Procuring sustainable transport vendors or software without a structured evaluation process almost always produces suboptimal outcomes – vendors who look good on a rate card but can’t deliver on sustainability commitments, or platforms that claim ESG reporting capability but can’t produce audit-ready data. 

A well-run RFI/RFP process filters for both operational capability and genuine sustainability credentials. This guide covers how to structure that process. 

Start With an RFI Before an RFP

An RFI (Request for Information) is a low-effort way to understand the market before investing time in a full RFP. Use it to narrow the field.

• Issue a short RFI to 8–10 vendors covering fleet composition (EV/CNG percentage), sustainability reporting capability, route optimization approach, and references from organizations with active ESG programs
• Use RFI responses to identify which vendors have genuine sustainability capability versus those who’ve added green language to standard proposals. The depth of their answers tells you more than the claims
• Shortlist 3–5 vendors for the full RFP based on RFI responses, filtering out vendors who can’t demonstrate EV fleet availability in your cities or GPS-verified emissions reporting

What Your RFP Needs to Cover

Structure the RFP to surface both operational capability and sustainability credentials explicitly. Most procurement templates don’t adequately address the latter. 

Operational requirements

• Route optimization capability: real-time traffic integration, dynamic rerouting, and measurable km reduction benchmarks from comparable deployments
• Fleet management: vehicle tracking, driver verification, billing reconciliation, and safety features
• Integration capability: HRMS, ERP, attendance systems, and ESG reporting tools
• Implementation timeline, onboarding process, and support model

Sustainability-specific requirements

• Current stats: current EV and CNG fleet percentage by city, with a committed transition roadmap for contract duration
• Emissions calculation methodology: how are per-trip emissions calculated, what emission factors are used, and how is vehicle fuel type verified at the trip level
• ESG reporting output: can the platform generate BRSR-ready Scope 3 data, and in what format?
• Sustainability certifications or third-party audits the vendor has undergone
• Ask vendors to provide actual ESG reports or emissions dashboards from existing clients, not screenshots of a demo environment

Commercial requirements

• Total cost of ownership over three years including EV premium, if applicable
• Pricing structure for sustainability features as  some vendors bundle ESG reporting while others charge separately
• Penalty and incentive structure for fleet transition commitments – if a vendor promises 40% EV by year two, what happens if they don’t deliver?

Evaluate Responses Against a Weighted Scorecard

Sustainability requirements should carry explicit weight in your scoring, not be treated as a checkbox after operational and commercial evaluation.

A suggested weighting for sustainable transport procurement: 

Adjust weightings based on your organization’s priorities. Companies with imminent BRSR disclosure obligations may weigh ESG features higher. Organizations primarily focused on cost reduction may weigh commercial terms more heavily.