Enhance your RFP score by up to 25%

Before becoming part of the event:decision team, I spent 20 years in event agency sales roles. Here are my thoughts on how to enhance your RFP submission.

For event buyers issuing an RFP, ESG/sustainability typically accounts for about 10–15% of the total evaluation score. That’s a pretty reliable benchmark, although it varies by sector and how mature the organisation is on sustainability.

A typical weighting breakdown looks something like this:

• Cost / commercial terms: 25–35%
• Creative proposal / concept: 20–30%
• Credentials & experience: 20–25%
• Operational delivery: 10–15%
• ESG / Sustainability: 10–15%

So on paper, ESG is still a secondary factor. But that doesn’t tell the full story. What’s changing is less the headline percentage… and more how ESG shows up in the process.

In roughly 20–30% of large corporate RFPs now, you’ll see some form of pass/fail sustainability gate before scoring even begins. If you don’t meet a baseline – policy, measurement capability, minimum standards – you’re simply not considered.

And then within scoring, behaviour is shifting.

Historically, ESG questions were very easy to “game” – policy-led, narrative-heavy, and most agencies would cluster in a 6-8 out of 10 scoring band, so it didn’t really differentiate.

“Now you can add REAL DIFFERENCE to your submission, directly comparing your proposal to industry norms“, says Matt.

Now, more buyers are asking for specifics:

• Measured carbon data from comparable events
• Scope 3 supply chain visibility
• Recognised certifications (ISO 20121, B Corp, Ecovadis etc.)
• Evidence of actual reductions, not just commitments
• Proof, not promises (hint, event:decision’s Impact: Event and Impact: AdVantage deliver just this)

That shift means a 10% weighting scored properly can be more decisive than a nominal 20% scored loosely.

“Using a pre-event Review had a big impact on winning the pitch” Agency Head of Operations

Sector-wise, there are some clear patterns:

• Regulated industries (pharma, finance, energy) and large multinationals with SBTi or CSRD exposure are pushing ESG toward 15–20%, often with go/no go gating built in
• Public sector / UK & EU frameworks typically mandate ~10% minimum (e.g. social value requirements)
• Progressive brands (tech, consumer) are going further – 20–25%, often combining environmental factors with the S&G in ESG.
• At the other end, you can still see RFPs where ESG is <5% or absent entirely, particularly in smaller organisations or less mature markets

One important reality check:

Even at 15–20% weighting, sustainability rarely overturns a double-digit cost gap unless the client has made it a clear strategic priority.

So in practice, influence tends to fall into three modes:

• 0% – tick-box, no real impact
• 10–15% – a tie-breaker between broadly equal bids
• 50%+ effective influence – when it’s a gating factor or a stated priority

“Doesn’t matter how well you’ve courted the event team. Any prior events you’ve delivered for them may determine your fate. So load the dice. Give the whole client organisation every reason to pick you. Show them they have a responsible, sustainable supply chain. It’ll reassure them, make them look good and excite them for your creativity. You can’t do more than that.”