Stage 5 — How do I obtain comparable proposals?

Send a common brief to a small shortlist. Ask each firm to identify the assigned lead, technical reviewer, sector cases, deliverables, timetable, inputs, exclusions and fee lines. Do not send one provider a full data room and another a vague email, then compare their certainty.

Suggested 45-minute interview: 5 minutes on the situation; 10 on baseline and relevant cases; 10 on technical review and implementation; 10 on costs and service boundaries; 5 on security; 5 on open questions. Keep questions identical enough to compare answers.

Exit condition: the proposals describe the same problem and make differences in scope explicit.