Describe the site and the problem first
Before listing requirements, tell vendors what they are protecting. Include the type of property, the size of the area, the hours it is unoccupied, and whether the site is permanent or temporary. State what happens today, such as theft after hours, trespassing, vandalism or vehicle break-ins, and what a good outcome looks like.
Include practical site facts that change a design: whether grid power and wired internet exist, what the cellular coverage is like, how gates and lighting are laid out, and who has keys. If a vendor does not know about a limitation, it will either guess or leave it out of the quote.
Define the scope of equipment and monitoring
Separate the equipment scope from the monitoring scope. Many proposals blur them, and that makes pricing hard to compare. Ask each vendor to describe both in the same order.
- Equipment: number and type of cameras, fixed or PTZ, mounting method, power source, and communications path.
- Detection: what the system detects automatically, such as people, vehicles or loitering, and how those detections are configured for your site.
- Monitoring: who reviews events, during which hours, and what they can do from the remote location.
- Response: the escalation order, such as live audio, then a call to your contact list, then police dispatch with video.
- Reporting: what you receive after an event and how often.
For a primer on how remote review works, see what remote video monitoring is.
Ask for service levels in writing
Service levels are the part of an RFP where vendors differ most, so ask for them directly. Do not supply numbers for the vendor to agree with. Require each bidder to state its own figures and then put them in the contract. If a vendor will not commit a figure in writing, treat that as an answer.
| Topic | What to ask | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| System uptime | How is uptime defined and measured? | A clear definition and a way for you to verify it |
| Event review | How long from detection to a human review? | A stated target and how it is tracked |
| Notification | How fast are you told about a verified event? | Named channels and escalation order |
| Outages | How are you told when a unit goes offline? | Proactive alerts, not discovery by the customer |
| Missed targets | What happens when a target is missed? | A defined remedy in the contract |
| Support | How do you reach a person, and when? | Hours, channels and escalation path |
Also ask how the vendor handles false alerts, because filtering quality drives how useful the service is day to day. Our guide on reducing false alarms in video analytics lists what to ask.
Cover compliance and data handling
Ask every bidder to state where video is stored, who can view it, how long it is kept, and how it is protected in transit and at rest. Ask how user accounts are controlled and whether multi-factor sign-in is supported. The camera cybersecurity guide explains the controls worth requesting.
Add hardware sourcing to the list. If your organization receives federal funds, Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act prohibits using those funds on covered telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from certain manufacturers. Ask each vendor to confirm in writing that its hardware complies. The NDAA buyer's guide covers what that confirmation should say.
Finally, ask for the vendor's position on privacy rules that apply to your site, such as audio, restricted areas and neighboring property. Rules vary by state, so confirm your requirements with counsel before you publish the RFP.
Set contract and commercial expectations
State the terms you want quoted. Ask for the same pricing structure from everyone, for example a short rental, a month-to-month plan and a longer term, with each line item itemized. Ask what is included, such as installation, relocation, maintenance, software updates and replacement of failed equipment, and what is billed separately.
Ask about exit terms. If the site closes early or the project ends, what notice is required and what happens to the equipment and the stored video? For a cost framework, see remote video monitoring cost.
Require references and a pilot option
Ask for references with a similar site type and a similar length of service. Provide a short list of questions so the answers can be compared across vendors, and ask who at the reference had the day-to-day contact with the provider. The questions to use are in our guide on how to choose a video monitoring provider.
If the decision is large, include a pilot in the RFP itself. Say how long it will run, which site it will cover, and what you will measure. Vendors who are confident in their service will usually agree to a bounded trial.
Build a scoring method before proposals arrive
Decide how you will score responses before you see any of them. A simple weighted scorecard works. List the categories, such as scope fit, response process, service commitments, compliance, references and commercial terms, and give each a weight that reflects your priorities. Have two or three reviewers score independently, then compare.
Write the scoring categories into the RFP so bidders know what matters. Include a deadline for questions and share the answers with all bidders, which keeps the process fair and reduces rework.
How VDS fits
VDS builds solar-powered mobile surveillance units. Each unit carries a 5MP PTZ with 25x optical zoom and three 8MP wide-angle cameras on a 22 ft telescopic mast, powered by a 900W bifacial solar array and an 11.8 kWh LiFePO4 battery bank with reserve for 3-5 consecutive cloudy days. Cellular connectivity is dual-SIM 4G/5G, so no site power, internet or trenching is needed.
A 24/7 US-based security operations center verifies events, responds with live talk-down through a loudspeaker, and dispatches police with video when needed. Hardware is NDAA Section 889 compliant. Most deployments go from signed quote to live monitoring in about a week. If you are drafting an RFP for a site without power or internet, see remote monitoring or talk to our team.