Compare proposals with a scorecard you can explain

Choose criteria before reviewing pitches

List the business need, required deliverables, qualifications, service access, implementation, costs and handover requirements. Decide which conditions are essential and which involve tradeoffs. Keep franchisor approval and applicable professional requirements visible.

Give each provider the same information and ask it to state assumptions and exclusions. A proposal should be assessed against the work you need, not the volume of features or pages it contains.

Record evidence beside each assessment

For every criterion, write the supporting document, demonstration or answer. Mark unknowns clearly. A numerical score without an explanation can create a false impression of precision, especially when the underlying proposals cover different scopes.

Separate initial spending, recurring charges and contingent fees. Ask which work is performed by the named team and which may be subcontracted. Review access, data handling and continuity where relevant, using qualified advice for specialized questions.

Make the decision reviewable

Record why the selected proposal meets the essential conditions and what concerns still require resolution. Agree responsibilities, approvals and a review date in the engagement. This guide does not rank suppliers or promise a result; it gives the owner a record that can be examined when expectations or circumstances change.

Put it on paper

• Set criteria before seeing the pitches.
• Support assessments with named evidence.
• Document tradeoffs and unresolved conditions.

Continue with the franchise research checklist, our FDD guide, and the research directory.