RFQ fields to settle before asking for a price

A useful RFQ defines the item and the conditions under which its price will be judged. A bare request for a unit price invites each supplier to choose its own assumptions. Put the fields below in one numbered document and ask every bidder to answer against the same revision.

The item and the quote

State the drawing or specification revision, quantity, material, tolerances that matter, packaging unit, and required evidence. Give suppliers a separate line for substitutions. Then request currency, unit price, tooling or setup, shipping or incidental charges, quantity breaks, quote expiry, and the event that starts lead time.

Make absence visible

Add a column for “included”, “excluded”, or “needs clarification”. A blank freight answer is not zero freight. A quoted lead time without a start event is not a delivery date. Send one clarification log to all bidders when a question changes the common scope. Compare only the revised responses, keeping the earlier versions for traceability.

Worked RFQ entry

Illustrative order: 600 steel brackets, drawing B-4, packed 50 per carton. In the RFQ checklist builder, enter “Bracket B-4” as the item, the drawing revision and finish in the specification field, “600 units” as quantity, and “50 per carton” under packaging. Copy the result to every bidder and request separate setup and freight lines. Common error: one supplier quotes bare brackets while another includes labelled cartons. Mark packaging scope unresolved until both answer the same version.

Source context: Microsoft Learn — Requests for quotation (RFQs) overview supports this limited point: An RFQ can request prices, delivery times, incidental charges, and discounts. The buyer procedure above is Suppliers Help editorial guidance. Source checked 2026-09-27.