How to fill out a request for quotation
An RFQ asks suppliers to price a specified list against stated terms. Its entire value is comparability: if you do not fix the Incoterm, the quantity and the deadline, you get back three quotes that cannot be laid side by side, and you end up comparing an EXW price to a CIF one.
The 9 fields on a request for quotation
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- Valid Until
Your deadline for responses, not the quote's validity. State it, because an RFQ with no closing date gets answered last.
- Incoterms
Fix it, or every quote prices a different scope. If you genuinely want to compare EXW against DAP, ask for both explicitly rather than leaving it open.
- Place of Delivery
The named place that completes the Incoterm. \u201cDAP\u201d without a destination is not a term and cannot be priced.
- Currency
Fix it. Three quotes in three currencies at three unstated exchange rates are not comparable, and converting them yourself imports the risk.
- Buyer
Who you are. Suppliers price differently for a first order from an unknown company than for a repeat customer, and being vague here does not help you.
- Supplier
The addressee. Sending an identical undirected RFQ to twenty suppliers is visible and lowers your response rate.
- Special Instructions
What you need alongside the price: lead time, minimum order quantity, packing requirements, certifications, whether samples are expected. Suppliers answer what they are asked.
The line-item columns
One row per product. Columns can be hidden, renamed or added in the generator.
- Item #
- Description
Specification, not a part number they cannot look up. Material, dimensions, grade, tolerance. Vagueness here is what produces quotes for the wrong thing.
- HS Code
Where you know it, include it. It tells the supplier what you believe you are buying and surfaces a classification disagreement before there is an order.
- Qty
Be exact, and state whether it is firm or indicative. \u201cAround 500\u201d gets a price for 500 that changes when you order 800.
- Unit
- Unit Price
Left blank — this is the column they fill in. Where you have a target price and are prepared to say so, put it in the instructions rather than here.
A working request for quotation, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
| Item # | Description | HS Code | Qty | Unit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Please quote your best price and lead time for the items listed above, on terms to . Responses are required by .
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
Ask for the price breakdown, not just the price
A single delivered figure is hard to negotiate and impossible to compare when volumes change. Asking for unit price, tooling or setup, packing and freight separately tells you which part is actually moving when the quote is revised.
State the deadline and the decision date
Suppliers prioritise RFQs that look real. A closing date, an indication of when you will decide, and the expected order size do more for response quality than the wording of the request.
Where it leads
Request for quotation, quotation, purchase order, sales confirmation. The proforma appears where you need a formal document to open a credit or apply for an import licence. Keeping the same references through the chain is what makes the file reconcilable later.
+Is an RFQ binding on me?
No. It is an invitation to offer. The supplier's quotation is the offer, and your purchase order accepting it is what creates the contract.
+Should I say what my target price is?
It depends on the market and your leverage. Stating one anchors the response, which helps when you are close to realistic and wastes everyone's time when you are not.
+How many suppliers should I send it to?
Enough for comparison, few enough that each takes it seriously. Three to five is the usual answer, and a visibly mass-mailed RFQ gets deprioritised.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
Everything above is already on the form. Fill it in and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the request for quotation generator