What is an “RFP?”
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is a structured process that allows your team to evaluate and select vendors for legal work. Through an RFP, your team can outline their needs, requirements, and expectations, and invite vendors to submit proposals that demonstrate their qualifications, approach, and pricing.
Within Counsel Exchange, the RFP feature provides a streamlined way for vendors to respond to these requests. Vendors can complete your team questionnaires, highlight their experience and differentiators, and submit competitive pricing—all within a single, guided workflow.
This creates a more transparent and efficient process for both your team and vendors, making it easier to compare options, communicate value, and ultimately select the right partner for the work.
What is “Activation?”
Activation for RFP marks the rollout of the RFP module in Unity ELM, providing immediate access for your vendors to this functionality within Counsel Exchange. As part of this activation, your team can explore and trial the RFP feature at no cost, allowing them to evaluate how it fits into their vendor selection and engagement workflows.
Through Activation, your team can begin issuing Requests for Proposal, and vendors can respond through a guided, centralized experience—making it easier to compare submissions, communicate value, and make informed decisions.
What is the activation process?
- June 15 – Activation Communications Begin
- Your team will begin receiving communications from Onit outlining the RFP module, including key dates, expectations, and access to training and supporting materials to help you prepare.
- July 15 – RFP Module Launch
- The RFP feature will be activated for all Unity environments. Your team will receive a set number of credits to trial the functionality at no cost and begin creating and managing Requests for Proposal.
- After July 15 – Ongoing Access and Expansion Options
- Following launch, your team can continue using their trial credits and evaluate the RFP functionality. If additional credits are needed, you can connect with your Account Manager to discuss options for expanding usage.
Is there a cost associated with RFPs?
Your team will receive a set number of RFP credits at no cost as part of Activation. These credits allow you to explore and trial the functionality, including issuing Requests for Proposal and evaluating vendor responses within Counsel Exchange.
If you choose to exceed the included credits or are interested in expanding to a higher usage tier, you can connect with your Account Manager to discuss available options and pricing.
What is a “credit?”
A credit is used each time you “publish” or send an RFP to vendors.
You can create and edit as many draft RFPs as needed at no cost. A credit is only consumed when you take the “Publish” action and send the RFP to vendors.
As part of Activation, your team will receive an initial allocation of free credits to explore the RFP functionality. If you would like to purchase additional credits or discuss an unlimited license option, please reach out to your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager.
What is required of vendors during activation?
No action is required from vendors during Activation.
If you plan to begin using the RFP functionality, we recommend notifying your vendors (in addition to our standard communication to vendors) so they are aware of the new capability and can be prepared to respond to Requests for Proposal within Counsel Exchange.
Granting Team Access to Unity RFP
When Unity RFP is activated in your Unity environment, access can be granted to the team members who will be involved in creating, managing, or overseeing RFPs. Please note that not all users are required to have access to Unity RFP functionality.
How to Grant a Unity User Access to Unity RFP
On July 15, Unity administrative users will automatically receive access to Unity RFP.
After launch, your Unity administrators can grant access to additional users based on your organization’s needs. This gives your organization flexibility to determine who can access and manage the RFP process.
- Navigate to Settings > Users and select the user you would like to update
- Within the User Profile, select Actions > Edit
- Within Edit Record > Code Module Access, select “Simple Rfp”
- Under “Simple Rfp,” assign the appropriate RFP Role:
- Admin: Full access to manage all RFPs, vendors, approvals, and user access
- Manager: Full access to create and manage all RFPs and vendors
- Owner: Access to create and manage their own RFPs based on permissions granted
- Reviewer: Access to review RFPs and evaluate vendor submissions
- Select Save
Product Training and Enablement
Training
Managing Outside Counsel Selection with Unity RFP
Product Guides
Onit RFP User Guide
RFP in Counsel Exchange
Best Practices and Tips for Success
These best practices are designed to help your team maximize the value of Unity RFP by improving consistency, streamlining vendor collaboration, and creating a more efficient and transparent RFP process.
Use Templates to Create Consistency
Templates allow your team to quickly create standardized RFPs for common matter types or workflows. This helps save time, maintain consistency across submissions, and ensure vendors are evaluated against the same criteria.
Compare Vendor Responses Side-by-Side
The comparison tool makes it easy to evaluate vendor responses in one centralized view. Your team can quickly compare pricing, experience, staffing, and questionnaire responses to support a more efficient and transparent selection process.
Keep Vendor Communication Centralized
Unity RFP allows your team to communicate directly with vendors within the platform, reducing reliance on email and keeping all RFP-related conversations tied to the matter for better visibility and tracking.
Streamline Engagements with Built-In Engagement Letters
Once a vendor is selected, engagement letters can be sent directly through Unity RFP, helping your team move seamlessly from vendor selection to engagement while maintaining all documentation in one centralized location.
Additional Recommendations
- Clearly outline timelines, requirements, and evaluation criteria within each RFP
- Encourage vendors to review available training materials before receiving RFPs
- Use prior RFPs and historical responses as reference points for future vendor evaluations
Common Questions and Answers
When will I get access to the RFP module?
Access will be available in Unity beginning on July 15.
Do my vendors need to take any action before I send an RFP?
No action is required. However, we recommend notifying your vendors of the new functionality so they are aware and prepared to respond. Training materials will be available to vendors within Counsel Exchange.
What happens when I run out of RFP credits?
Once your credits have been used, you can continue to create and edit RFP drafts, but you will not be able to publish new RFPs. To resume publishing, please reach out to your Account Manager to discuss RFP licensing options and next steps.
Can I track and compare vendor responses within the platform?
Yes. You can view and manage open RFPs, review vendor responses, and access previous RFPs directly within the module, making it easy to track and compare submissions.
Is training required to use the RFP functionality?
Training is not required, but we recommend reviewing the available materials to familiarize yourself with the functionality and process.
Will using RFPs impact my existing workflows in Counsel Exchange?
No. There is no impact to your existing workflows. The RFP module is an additional capability available to support vendor selection and engagement.
Vendor Communication Template
Use this email to proactively notify your vendors about the new RFP functionality in Counsel Exchange and prepare them to receive and respond to upcoming Requests for Proposal.
Subject: Introducing Our New RFP Process in Counsel Exchange
Body:
We’re reaching out to share an update to how we will be managing Requests for Proposal (RFPs) moving forward.
As part of our continued effort to streamline vendor engagement and improve collaboration, we will now be using the RFP functionality within Counsel Exchange to issue and manage RFPs.
What this means for you
You may begin receiving RFPs directly through Counsel Exchange. These will include structured questionnaires, submission requirements, and any relevant details needed for your response. The platform will guide you through the response process in a centralized and efficient way.
RFP Overview
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is a structured process that allows us to outline our needs and evaluate vendor responses across key criteria such as experience, approach, and pricing. Using Counsel Exchange helps ensure a more consistent and transparent process for both our team and our vendors.
Training and Resources
To help you prepare, we’ve included the following resources:
What to expect next
There is no immediate action required. When we issue an RFP, you will receive a notification through Counsel Exchange with instructions on how to respond.
We’re excited to roll out this new capability and look forward to your participation in future RFPs.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
