Request for Proposal — sample
Managed SD-WAN with underlay and firewall for 38 UK retail sites (sample)
Scope: SD-WAN
Delivery: Fully managed
Sector: retail & e-commerce
Sites: 38
Regions: UK & Ireland
Compliance: PCI DSS, UK GDPR
Methodology: v2026.1
Questions: 32 across 5 sections
Project background
Fictional worked example. A UK retailer with 38 stores plus a distribution centre replacing an ageing MPLS estate: managed SD-WAN with underlay circuits, local internet breakout for store systems, and a managed firewall service. Stores trade seven days a week, so migration must be phased with no trading-hours downtime.
Service delivery and operating model
MandatoryConfirm whether your solution/service provides: Fully managed service. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: recommended for Retail and e-commerce; fully managed operating model requested (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f01_fully_managed_service).
Weighting 4/5 · required
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: DIY / self-managed model. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard service delivery and operating model question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f02_diy_self_managed_model).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Co-managed service. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard service delivery and operating model question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f03_co_managed_service).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Multi-tenant MSP / white-label support. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard service delivery and operating model question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f04_multi_tenant_msp_white_label_support).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Professional services and migration support. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard service delivery and operating model question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f05_professional_services_and_migration_support).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Last-mile circuit management. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard service delivery and operating model question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f06_last_mile_circuit_management).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Lifecycle management. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard service delivery and operating model question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f07_lifecycle_management).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Flexible commercial model. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard service delivery and operating model question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f08_flexible_commercial_model).
Weighting 2/5
Network architecture and transport
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Encrypted overlay fabric. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f09_encrypted_overlay_fabric).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Dynamic path selection. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f10_dynamic_path_selection).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Active-active link utilisation. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f11_active_active_link_utilisation).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Application-aware routing. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f12_application_aware_routing).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: QoS and traffic shaping. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f13_qos_and_traffic_shaping).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Packet loss remediation. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f14_packet_loss_remediation).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Local internet breakout. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: recommended for Retail and e-commerce (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f15_local_internet_breakout).
Weighting 3/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: MPLS coexistence and migration. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f16_mpls_coexistence_and_migration).
Weighting 2/5
MandatoryConfirm whether your solution/service provides: Cellular and 5G support. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: Retail and e-commerce sector requirement (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f17_cellular_and_5g_support).
Weighting 4/5 · required
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Cloud on-ramp. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard network architecture and transport question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f18_cloud_on_ramp).
Weighting 2/5
Gateway, PoP and backbone design
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Public cloud gateways. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard gateway, pop and backbone design question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f19_public_cloud_gateways).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Private PoPs / dedicated PoPs. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard gateway, pop and backbone design question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f20_private_pops_dedicated_pops).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Private global backbone. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard gateway, pop and backbone design question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f21_private_global_backbone).
Weighting 2/5
MandatoryConfirm whether your solution/service provides: Regional breakout and data residency. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: UK GDPR / DPA 2018 / Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 compliance (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f22_regional_breakout_and_data_residency).
Weighting 4/5 · required
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Multi-cloud transit fabric. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard gateway, pop and backbone design question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f23_multi_cloud_transit_fabric).
Weighting 2/5
MandatoryConfirm whether your solution/service provides: Flexible edge form factors. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: Retail and e-commerce sector requirement; large estate benefits from flexible edge options (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f24_flexible_edge_form_factors).
Weighting 4/5 · required
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: High availability design. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard gateway, pop and backbone design question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f25_high_availability_design).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: SLA-backed service fabric. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard gateway, pop and backbone design question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f26_sla_backed_service_fabric).
Weighting 2/5
Security and SASE capability
MandatoryConfirm whether your solution/service provides: Integrated next-generation firewall. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: Retail and e-commerce sector requirement; PCI DSS v4.0 compliance (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f27_integrated_next_generation_firewall).
Weighting 4/5 · required
Operations, assurance and automation
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Centralised orchestration. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: recommended for Retail and e-commerce; 38 sites need central orchestration (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f36_centralised_orchestration).
Weighting 3/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Customer portal and RBAC. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard operations, assurance and automation question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f37_customer_portal_and_rbac).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Observability and digital experience monitoring. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard operations, assurance and automation question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f38_observability_and_digital_experience_monitoring).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: APIs and automation. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Standard operations, assurance and automation question (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f39_apis_and_automation).
Weighting 2/5
Confirm whether your solution/service provides: Managed service assurance. Include delivery model, limitations, geography and dependencies.
Evidence required: Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract.
Why this matters: Included because: managed service needs assured operations (per SASE Methodology v2026.1, f40_managed_service_assurance).
Weighting 3/5
Evidence checklist
Suppliers should return these artefacts with their response:
- Product documentation, architecture diagram, service description, RACI, portal screenshot, sample report, SLA or contract extract. (32 questions)
Scoring approach
Responses are scored per question (1–5) multiplied by the question weighting. Mandatory questions are pass/fail gates: a failed mandatory excludes the response regardless of score.
| Section | Questions | Mandatory | Weight share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service delivery and operating model | 8 | 1 | 23% |
| Network architecture and transport | 10 | 1 | 30% |
| Gateway, PoP and backbone design | 8 | 2 | 26% |
| Security and SASE capability | 1 | 1 | 5% |
| Operations, assurance and automation | 5 | 0 | 16% |
Provenance
Generated by the Netify RFP Builder from methodology v2026.1; question sources: Netify question bank v2026.1 and the extended SASE canonical bank (sase-question-bank-2026.1) — see the question bank.
Suggested citation: Netify Sample SASE / SD-WAN RFP 2026.1, Netify, available at https://netify.co.uk/sase/rfp-builder/sample-rfp/