, and launch expectations.
- Acceptance: Define observable criteria for reviewing and accepting deliverables.
- Budget and timing: Give a realistic budget range and important timing constraints, if you have them.
- Priorities: Separate must-haves from preferences so candidates can explain trade-offs.
The World Bank’s 2017 guide, written for education information-system procurement, recommends setting out the evaluation process and criteria in the request for proposals (RFP). Its procurement context is specific, but the principle is useful for private buyers too: tell candidates how you will assess their proposals. Read the World Bank guide.
2. Shortlist companies on relevant evidence
Look for proof that the company has delivered work resembling yours in product type, complexity, operating context, and risk. A polished pitch or a portfolio logo does not, by itself, show which team did the work or how it performed in operation.
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Check the work and the people
- Ask for live examples or demonstrations where possible, and ask what the company actually delivered.
- Contact references independently. Ask about delivery, communication, handling of problems, and support after launch—not just whether the client was satisfied.
- Confirm which named people would work on your project, what each person would do, and whether they are available for the proposed schedule.
- Ask whether subcontractors will be involved, and clarify their roles and oversight.
- Ask how the company handles discovery, design, implementation, testing, launch, and ongoing support.
Recent vendor-authored checklists from RED SAG and Pistachio Tech also emphasize examining delivery evidence and practices rather than relying only on presentation materials. Treat those as useful prompts for questions, not as guarantees of a good outcome. RED SAG’s checklist and Pistachio Tech’s due-diligence checklist.
3. Ask every candidate to respond to the same scenario
Share the same brief and ask each company to explain how it understands the problem. Consistent questions make it easier to distinguish a thoughtful proposal from one built on unstated assumptions.
- What would you need to learn during discovery before confirming the plan?
- What architecture would you propose, and what alternatives or trade-offs should we consider?
- What is the delivery sequence, and what will we be able to review at each stage?
- How will you test functionality, integrations, performance, and security?
- What dependencies, risks, and assumptions could affect delivery?
- How will decisions, progress, and changes be communicated?
- What support and maintenance can you provide after launch?
Scale cybersecurity checks to the engagement
For an ICT supplier, cybersecurity supply-chain due diligence should match the data and operational exposure involved. NIST’s SP 1326: Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management: Due Diligence Assessment Quick-Start Guide, finalized July 8, 2026, names five assessment components: foreign ownership, control, or influence; provenance; resilience; foundational cyber practices; and supply-chain tiers. NIST defines due diligence as “the investigative process of researching all available, pertinent information about a given supplier or product so that informed decisions can be made on new acquisitions or existing systems.” Use the guide to shape questions appropriate to your supplier and engagement; no single checklist replaces a risk-based assessment. Read NIST SP 1326.
4. Compare proposals on fit, risk, and total cost
Set comparison categories before reviewing proposals and weight them according to your project’s priorities. A scorecard can make differences visible, but it organizes judgment; it does not objectively predict whether a project will succeed. The World Bank’s guidance recommends a weighted matrix based on requirements disclosed in the RFP. It does not establish a universal weighting scheme for software projects.
Compare each candidate across the same dimensions:
- Fit to required outcomes, architecture, and existing systems.
- Evidence of similar delivered work and the strength of the proposed team.
- Security and supplier-risk evidence proportionate to your data and operational exposure.
- Clarity of discovery, delivery, testing, communication, and acceptance.
- One-time fees alongside recurring costs, licenses, maintenance, and support.
- Vendor track record and financial strength, where relevant to the engagement.
- Ownership, change handling, contract flexibility, and exit or transition terms.
Look beyond the headline price
Ask what each price includes, which assumptions it depends on, and what could trigger additional charges. Compare the expected total cost over the period you expect to use and maintain the software, including licensing and support—not only the initial build. The World Bank guide includes functionality, technical fit, integration, adaptability, licensing, maintenance, support, vendor strength, team expertise, and risk among its procurement considerations. Its examples come from education information systems, so adapt the factors to your own project rather than treating them as mandatory weights.
Do not assume that a fixed-price or time-and-materials arrangement is inherently better. The important question is whether the commercial model fits the clarity and flexibility of your scope, and whether assumptions, change handling, and payment triggers are clear in writing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Resolve open questions and put the agreement in writing
Before signing, make sure the proposal, contract, and statement of work describe the same engagement. Record answers to unresolved questions instead of relying on verbal assurances. Contract terms should be reviewed for the laws and circumstances that apply to your business.
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Confirm the working terms
- Scope and assumptions: Deliverables, exclusions, dependencies, and what each party must provide.
- Acceptance and payment: How deliverables will be assessed, what happens if they need changes, and which events trigger payment.
- Changes: How requests are estimated, approved, and reflected in schedule and cost.
- Code, intellectual property, and licenses: Who owns project work, what third-party or open-source licenses apply, and what rights each party receives.
- Access and security: Which accounts and repositories you can access, how access is managed, and what security obligations apply.
- Maintenance and support: What is covered after launch, how issues are handled, and what costs recur.
- Exit and transition: What happens to code, documentation, data, credentials, and ongoing work if the relationship ends.
Clear source-code, account, and IP ownership terms are among the practical checks raised in recent vendor-authored guidance; the World Bank guide also highlights licensing, maintenance, support, and recurring costs. Neither source supplies universal legal language. Have a qualified lawyer review the agreement for your jurisdiction, especially where ownership, privacy, liability, or termination terms matter.
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Make the decision against your priorities
Choose the company whose evidence, proposed team, approach, risk controls, costs, and written terms best fit the requirements you set—not the one with the most persuasive presentation. If important uncertainties remain, ask candidates to resolve them in writing before you commit.
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