Understand how the work will happen
Ask who will design, build and review the product, how you will communicate and how often you will see working progress. Discuss who on your side can make decisions and what information the team needs from you.
Request an explanation of the first phase. A good proposal makes the problem and the scope understandable, including what is excluded. If important requirements are unknown, find out how discovery will reduce that uncertainty.
Compare the whole commitment
Two headline prices may include very different work. Check integrations, data migration, testing, content, hosting and ongoing support. Ask how changes are estimated and approved, and which third-party costs are outside the quote.
Clarify intellectual property, repository access, deployment accounts and the practical handover. Some software uses third-party licences. Understand the specific rights you receive instead of relying on a broad statement about ownership.
Plan for after launch
Agree the acceptance process and how defects, new features and operational incidents are distinguished. Support hours and response expectations should be written down. Ask who is responsible for updates, monitoring and backup restoration.
Use the conversation to judge how clearly the partner explains trade-offs. You need enough information to make a decision, including when a smaller scope or an existing product might fit your needs better.