Customer Data Platform Selection
CDP Architecture, Activation & Lifecycle Engagement
- A Customer Data Platform (CDP) as the central activation and segmentation layer
- Real-time ingestion from production systems alongside the data warehouse
- Unified consumer and trade audience profiles
- Replacement or simplification of the current CRM service layer
- Confirm intent within 2 business days of issue date
- Submit clarification questions by 25 May 2026
- Max 3 PDF documents + completed Requirements Template
- 7 required components including a PoC proposal
- Minimum 2 reference customers in comparable verticals
This document is issued in strict confidence by Vetted Limited t/a Checkatrade. It may not be reproduced, shared with third parties, or used for any purpose other than preparing a proposal response. All RFP materials must be destroyed if the supplier decides not to respond.
About Checkatrade
Company background and strategic direction
Checkatrade is the UK's leading online marketplace for home improvements and repairs, with over 25 years of operation connecting homeowners and tradespeople through verified, technology-driven experiences. We operate a two-sided marketplace spanning more than 70 trade categories.
Checkatrade is backed by Brookfield and is entering a significant investment phase focused on product, technology, data and customer experience.
We are selecting a CDP partner that can scale with an ambitious, fast-moving platform. Proposals should reflect an understanding of two-sided marketplace dynamics and the distinction between consumer and trade audience needs.
Business Context
Current state, procurement objective and strategic ambition
We are investing in our CRM and data infrastructure to unlock the next stage of personalised, real-time customer engagement. Our current stack spans Salesforce, Braze, a data warehouse and production data sources. This CDP selection is focused on four clear opportunities:
- Reducing engineering involvement in day-to-day audience building and campaign activation
- Scaling personalised communications more effectively across both consumer and trade audiences
- Moving from batch-based data flows to real-time responsiveness to user actions and platform events
- Simplifying the current data intermediary layer to improve speed and reliability
- CRM team builds and manages audiences independently
- Real-time responsiveness to user actions and platform events
- Simplified architecture with fewer intermediary dependencies
- Unified consumer and trade identity across all data sources
We are seeking a CDP to act as the central activation and segmentation layer. The CDP will need to:
- Unify customer data across Salesforce, Braze, the data warehouse and production data sources into a single actionable profile
- Support real-time ingestion directly from production systems alongside existing data warehouse flows
- Enable marketing and CRM teams to build and activate audiences with greater autonomy
- Improve data governance, consistency and identity resolution across consumer and trade audiences
- Reduce architectural complexity in the current data and communications layer
The CDP may operate either as a standalone ingestion and activation layer, or as a composable layer on top of the data warehouse. Both models are in scope. Suppliers should address both options and state their recommended approach with rationale.
This investment is intended to move Checkatrade from reactive CRM operations to a proactive, scalable and personalised engagement model. Our target architecture positions:
Warehouse
(to be selected)
Our broader ambition is to become an AI-powered platform for the trades industry, moving from reactive engagement to predictive, self-improving lifecycle communications.
Architecture
Supporting documentation for current and target state
Detailed documentation supporting current and target architecture is provided as separate supporting materials. Suppliers must review these before preparing their response.
Supplier Instructions
How to participate, what you need to complete, and how to submit
A formal invitation to participate in this RFP process will have been sent by email to the named contact at your organisation. That email includes a link to a shared Google Drive folder containing all supporting documentation required for completion and submission. If you have not received your invitation or cannot access the shared folder, please contact both Checkatrade representatives listed in Section 10.
- Confirm your intent to respond within two business days of receiving your invitation, by email to both Checkatrade contacts listed in Section 10
- Review all three documents in the shared Google Drive before preparing your response; proposals should map directly to the architecture and requirements described
- Address both the standalone CDP model and the composable-on-data-warehouse model, and state your recommended approach with rationale
- Be specific about client-side resource requirements in your implementation plan
- State all commercial assumptions explicitly in your TCO
- Use the clarification period, open until 25 May, to raise questions before finalising your proposal
The PoC proposal (churn intervention) carries 25% of the evaluation weight. This is the section of your response where we expect to see the most differentiation between suppliers. We encourage you to treat it with the same depth as the technical and commercial sections.
Use Cases & Proof of Concept
Business problems, target use cases and PoC expectations
The CDP Use Cases and PoC Document sets out the specific use cases and the expected PoC scope. The primary PoC use case for this RFP is a churn intervention journey. This document is available in the shared Google Drive folder provided in your invitation email.
- A concrete, technical description of how your platform would deliver the churn intervention use case end-to-end
- Identification of data requirements and any client-side dependencies
- Indicative build timeline and vendor and client-side resource requirements for the PoC phase
- Clear articulation of what success looks like and how it would be measured
The PoC proposal carries significant weight in the evaluation process. We are looking for proposals that demonstrate a practical, specific understanding of how your platform would approach a churn intervention use case at two-sided marketplace scale.
CDP Requirements Response Template
Structured requirements across four dimensions
- Technical and integration capabilities
- Functional and segmentation capabilities
- Data governance and identity resolution
- Architectural fit and composability
- All sections must be completed in full
- Incomplete responses may be excluded from evaluation
- Where a requirement is not currently met, state planned availability and timeline
- Submit as a separate spreadsheet file alongside your PDF documents
The Requirements Response Template is available in the shared Google Drive folder provided in your invitation email. Submit the completed spreadsheet alongside your PDF proposal documents.
Reference Customers
Case studies and reference contacts to accompany your proposal
We ask all suppliers to include reference customers as part of their proposal submission. References help us understand how your platform has performed in comparable commercial environments and give us confidence in the claims made in your proposal.
- A minimum of two reference customers in comparable verticals — marketplace, subscription, home services, B2B or B2C platforms
- At least one reference should involve a use case with real-time activation or lifecycle engagement at scale
- Where possible, references should reflect organisations of similar size or complexity to Checkatrade
- References may be contacted directly by Checkatrade as part of the evaluation process
- A brief case study for each reference (one to two pages) describing the business challenge, solution deployed, and measurable outcomes
- A named reference contact — name, job title and email address — who can speak to the implementation and ongoing performance
- Confirmation that the reference contact has consented to being approached by Checkatrade
- Submitted as part of your Company Overview document or as a standalone appendix
We recognise that some reference details may be commercially sensitive. Where a client relationship is confidential, please note this and provide an anonymised case study alongside a named reference contact who can confirm the engagement if approached directly.
How to Respond
Submission requirements, format and intent to respond
Each of the following components must be included. Missing components may result in exclusion.
- Maximum three documents (excluding Requirements Template), submitted as PDF
- Requirements Template submitted as a separate spreadsheet file
- All documents submitted via email to all contacts in Section 10
- File naming:
SUPPLIER NAME, DOCUMENT NAME(e.g. Acme CDP, Company Overview) - Responses not following the naming convention may impact evaluation processing
Suppliers are encouraged to use the clarification period to ask questions and request any additional data needed. Checkatrade will not be obliged to answer questions received after 25 May 2026. Responses to clarification questions will be shared with all suppliers.
Confirm your intention to submit a proposal by email to all contacts in Section 10 within two business days of the RFP issue date (i.e. by 20 May 2026).
Acknowledge receipt, state your reason for declining, and confirm in writing that all RFP materials (including supporting documents) have been destroyed.
Timelines
Key dates and milestones for Phase 1
Timescales are indicative and may be subject to change. Failure to meet submission deadlines may result in exclusion from the process.
Contact Details
All RFP correspondence must be directed to all three contacts below
Please include all three contacts on every communication — clarification questions, intent to respond, and final proposal submission. Do not copy in additional stakeholders at this stage of the process.
All documents must be submitted to all three contacts by 5 June 2026. Please use the naming convention: SUPPLIER NAME, DOCUMENT NAME.
Terms & Disclaimer
Confidentiality, process rights and governing law
Confidentiality
This document is the property of Vetted Limited t/a Checkatrade and is issued in strictest confidence. It must not be reproduced, shared with third parties, or used for any purpose other than preparing a proposal response. Recipients may share this document only with employees or contractors directly involved in preparing a response.
No Warranty
Checkatrade does not accept responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of information in this document. Nothing in this RFP or in any associated communication constitutes a warranty, representation or commitment by Checkatrade.
No Contract
This RFP is not an offer to enter into an agreement. No contract or legally binding commitment arises from this process. Checkatrade will only be bound by the express terms of a separately executed written contract signed by an authorised representative.
Process Rights
Checkatrade reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal in whole or in part; enter into discussions or negotiations with more than one respondent simultaneously; modify or terminate this procurement process at any time; and seek clarification from any supplier without notifying other participants. Checkatrade will not be liable for costs incurred in preparing or submitting a proposal. All proposals submitted become the property of Checkatrade.
Governing Law
This RFP and any contract arising from this process shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.
Data Handling
Suppliers accept that proposal responses, commercial information and contact details provided during this process may be retained and used internally by Checkatrade for the purposes of evaluation and procurement decision-making.