Supplier RFQ pack template: what to send suppliers
A supplier RFQ pack is the bundle of scope, technical and commercial information a bidder sends to each equipment supplier during a tender, so the quotes that come back are complete, comparable and traceable to the project. Build one pack per equipment package using the groups below, then issue the same pack to every supplier on that package.
Using this guide
Your bid is only as accurate as the supplier prices behind it, and those prices are only as good as the pack you send out. A vague enquiry returns vague, non-comparable quotes; a tight pack returns priced lines you can drop straight into your estimate. Split the tender into equipment packages, then build each supplier RFQ pack from the groups below. Adapt them to the package; not every item applies to a transformer the way it does to a switchroom or a BESS.
Cover and commercial terms
- A unique enquiry reference, and the equipment package it covers
- Quote return-by date, and the price validity period you require
- Delivery location, delivery terms (Incoterms) and the required delivery date against your program
- Currency, payment terms, and the price breakdown you want (lump sum vs itemised)
- Commercial conditions to flow down: warranty, any liquidated damages pass-through, retention or security
- How and where to return the quote (portal or email), and in what format
Scope of supply for this package only
- A clear statement of what this package includes and excludes (battery limits / terminal points)
- Quantities and a numbered line list that matches your bill of quantities
- Interfaces with adjacent packages: who supplies cabling, terminations, civil works and labelling
- Whether installation, commissioning, spares and special tools are in or out of this enquiry
- Site conditions that affect the equipment: ambient temperature, altitude, seismic and pollution level
Technical requirements and standards
- Only the governing specification clauses for this equipment, extracted, not the whole tender pack
- The single-line diagram (SLD) extract, plus any general arrangement or layout drawings the supplier needs
- Ratings and duty: voltage, current, fault level, IP rating and the performance the spec demands
- The standards that apply in the project's region (AS/NZS in Australia, NEC / IEEE / ANSI C37 in the US, IEC / EN in Europe and most IEC markets)
- Type-test, factory acceptance test and witness expectations, so the supplier prices the right ITP / ITC
Returnable data requested back from the supplier
- A price returned on your numbered line list, not the supplier's own quote layout
- A clause-by-clause compliance statement that lists every departure and qualification
- Technical datasheets, and the supplier data (SDRL) items you must in turn return to the end client
- Manufacturing lead time and a delivery program against your required date
- The documents needing approval and the drawing-approval cycle the supplier has assumed
Before you send the pack
- Strip anything confidential or client-identifying that is not meant for suppliers
- Reconcile the package scope to the master scope, so nothing is double-counted or dropped between packages
- Issue the identical pack to every supplier on the package, so the quotes are comparable
- Log the enquiry, the recipients and the return-by date, so you can chase before close
Returned quotes and bid levelling
- The issued package version and supplier return are stored together
- Quoted scope, quantities and exclusions are compared against the same requirements
- Currency, tax, delivery terms, validity and lead time are aligned before comparing prices
- Clarification questions name the specific requirement and quote line
- Recipients and the final enquiry are checked before issuing or reissuing the package
- 01Split the tender by equipment package. Break the scope of works into the packages you will buy out (for example switchroom, transformers, protection, BESS), so each supplier sees only their part.
- 02Carve the scope for each package. Write the battery limits for the package: what is included, what is excluded, and where it interfaces with adjacent packages. This is where double-counts and gaps are prevented.
- 03Extract only the relevant spec and drawings. Pull the governing clauses, the single-line diagram extract and the arrangement drawings this equipment needs. Sending the whole tender pack invites non-comparable, over-qualified quotes.
- 04State exactly what to return, in your format. Require the price on your numbered line list, a clause-by-clause compliance statement, datasheets and a lead time. Returns on your format are what make quotes comparable.
- 05Screen the pack before it leaves. Remove confidential or client-identifying content not meant for suppliers, and reconcile the package scope back to the master scope before issuing.
- 06Issue identically and log it. Send the same pack to every supplier on the package and record the recipients and return-by date, so the comparison is fair and you can chase missing quotes.
Common questions
What is a supplier RFQ pack?
A supplier RFQ pack is the set of documents a bidder sends to an equipment supplier so the supplier can return a complete, compliant and comparable price during a tender. It carries the package scope, the relevant technical requirements and standards, the drawings the supplier needs, and a clear list of exactly what to return and by when.
How is a supplier RFQ pack different from the tender RFQ you received?
They run in opposite directions. The tender RFQ is what a client sends you to win their project; a supplier RFQ pack is what you send down to your suppliers to price the equipment inside your bid. The supplier pack is narrower: one equipment package at a time, carved out of the overall scope with its own battery limits and return list.
Why send the same RFQ pack to every supplier on a package?
Because comparable inputs produce comparable quotes. If each supplier prices a slightly different scope or returns its own format, you cannot line the bids up without reworking them by hand, and the cheapest number may simply be the one that left the most out. One identical pack, with prices returned on your line list, makes the comparison defensible.
How do you make supplier quotes easy to compare?
Ask for the price on your numbered line list, not the supplier's own quote format, and require a clause-by-clause compliance statement that lists every departure. When all suppliers price the same lines and declare where they deviate, a like-for-like comparison falls out of the data instead of being reconstructed from several differently shaped PDFs.
Can building supplier RFQ packs be automated?
AI can help read the tender, organise the relevant scope and drawings into supplier packages and draft the enquiry. In the app, review the package documents, recipients and email before sending. Returned quotes can then be compared against that package, with scope gaps and exclusions kept visible.