How it works

How Museum Vendors works for museums and for vendors. The lists at the bottom of the page say which parts are open and which are not yet.

How it works for museums

Posting is free.

  1. Describe your project

    Add the scope, budget range, deadline, and how vendors should respond. Choose one of the five categories and a type, RFP or RFQ.

  2. We review it, then publish

    A person reads every RFP before it goes live. RFPs are reviewed within 2 business days, and we let you know when yours is published.

  3. Read the responses

    Vendors respond through Museum Vendors. Contact details stay behind sign-in.

How it works for vendors

Browsing and responding are free.

  1. Find open RFPs

    Filter by category, region, budget, and deadline. Each row shows the museum, deadline, and budget.

  2. Check the details

    Each RFP states the scope, requirements, evaluation criteria, and what to submit.

  3. Respond before the deadline

    Sign in and send your response through the RFP. Save RFPs to come back to them.

What gets posted

A museum posts an RFP. Every listing on Museum Vendors is called an RFP, and each one has a type tag. The tag says whether it is an RFP, a request for proposal, or an RFQ, a request for quotation, which asks only for a price on a scope that is already set.

The five categories

Every RFP is in exactly one of these categories.

  • Exhibit fabrication
  • Design
  • AV
  • Conservation
  • Consulting

What is open and what is not yet

Open now

  • Browsing RFPs. The board is live, and it fills as RFPs are reviewed and published.
  • Posting an RFP. A person reviews every RFP before it is published. RFPs are reviewed within 2 business days.

Not open yet

  • Sign-in emails. Sign-in links are not being sent yet, so accounts are set up by hand during the pilot.
  • RFP detail pages, and responding to an RFP through Museum Vendors.
  • Contact details for an RFP, which will stay behind sign-in.
  • The vendor directory and vendor profiles. List your company is a sign-up to be told when it opens.
  • Messages to vendors.
  • The saved RFPs page, saved searches, and alert emails.
  • Paid plans. The prices on the Pricing page are proposals, and nothing can be bought.