Abstract: Some embodiments include a system for maintaining anonymity of a buyer during a process of performing vendor research for a buying project. The system includes a proxy environment to anonymously represent the buyer during the vendor research process. The proxy environment is configurable for the buyer to create an RFI associated with the buying project or for the vendor to invite a buyer to communicate with them anonymously. The system includes a vendor invitation manager that invites the vendors to participate in the buying project and interact with the buyer in a way that maintains buyer anonymity via the proxy environment. In some embodiments, the system includes a query manager that generates a set of queries that the buyer requests vendors to respond to. Vendors can respond to or ignore the set of queries.