GigaCapacity
Free tool
What should an AI data center capacity lease RFP include?
Updated June 14, 2026

Lease RFP

Capacity Lease RFP Builder

Use this builder to convert capacity needs into an RFP brief that providers can answer consistently.

The output emphasizes power, density, cooling, timeline, SLA, utility pass-throughs, expansion rights, and evidence requests instead of generic availability claims.

How to use this calculator

Use before sending a wholesale, powered shell, colocation, or GPU hosting RFP.

  1. 01

    Enter the buyer scenario

    Start with the editable lease rfp inputs and replace defaults with current quotes, tariffs, engineering values, or buyer assumptions.

  2. 02

    Review the modeled outcome

    Use the modeled outcome, decision checks, and copied brief to compare the scenario against buyer constraints.

  3. 03

    Verify the result before acting

    Check the caveats, source table, and related guides before treating the output as a quote, bid, or final site decision.

Calculator inputs

Scenario defaults are editable. Replace them with current quotes, utility tariffs, tax counsel inputs, or engineering values before relying on the output.

RFP-ready

Modeled outcome

Require providers to separate committed capacity from build-required capacity and state utility, cooling, SLA, and expansion assumptions explicitly.

Score

100 pts

Decision checks

  • Completeness score: 100
  • Lease type: wholesale
  • Cooling: direct-to-chip

RFP sections

  • Capacity and phasing
  • Power delivery evidence
  • Rack density and cooling boundary
  • Utility cost treatment
  • Network and cross-connects
  • Commissioning and acceptance tests
  • SLA, remedies, and reporting
  • Expansion rights

Provider questions

  • Which MW are committed today, which require construction, and what utility milestones control each phase?
  • What rack-density limit is contractually supported, and which cooling components are provider-owned versus buyer-owned?
  • How will utility charges, demand charges, riders, taxes, and metered power true-ups be billed and audited?
  • What SLA credits, termination rights, expansion options, and remedies apply if the ready date or density commitment is missed?

Evidence to request

  • Utility service letter, interconnection study, or provider schedule showing power delivery path for each phase.
  • Electrical and mechanical capacity evidence showing committed critical kW, rack-density support, redundancy, and cooling boundary.
  • Commissioning and acceptance-test plan covering load bank, cooling stability, failover, metering, and turnover criteria.
  • Commercial schedule showing utility pass-throughs, escalators, cross-connect charges, remote-hands fees, make-ready costs, and deposits.

Response fields

  • Committed critical kW by phase, ready date, dependency, and expiration of offer.
  • Rack density, cooling method, facility-side boundary, supply temperature range, and acceptance-test criteria.
  • Utility cost treatment, metering boundary, escalators, taxes, riders, demand charges, and reconciliation process.
  • Network carriers, cross-connect NRC and MRC, cloud on-ramp availability, lead times, and demarcation responsibility.
  • Expansion option MW, reservation period, pricing basis, deposit requirement, and release conditions.

Risk flags

  • Direct-to-chip cooling requires facility-loop evidence, service boundary clarity, leak detection, and acceptance testing.
  • Fast ready-by date requires proof of power delivery, long-lead equipment, and commissioning schedule.

How does the lease rfp model work?

The builder scores RFP completeness across capacity, density, cooling, commercial term, timeline, utility treatment, network, SLA, expansion rights, commissioning, and diligence evidence. It generates provider questions that force comparable responses on what is available, what must be built, who pays for make-ready work, and which assumptions are subject to utility or permitting approvals.

What should buyers verify before using the result?

  • The builder does not claim capacity is available in any market or facility.
  • RFP responses should be normalized for utility pass-throughs, escalators, cross-connects, remote hands, and commissioning scope.
  • Legal and technical teams should review lease language, service levels, remedies, and expansion rights before award.

Related guides and tools

Which sources support this lease rfp model?

SourceUse in this toolLink
TierPoint data center cost calculatorCompetitive calculator pattern for build-versus-colocation decisions.Open
Expedient data center build vs buy calculatorCompetitive calculator pattern for build-versus-buy modeling.Open
CoreSite data center costs build or lease guideBuild-versus-colocation factors for enterprise buyers.Open
Digital Realty build vs buy reportStrategic factors in build-versus-buy decisions.Open
CBRE North America Data Center Trends H2 2025Market supply, vacancy, and leasing pressure across North America.Open
JLL 2026 Market Outlook for Global Data CentersGlobal market outlook, cost, site selection, and power context.Open

FAQ: What should an AI data center capacity lease RFP include?

Power and cooling evidence is usually the most important section because capacity that cannot be energized and cooled on the required timeline is not useful.

Yes, but it should also ask what is committed, what requires construction, what depends on utility upgrades, and what expansion rights are actually reserved.

Normalize critical kW, rack density, cooling boundary, utility treatment, term, escalators, SLA remedies, cross-connect costs, make-ready scope, and delivery schedule.