A request for quotation works when every supplier prices the same thing in the same format. How to write the RFQ, run the round, and choose defensibly.
A request for quotation asks several suppliers to price a clearly defined purchase so you can compare like with like. It is the right tool when you already know what you want — quantities, specification, delivery — and the open question is price and terms. Most RFQ rounds that go wrong fail at comparison, not at sending: five quotes arrive in five formats, with different assumptions baked in, and the cheapest-looking one is simply the one that left the most out.
Use a request for quotation when the requirement is fixed and suppliers compete on price, lead time and terms. Use a request for proposal when you know the problem but not the solution, and want suppliers to propose an approach. Mixing the two produces quotes that are really proposals, and proposals nobody can price-compare. If you catch yourself asking suppliers to "suggest the best option", you are writing an RFP.
Answer supplier questions to everyone, not just the one who asked. A clarification given privately changes what one supplier is quoting and quietly breaks comparability.
Ettex Forms is a practical way to run the response side: suppliers complete the same fields, attach their formal quote, and the submissions land side by side in Ettex Records where the comparison and the decision can be kept on the record. That structure matters more than the tool — a shared spreadsheet template works too, provided suppliers cannot change the columns.
RFQs sit inside the wider procurement process: a purchase requisition authorises the need before the RFQ goes out, and new suppliers still go through supplier onboarding and, where the risk warrants it, a vendor due diligence checklist before the order is placed.
Three is a common minimum for meaningful competition. Your procurement policy may set thresholds — more quotes, or a formal tender — as the value rises.
A quote is usually an offer that becomes binding when accepted, within its validity period and on its stated terms. Check the terms and make sure your purchase order references the quote.
A template is useful for consistency, but the response format matters more than the request document. Fix what suppliers must return, not just what you send them.
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A request a quote form should qualify the enquiry and give you what you need to price it. The fields that save a round of emails, and how to respond fast.
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