The quality of the quotes you receive is decided by the quality of the request you send. Vague RFQs produce quotes that cannot be compared: one supplier includes safety guarding, another does not; one quotes premium controls, another value brands; one includes installation, another stops at the factory gate. Weeks are lost clarifying, and the lowest quote often turns out to be the most expensive.
This guide lists what a good RFQ for a special purpose machine, welding fixture, conveyor or assembly line should contain, with a template you can adapt.
1. Project summary
Two or three sentences: what you are making, why you need the equipment (new product, capacity, quality, labour), and the date you need it in production.
2. Part and product information
- Part and assembly drawings (2D PDF and 3D STEP where available), with material and weight.
- Variants, with the differences between them.
- Critical characteristics and tolerances — what your customer measures.
- Samples, if you can provide them for trials.
3. Process and performance requirements
- The operation or sequence the equipment must perform.
- Target cycle time — and the takt time it must support.
- Annual volume, shifts and expected utilisation.
- Quality targets — rejects allowed, capability requirements, error-proofing needed.
- Data and traceability — what must be recorded, against what identifier, and where it must go.
4. Scope boundaries
State clearly what is in and out of the supplier's scope. The most common gaps are foundations, utilities connection, material loading and unloading, integration with existing equipment, transport, installation, commissioning and operator training. A simple in/out table removes most later disputes.
5. Technical preferences
- Approved makes for PLC, HMI, drives, pneumatics, sensors and safety components.
- Electrical standards, voltage, panel requirements and colour codes.
- Working height, ergonomics and any plant standards.
- Environment — dust, heat, washdown, ESD.
6. Safety requirements
Ask for a risk assessment and require guarding, interlocks and safety circuits to follow from it. State any customer or corporate safety standard that applies.
7. Acceptance criteria
This is the most important section. Define how the equipment will be accepted at FAT and at SAT: number of consecutive parts, cycle time, quality results, uptime during the run-off, safety-function checks and documentation received. Without this, "complete" is a matter of opinion.
8. Documentation and training
List what you expect at handover: GA drawings, BOM, electrical drawings, PLC and HMI program backups, manuals, spares list with makes and part numbers, and training for operators and maintenance.
9. Commercial terms
- Payment milestones — for example on order, design approval, FAT, delivery and SAT.
- Delivery terms and who handles transport and insurance.
- Warranty period and what it covers.
- Price validity, taxes and currency.
10. Timeline
Give the date for quote submission, expected order date, design approval, FAT, delivery and start of production. Suppliers can then tell you honestly whether the dates are achievable.
RFQ template
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Summary | Product, purpose, required production date |
| Parts | Drawings, material, weight, variants, critical characteristics |
| Performance | Operation, cycle time, volume, quality, traceability |
| Scope in / out | Design, build, transport, installation, utilities, integration, training |
| Technical | Approved makes, electrical standards, ergonomics, environment |
| Safety | Risk assessment, applicable standards |
| Acceptance | FAT and SAT criteria, run-off quantity |
| Documents | Drawings, programs, manuals, spares list |
| Commercial | Milestones, warranty, delivery terms, validity |
| Timeline | Quote, order, design approval, FAT, delivery, SOP |
How to compare the quotes you receive
Put quotes into one comparison sheet with the same rows as your template. For each supplier, mark where scope is included, excluded or unclear. Normalise the price for gaps — add the cost of anything excluded that you will still need. Then compare engineering approach, acceptance commitments, delivery confidence and support, not price alone.
You do not need a perfect RFQ to talk to us. Upload what you have — drawings, photos, a short description — and we will work through the gaps with you before quoting.