Define the requirement before naming facilities
Use the notes under each category as the minimum response structure for every provider. Add workload-specific requirements, then ask providers to state assumptions and exceptions instead of simply marking “compliant.”
Initial cabinet, cage or suite footprint; initial usable IT kW; circuit design; A/B topology; metering; growth by date.
Average and peak kW per rack; air or liquid method; water temperatures; CDU responsibility; sustained operating limits.
Required carriers, cloud on-ramps, diverse entrances, route diversity, cross-connect quantity, MRC and NRC.
Required reports and certifications; cage controls; visitor process; camera retention; audit evidence; data residency.
Power, temperature, humidity and network commitments; exclusions; service credits; maintenance rights; reporting.
Service-ready date; cage or suite build; delivery path; staging; cabling; burn-in; commissioning; change control.
Remote-hands rates and minimums; response times; 24/7 access; smart hands; spares; ticket escalation; after-hours work.
Separate every recurring and one-time charge. State power basis, taxes, utility pass-through, PUE, overages and assumptions.
Initial term, commencement trigger, escalators, renewal, termination, assignment, liability, insurance and force majeure.
Identify reserved adjacent space and kW, exercise deadline, future price, ramp dates and remedies for late delivery.
Provider response template
| Response field | What the provider should supply |
|---|---|
| Facility and option | Address or anonymized facility ID, room or phase, operator and option expiration |
| Capacity | Usable IT kW now, future kW, density limits and physical footprint |
| Delivery | Contractual service-ready date and every utility, construction or customer dependency |
| Technical exceptions | Requirement-by-requirement variance, proposed alternative and operating limitation |
| Recurring cost | Space, power, cross-connects, bandwidth, support, pass-throughs and taxes |
| One-time cost | Installation, cage, cabinets, distribution, cooling, cabling and commissioning |
| Commercial terms | Term, ramp, deposit, escalators, renewal, expansion and quote-validity period |
Normalize before you score
- Convert every proposal to the same usable IT kW and deployment period.
- Separate provider capacity from customer-responsibility equipment and work.
- Build a year-one and full-term total, including NRCs and escalators.
- Score technical compliance separately from price.
- Identify delivery dependencies and assign schedule risk.
- Resolve exceptions in writing before selecting a finalist.
Commercial pages to support the RFP
GPU and high density
Qualify 10 to 100+ kW rack designs, cooling and floor loading.
Private cages
Plan four to 20 racks, security and expansion rights.
Wholesale space
Compare 250 kW to 5 MW delivery models and terms.
Market pricing
Start with Ashburn, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago market context.
Ready to issue the RFP?
A scout can turn this requirement into a targeted provider list, manage responses and normalize capacity, pricing and delivery dates.