MFO Request for Proposal (RFP) Template

RFP Overview

• Issuing organization: [FAMILY OR ENTITY NAME]
• Primary contact: [NAME, TITLE, EMAIL, PHONE]
• RFP issue date: [DATE]
• Proposal deadline: [DATE AND TIME ZONE]
• Expected decision date: [DATE]
• Expected start date: [DATE]
• Confidentiality contact: [NAME AND EMAIL]
• Purpose of this RFP: We are seeking a multifamily office partner to support [FAMILY, OWNERS, TRUSTEES, OR ENTITY] with [CORE NEEDS].

About Us

• Family or organization name: [NAME]
• Primary location or locations: [LOCATION]
• Family structure and relevant entities: [SUMMARY]
• Approximate assets or responsibilities in scope: [DESCRIPTION]
• Current advisers and providers: [SUMMARY]
• Current challenges: [LIST]
• Goals for the engagement: [LIST]
• Important family, ownership, governance, or operating considerations: [SUMMARY]

Scope of Services

• Please describe your approach to investment oversight and portfolio management.
• Please describe your approach to financial planning and long-term wealth planning.
• Please describe your experience coordinating with outside advisers.
• Please describe your support for estate, trust, philanthropic, and family governance work. Identify where you provide coordination only.
• Please describe your reporting, data collection, performance reporting, and document management processes.
• Please describe your support for private investments, pooled vehicles, operating businesses, real estate, and other assets, when applicable.
• Please describe your approach to risk management, liquidity planning, insurance review, and cash management.
• Please describe family education, meeting support, and next-generation services.
• Please identify every service included in the proposed scope.
• Please identify every service that would require a separate agreement or fee.

Required Service Detail

• For each proposed service, provide the responsible team, deliverables, meeting cadence, expected response time, client inputs, and fee treatment.
• State which work is performed by your employees and which work is assigned to affiliated or external providers.
• Describe how you handle conflicts of interest.
• Describe your business continuity, cybersecurity, privacy, and incident response practices.
• Describe how you measure service quality and address missed deliverables.

Team and Experience

• Provide the proposed relationship team, including names, titles, locations, responsibilities, and expected availability.
• Identify the senior person accountable for the relationship.
• Describe relevant experience with families or organizations similar to ours.
• Describe team tenure and expected staff continuity.
• List any planned changes to the proposed team.
• Provide client references who have agreed to be contacted.

Fees and Commercial Terms

• Provide a complete fee schedule in plain language.
• Separate recurring fees, project fees, transaction fees, third-party costs, custody costs, and other expenses.
• State whether fees are based on assets, fixed amounts, hourly work, performance, subscriptions, commissions, or another method.
• Explain fee breaks, minimums, billing frequency, payment terms, and termination charges.
• Disclose compensation received from affiliates, funds, custodians, brokers, or other third parties.
• Provide a sample invoice for the proposed scope.
• Identify services that may create additional fees during the engagement.

Technology, Reporting, and Data

• Describe the client portal, reporting tools, data feeds, and document storage used for the engagement.
• List supported data sources and explain how data accuracy is checked.
• Describe user access controls, authentication, encryption, retention, and deletion practices.
• State how clients can export their data if the relationship ends.
• Provide sample reports, dashboards, meeting materials, and service calendars.

Regulatory and Firm Information

• Legal entity name: [NAME]
• Primary office: [LOCATION]
• Relevant registrations and regulatory authorities: [DETAILS]
• SEC Form ADV date, when applicable: [DATE]
• Provide links or copies of relevant Form ADV filings and disclosures.
• Disclose material disciplinary, regulatory, litigation, or business continuity matters.
• State ownership, control persons, affiliated entities, and material changes expected.
• Provide the name and contact details for compliance questions.

Proposal Format

• Executive summary
• Understanding of our needs
• Proposed scope and deliverables
• Service calendar and meeting cadence
• Team biographies and responsibilities
• Relevant experience and references
• Technology, reporting, security, and continuity
• Fee schedule and commercial terms
• Conflicts and disclosures
• Assumptions, exclusions, and required client resources
• Draft agreement or standard terms
• Questions and requested clarifications

Evaluation Criteria

• Fit with our goals, structure, and service needs
• Relevant experience and quality of references
• Depth, stability, and accessibility of the proposed team
• Clarity and total cost of fees
• Quality of reporting, technology, and data controls
• Coordination with outside advisers
• Risk management, privacy, cybersecurity, and continuity
• Communication style and decision support
• Contract terms and ease of transition

RFP Process

• Questions due: [DATE]
• Responses to questions issued: [DATE]
• Optional presentation or meeting period: [DATE RANGE]
• Final proposal due: [DATE AND TIME ZONE]
• Selection notification: [DATE]
• Contract review: [DATE RANGE]
• Target engagement start: [DATE]
• Submit proposals to: [NAME, EMAIL, AND DELIVERY METHOD]
• We may request clarification, additional documents, references, or a revised proposal before making a decision.

Response Certification

• Authorized representative: [NAME]
• Title: [TITLE]
• Firm: [FIRM NAME]
• Signature: [SIGNATURE]
• Date: [DATE]
• By signing, we confirm that the information in this proposal is accurate to the best of our knowledge and that we will notify the issuing organization of material changes.

Optional Market Context

• Use current, verified market information to help define your selection criteria.
• Confirm firm size, regulatory status, services, fees, assets under management, and other firm-specific facts directly with each respondent.
• Ask respondents to identify the date and source for any market or firm data included in their proposals.
• Use comparable information across respondents when evaluating fit, scope, cost, and service capacity.