An RFQ template China buyers send to suppliers should give every supplier the same request to price. Start with the current product reference, then state the quantity, packaging, requested quotation basis, destination details where relevant, sample need and the information you want in the reply. Ask suppliers to identify their assumptions, questions and exclusions. That makes it easier to see whether different quotations describe the same order. An RFQ is a request for commercial information. It is not a purchase order, an accepted quote, a production instruction or a promise about price, delivery, compliance or supplier capability.<\/p>\n
The goal is not to make the request long for its own sake. It is to remove the assumptions that can make one price look lower only because the supplier understood a different product, quantity, pack-out or delivery basis. A short, controlled request often produces a better follow-up conversation than a broad message asking for a supplier’s “best price.”<\/p>\n
Use one current product reference for every supplier. Tell suppliers what quantity or range to price, what packaging applies, which quotation basis you want and what information they should separate in their reply. State what is confirmed and what remains open. Ask every shortlisted supplier the same core questions, then compare answers only after you understand the assumptions behind them. The RFQ begins a clarification process. It does not replace the product specification, sample approval, supplier verification, purchase agreement or inspection plan.<\/p>\n
An RFQ should tell the supplier which product version is being priced. Give the product a name or code, identify the current specification sheet or drawing, and list the reference files that are part of the request. If a photo is only a style reference, say that. If a drawing controls a dimension, identify the drawing version. A supplier should not have to guess which attachment is current.<\/p>\n
The product description needs enough detail to show what the supplier is pricing. For a standard item, this may include the model, material, main dimensions, colour or finish and required quantity. A custom product may need a drawing, material reference, assembly note or stated functional requirement. Alex Chains’ RFQ preparation guide<\/a> explains that the details should be the ones that can change the product, the cost basis or the supplier’s ability to respond to the request.<\/p>\n Keep open product decisions visible. If a packaging detail or material is not final, write that it is open and ask the supplier to state the assumption used in its quote. Do not leave the field empty. A blank field can become an unrecorded supplier choice, which makes later comparisons harder.<\/p>\n Your product specification sheet<\/a> is the right place to control product requirements. The RFQ should point to that current document rather than creating a separate version of the product in an email.<\/p>\n State the quantity the supplier should price. If the final quantity is not decided, provide a realistic range or separate quantity options. Do not invent a large volume simply to seek a different price. A supplier’s response may depend on the quantity, the order pattern and whether a sample is part of the request. The useful result is a quote that shows what quantity it addresses.<\/p>\n Next, name the quotation basis you want, if you know it. You may ask the supplier to quote on a particular basis, or ask it to describe the basis it has used. Use the same request across suppliers when you intend to compare their responses. A price with different responsibilities or a different destination answers a different question.<\/p>\n Sourcing Nova’s request-for-quote guide<\/a> notes the practical need to provide product, quantity and specification information. It also points out that suppliers may use different quotation formats. That is why the buyer should ask for the response fields that matter to the decision rather than relying on the supplier’s layout alone.<\/p>\n Do not present a target price as a requirement unless it is genuinely part of the buyer’s request. A target may be useful context in some conversations, but it does not define the product. The product reference, quantity and commercial assumptions should come first.<\/p>\n Packaging can change the product and quotation assumptions. State whether the quote should use individual packing, inner packing, outer cartons, retail packaging, inserts, labels or marks that you have already defined. If packaging is still open, ask the supplier to identify the assumed option and show it separately from a confirmed package requirement.<\/p>\n If you need a sample, say what type of sample you are requesting and what it should represent. It may be a product review sample, a material reference or a packaging sample. Do not assume a sample will use the same material, process or packing as a later order. Ask the supplier to state what the sample includes and what remains subject to later confirmation.<\/p>\n Destination information also deserves a place in the RFQ when it affects the quotation you want. Provide the country, port, city or delivery point that is relevant to your request. If you do not know the final destination, say so and make clear whether you want a factory-side quotation or another stated basis. You do not need to turn the RFQ into a shipping instruction. You need to prevent two suppliers from answering different delivery questions without saying so.<\/p>\n For more context before you compare commercial terms, see our price benchmarking and negotiation service<\/a>. A quote can only be compared fairly when the product and commercial basis are made visible.<\/p>\n The RFQ should tell suppliers what their reply needs to show. Ask for the information you need to compare, such as the product reference quoted, quantity, price, stated quotation basis, minimum order quantity where relevant, sample information if requested, packing assumptions, lead-time estimate if the supplier chooses to provide one, payment terms proposed by the supplier, and included or excluded items. You are not setting those terms by asking for them. You are asking the supplier to make them visible.<\/p>\n PassageMaker’s effective RFQ article<\/a> recommends using the same fields with suppliers and asking them to explain where their response differs from the requested specification. That approach is practical because it turns a vague follow-up into a named difference. If one supplier quotes a different material or pack-out, record it before comparing the price.<\/p>\n A response format does not have to be a complex spreadsheet. A table in the RFQ email can work for an early request. For a product with several variants, a separate line for each variant may make the reply easier to review. The structure should match the decisions you need to make.<\/p>\n Ask suppliers to put questions in a dedicated section. A question is not a problem by itself. It may show that the RFQ did not define a feature clearly enough. The risk comes from treating an unanswered question as if every supplier made the same assumption.<\/p>\n An RFQ should create a record of the first commercial assumptions, not end the discussion. When a supplier asks a question, answer it in a way that can be shared with every supplier who received the same request. If the answer changes the product or packaging requirement, update the controlled product reference and send the revision.<\/p>\n Keep a simple comparison note with the supplier name, RFQ version, date sent, responses received, open questions and notable exclusions. This is not a formal supplier scorecard. It is a way to avoid mixing a first quote with later clarifications. You should be able to see which suppliers priced the same version and which supplied a different assumption.<\/p>\n Do not convert an RFQ reply into an order instruction without further review. A quotation may have conditions, gaps or references that need clarification. Supplier verification, sample work and a purchase agreement serve different roles. Our Chinese supplier due-diligence checklist<\/a> explains why product and commercial discussions should sit alongside wider supplier evidence.<\/p>\n Use the table below as an RFQ template China suppliers can answer against. It gives the supplier a clear place to respond without treating any response as accepted automatically.<\/p>\nState quantity and commercial assumptions<\/h2>\n
Define packaging samples and destination information<\/h2>\n
Ask suppliers to respond in the same format<\/h2>\n
Track questions exclusions and changes<\/h2>\n
RFQ template<\/h2>\n
| RFQ field<\/th>\n | What the buyer should provide or request<\/th>\n | What the supplier should clarify<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|
| Product reference<\/td>\n | Product name, code, current specification and attached references<\/td>\n | Which product version and files were used for the quote<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Quantity<\/td>\n | Initial quantity, range or separate quantity options<\/td>\n | Quantity priced, stated minimum order quantity and any quantity assumption<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Materials and product requirements<\/td>\n | Defined material, dimensions, finish, construction or open items<\/td>\n | Any requirement that differs from the supplier’s proposed product or process<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Packaging and labels<\/td>\n | Confirmed packing, labels, marks or open packaging choices<\/td>\n | Packing included, packaging assumption and excluded packaging work<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sample request<\/td>\n | Sample purpose and product reference<\/td>\n | What the sample represents and any information still needed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Requested quotation basis<\/td>\n | Currency and the quotation basis requested by the buyer<\/td>\n | Basis used, included items and excluded items<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Destination information<\/td>\n | Relevant country, port, city or delivery point where known<\/td>\n | Whether the destination information changes the response or needs clarification<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Response format<\/td>\n | Fields the buyer needs for comparison and a section for questions<\/td>\n | Open questions, assumptions, exclusions and response date<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n The point of the table is consistency. It does not force every supplier into the same commercial offer. It lets the buyer see where offers are aligned and where they are not.<\/p>\n Practical checklist<\/h2>\nUse this RFQ template China checklist before you send a quote request.<\/p>\n
|