How to write an RFQ that gets good supplier responses
The quality of bids you receive is directly proportional to the quality of your RFQ. A vague, incomplete, or poorly structured RFQ produces vague, incomplete, and incomparable bids. This guide explains how to write an RFQ that gives suppliers everything they need to submit a competitive, accurate, and comparable response.
Start with a clear project description
Every RFQ should open with a brief project description — project name, location, type (commercial, residential, hospitality, government), overall scope, and any specific requirements relevant to the supplier. This gives context that helps suppliers assess whether they are the right fit and allows them to price more accurately. A supplier quoting for a DIFC office tower without knowing it is a DIFC office tower may make different assumptions than one who does.
Structure your line items correctly
The line item list is the core of any RFQ. Each item should have a clear item description, a quantity, and a unit of measurement. Where possible, include a reference to the specification or the approved brand. For AV and ELV, include model numbers or at minimum performance specifications. For lighting, include fixture type, wattage, colour temperature, IP rating, and control protocol. The more specific the item description, the more comparable the bids.
Be explicit about what you want suppliers to price
Many RFQs are ambiguous about whether the supplier should price supply-only, supply and install, or supply, install, test, and commission. Be explicit. If you want supply-only pricing because you have your own installation team, say so. If you want a full turnkey price, say so. Mixing supply-only and supply-and-install bids in the same comparison is a common source of error.
Set a realistic bid deadline
A bid deadline that is too short produces low-quality responses — suppliers either decline to bid or submit rough estimates. A deadline that is too long creates delay. For most AV, ELV, and lighting RFQs, 7 to 14 days is appropriate depending on scope complexity. State the deadline clearly and stick to it. Extending deadlines after the fact undermines the process and disadvantages suppliers who submitted on time.
Specify how you want bids submitted
Tell suppliers exactly how to submit — by email, on a provided template, or through a platform like RFQsNow. If you use a template, provide it with the RFQ. If you want bids in a specific format — unit price per line item, total price, lead time, compliance notes — state this explicitly. Standardising the submission format is the single most effective thing you can do to make bids comparable.
Include evaluation criteria
Suppliers who understand how their bid will be evaluated submit better bids. If price is the only criterion, say so. If compliance with specification is equally important, say so. If delivery timeline is a hard requirement that will disqualify late delivery bids, state the threshold. Transparency in evaluation criteria produces more accurate and competitive submissions.
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