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How to write an RFQ suppliers actually answer (template)

Suppliers answer requests they can price without going back to you: a clear specification, a quantity, an Incoterms rule with a named place, a delivery window and payment terms. A one-liner like "please send best price for coconut oil" goes to the bottom of the pile or gets a price padded for every unknown. Here is what to include, plus a template you can copy.

By Hiram Trade Editorial Desk

Published

6 min read

Why suppliers ignore requests

An experienced sales manager decides within a minute whether a request is serious. The usual reasons to skip one:

  • no quantity, or an unrealistic range ("1-1000 MT");
  • no delivery place, so freight cannot be priced;
  • a vague specification that any grade could match;
  • no idea who is asking: no company name, VAT or registration number, website;
  • no response deadline, or an impossible one.

Every unknown is a risk the supplier will price in, or a reason to move on.

What a good RFQ contains

1. Who you are

Full company name, country, VAT or company registration number, contact person and one sentence on what the goods are for. The supplier needs to see a real buyer, not someone collecting prices to resell.

2. Product specification

  • trade name and, if you know it, the HS code;
  • grade or quality class;
  • key parameters with limits (for example maximum moisture, minimum content, impurities);
  • the test method where it matters (for example an ISO or AOCS method);
  • packing: bulk, jumbo bags, drums, IBCs, flexitank, palletising, marking;
  • required quality or system certificates (for example a food safety management certificate, organic certification).

Attach your own specification sheet if you have one. Separate mandatory parameters from nice-to-have ones.

3. Quantity and tolerance

State the quantity per shipment, the number of shipments and the unit (metric tonnes, litres, 20' or 40' containers). Add the acceptable tolerance, for example +/- 5%. If you plan to pay by letter of credit, note that UCP 600 has its own rules on quantity and amount tolerance, so keep your wording consistent with them.

4. Incoterms rule and place

This is the single most important pricing input. Write, for example, "CIP Rotterdam, Incoterms 2020" or "FCA Manila, Incoterms 2020". If you accept an alternative, ask for a price on both. Our guide to Incoterms 2020 explains how to choose.

5. Delivery window

Instead of "ASAP", give a window: "loading in November 2026" or "delivered to warehouse 1-15 December 2026". The supplier needs to know whether production and freight space are available.

6. Payment terms

Say what you propose: prepayment, partial prepayment, cash against documents, letter of credit, deferred payment. Payment terms change the price, so the supplier needs them before quoting. See our overview of payment terms.

7. Documents

List the documents you need before accepting delivery: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or other transport document, certificate of origin, certificate of analysis, insurance certificate and, where relevant, proof of preferential origin. If you want an independent pre-shipment inspection, say who orders and pays for it.

8. Response deadline and validity

Give a date for replies and a minimum validity period for the offer (for example 7 days). For price-volatile commodities, suppliers often limit validity; better to know this upfront.

9. Commercial conditions

Say whether you need a sample, which law should govern the contract, how disputes will be resolved and whether you expect the supplier to sign your contract template.

One request, comparable answers

When you send a request to several suppliers, send each of them identical text. Only then can you compare replies. Ask for the quote in a fixed format: unit price, currency, rule and place, lead time, payment, validity. On Hiram, requests have a fixed structure and matched suppliers respond in the same format, which makes it straightforward to compare quotes by total landed cost.

RFQ template

Subject: RFQ - [product] - [quantity] - [Incoterms and place] - reply by [date]

1. Buyer
   [Company name], [country], VAT/Reg. no.: [number], contact: [name, role, email]
   End use: [e.g. raw material for cosmetics production]

2. Product
   Name: [trade name]    HS code (indicative): [code]
   Grade: [e.g. RBD]
   Mandatory parameters: [parameter - limit - method]
   Preferred parameters: [...]
   Packing: [e.g. flexitank in 20' container]
   Certificates: [list]

3. Quantity
   [X] MT per shipment, [Y] shipments over [period], tolerance +/- [Z]%

4. Delivery
   Incoterms 2020: [rule] [precise place]
   Window: [loading / delivery from - to]

5. Payment
   Proposed terms: [e.g. 30% advance, 70% against copy B/L]
   Currency: [EUR / USD]

6. Documents
   [invoice, packing list, B/L, certificate of origin, certificate of analysis, ...]

7. Quote
   Please state: unit price, total value, production lead time,
   validity (min. [N] days), sample availability.
   Reply by: [date, time, time zone]

Checklist before sending

  • Can a laboratory verify the specification?
  • Are quantity and tolerance unambiguous?
  • Does the Incoterms rule have a precise place and the 2020 version?
  • Is delivery a window rather than "ASAP"?
  • Does the supplier know the payment terms you propose?
  • Is the document list complete?
  • Did every supplier receive the same text?

After the quotes arrive

Check whether a supplier quietly changed anything: a different Incoterms rule, a wider tolerance, other packing. If a reply changes material terms, treat it as a counter-offer and negotiate in writing. Our guide on negotiating B2B quotes covers the next step.

To send a structured request to matched suppliers, post a request on Hiram.

Sources

This article is for information only and is not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules and rates change: check the current official sources or consult an adviser before you decide.

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