Is the ERP Market Still Growing?

The narrative in technology circles is that ERP implementations are a declining market, replaced by best-of-breed SaaS tools and modern data platforms. The RFP data tells a different story. We identified 197 ERP-related RFPs in our dataset of 7,569 listings, accounting for 2.6% of all volume. More importantly, ERP RFP volume grew from 12 listings in October 2025 to 60 in January 2026, a 5x increase that far outpaces the overall software market's growth rate over the same period.

ERP procurement is not just growing; it is diversifying. The 197 ERP RFPs span multiple categories: Software (116), Consulting (21), IT Services (15), Information Technology (13), and IT Consulting (9). This reflects the reality that ERP implementations are not just software purchases. They are complex, multi-year transformation programs that require implementation services, change management, training, and ongoing support. The median deadline for ERP RFPs is 28 days, longer than the overall software median of 22 days, giving proposal teams slightly more time to assemble the cross-functional responses these complex bids demand.

Who Is Buying ERP Systems?

ERP procurement spans both public and private sectors. Government agencies at federal, state, and local levels regularly issue ERP RFPs for financial management, human resources, procurement, and asset management systems. Healthcare organizations procure ERP solutions for revenue cycle management and supply chain operations. Educational institutions invest in student information systems and administrative platforms that often fall under the ERP umbrella. Manufacturing and construction firms need ERP for project cost accounting, inventory management, and field operations.

The keyword analysis reveals the specific platforms and capabilities buyers are requesting. Searches for SAP, Oracle, Workday, and NetSuite appear across the ERP listings, though many RFPs are platform-agnostic, describing functional requirements rather than specifying a vendor. The most common functional requirements mentioned in ERP RFPs include financial management, human capital management, procurement and supply chain, reporting and analytics, and system integration. Buyers increasingly require cloud deployment (SaaS), mobile access, and real-time analytics as baseline capabilities rather than premium features.

What Makes ERP Proposals Different?

ERP proposals are among the most complex in any category. They typically require detailed responses covering functional requirements (often 200-500 individual requirements across multiple modules), technical architecture (cloud vs. hybrid vs. on-premise deployment), implementation methodology and timeline (typically 12-36 months), change management and training approach, data migration strategy, integration architecture, and total cost of ownership over the full contract period.

The evaluation process for ERP procurements is also more involved. Many ERP RFPs include scripted vendor demonstrations, reference checks with comparable implementations, and detailed proof-of-concept requirements. The contract duration data in our dataset confirms the long-term nature of these commitments: 36 months (3 years) is the most common contract duration at 33% of listings with duration data, followed by 60 months (5 years) at 13%. These multi-year relationships make the initial proposal an investment that compounds over the life of the contract.

How to Win More ERP RFPs

Winning ERP proposals requires demonstrating three things that generic software proposals do not: implementation credibility, domain-specific expertise, and long-term partnership capability. Implementation credibility comes from documented case studies showing successful go-lives at comparable organizations, including timeline, budget, and user adoption metrics. Domain expertise means understanding the specific workflows, regulations, and pain points of the buyer's industry. Long-term partnership capability is demonstrated through support models, upgrade paths, and the stability of your organization.

For proposal teams responding to ERP RFPs, a robust content library is essential. The volume and specificity of requirements in a typical ERP RFP means that no team can draft complete responses from scratch within a 28-day window. Pre-approved responses to common functional requirements, reference implementation narratives, and integration architecture descriptions should all be maintained in a searchable library. AI-powered tools like Settle can match ERP requirements against your library content and generate first drafts that cover the 60-80% of requirements that appear across multiple RFPs, freeing your team to focus on the custom 20-40% that differentiates your proposal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many ERP RFPs are posted each month?

Based on our dataset, ERP-related RFP volume grew from 12 listings in October 2025 to 60 in January 2026. The February 2026 pace (39 listings in the first 15 days) suggests monthly volume of 70 or more, indicating continued growth. This represents approximately 2.6% of all RFP volume.

What is the typical contract length for an ERP implementation?

The most common ERP contract duration is 36 months (3 years), accounting for 33% of RFPs with explicit duration data. Five-year contracts (60 months) are the next most common at 13%. Some complex, enterprise-wide ERP implementations extend to 66 months or even 120 months (10 years) when including implementation, stabilization, and long-term support phases.

What are the most requested ERP capabilities in 2026?

The most frequently mentioned ERP capabilities in current RFPs are financial management, human capital management, procurement and supply chain, reporting and analytics, and system integration. Cloud deployment (SaaS) has become a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator. Buyers increasingly require mobile access, real-time dashboards, and AI-powered analytics as standard features.