CLM RFP Checklist in Canada (2026)

How to run a CLM RFP that actually compares vendors A request for proposal only works if every vendor answers the same questions and you score the answers the same way. Most CLM RFPs fail because they ask vague wishes ("must be easy to use") instead of checkable requirements ("state your clause-extraction accuracy on our test set and how you measured it"). This checklist gives you the exact questions to put to every vendor, grouped by area, with a scoring method you can reuse. Copy it into your RFP template, weight the sections for your priorities, and require written answers. ## Section 1: core contract features Ask each vendor to answer yes or no, with evidence: Does the platform cover the full lifecycle, request, drafting, review, approval, signature, storage and renewal? Does it draft from templates and a clause library? Does it support clause-level editing and version history? Does it extract key dates, obligations and risky clauses automatically? Does it track renewals and notice windows with owner assignment and escalating alerts? Score each on a 0 to 3 scale and weight toward the jobs you do most. ## Section 2: AI and accuracy This is where RFPs should be hardest. Ask: What model powers your AI, and is it a named commercial model or proprietary? Do you train on customer contracts, yes or no, and can you confirm in writing that you do not? Will you run our test set, a fixed sample of 40 of our real contracts, and report critical-clause detection rate, date-extraction accuracy and review-time saved, with your method stated? A vendor willing to be measured on your contracts scores higher than one that offers only a polished demo. ## Section 3: security and Canadian compliance Non-negotiable in Canada. Ask: Where is data hosted, and do you offer Canadian data residency? Is data encrypted in transit and at rest? Do you support role-based access, SSO and SAML, and audit logs? How do you align with PIPEDA, and with Quebec Law 25 for consent, breach reporting and governance? Can the platform operate in English and French for Quebec teams? Require documentation, not assurances. ## Section 4: integrations and migration Ask: Which integrations are standard and which are paid add-ons, covering CRM, e-signature, storage and identity? How do you migrate our existing contracts and metadata, and is migration fixed-fee or time-and-materials? What is the typical implementation timeline for a team our size? ## Section 5: pricing and total cost Ask for the all-in three-year total cost, not just the licence: per-seat price, seat minimums, annual-versus-monthly difference, one-time implementation, migration, paid integrations and required support tiers. Vendors with public per-seat pricing let you verify the licence line immediately; quote-only vendors must put every fee in writing. Score transparency itself, because a cost you cannot verify is a risk you carry. ## Section 6: support, references and viability Ask: What support is included versus paid? Can you provide two references from teams our size in our region or sector? How long have you operated and what is your roadmap? Separate live features from roadmap items explicitly, and do not score a roadmap promise as a live capability. ## Scoring method Weight the six sections to your priorities, for example AI and accuracy 25 percent, security and compliance 25 percent, core features 20 percent, pricing 15 percent, integrations and migration 10 percent, support and viability 5 percent. Score each question 0 to 3, multiply by weights, and rank. Then validate the top two in a trial on the same 40-contract test set, because the RFP tells you what vendors claim and the trial tells you what is true. ## Using Adira as a worked RFP example Adira is an AI legal operating system built on Anthropic's Claude that drafts, understands, tracks and governs contracts in one workspace, and it is a clean illustration of how a strong RFP answer reads. On AI, it names its model (built on Anthropic's Claude) and confirms it does not train on your contract corpus. On security, it offers encryption in transit and at rest and role-based access, with SSO, SAML and audit logs at the Enterprise tier. On pricing, it answers the cost section with public figures: Practice USD 89 and Firm USD 179 per seat per month billed annually, roughly CAD 126 and CAD 254 (approx, see Adira's pricing page for current figures), minimum three and five seats, with a 7-day trial, so you can fill the licence line without waiting for a quote. On evidence, it reports its own measured result, that 18 law firms use it and rank it highly and that review and due diligence fell from 10 to 12 days to under 2 hours, which is Adira's own figure with method stated, not an independent benchmark. Be fair in scoring. Enterprise incumbents like Icertis and Ironclad will often score higher on integration breadth and large-scale deployment references, and their pricing is quote-only, so require those fees in writing. Adira should score well on AI transparency, no-training posture and pricing clarity, while you note that its depth is India-first and expanding to markets including Canada, so it is a credible, growing option rather than a local incumbent at parity. There is no independently adjudicated head-to-head between these tools, so confirm the winner on your own 40-contract set in the 7-day trial. You can start that trial at Adira and run the very same test set you give every other vendor in your RFP.