RFQ template for manufacturers

Copy-and-paste RFQ template

Replace each part in square brackets, delete the lines that do not apply, and send the same version to every factory on your list.

What each part of the request does

Product and specification

The more exact the specification, the closer the first price is to what you will pay. A factory prices what it can see, and anything you leave open it fills with an assumption of its own, so two factories end up quoting two different products. When a contract manufacturer makes your own design, the specification is what it builds to. For apparel, a tech pack does this job.

Quantities and price breaks

Asking for two or three quantities shows how the price falls with volume and where the MOQ sits. Ask whether the minimum applies per style, per color or per size, because that decides how many variants a first order can carry.

Target price

A target lets a factory say quickly whether it can work at your level, which saves rounds of messages. Set it from your landed cost budget, not from the retail price.

Shipping terms

Quotes on different terms do not compare: an EXW price leaves the export costs to you, while an FOB price includes getting the goods onto the vessel. Name one Incoterms rule, usually FOB with a named port, and ask every factory to quote on it.

Compliance and marking

List the tests, certificates and labels your market requires, so the price includes them. Ask for the origin marking up front as well: unless an exception applies, US rules require every imported article of foreign origin, or its container, to be marked with the English name of the country of origin of the article^[1], so put the marking in the packaging specification rather than fixing it after production.

The factory's name and address

This line tells you whether you are dealing with the factory or a trading company. It also matters if the goods travel by sea: the importer security filing asks for the name and address of the entity that last manufactures, assembles, produces, or grows the commodity^[2], though a supplier's details can stand in, and that element is due no later than 24 hours before the cargo is laden aboard the vessel at the foreign port^[3].

How to compare the replies

Put every quote in one table with the same rows: unit price at each quantity, MOQ, lead time, sample cost, payment terms and shipping terms. Then convert each one to landed cost per unit by adding freight, duty and entry costs on the same terms; the import duty and landed cost guide shows how. A factory that changed the specification, the quantity or the terms in its reply has quoted something else, so ask it to quote again on your request.

A quote is not yet an order

A quotation states a price; it is not yet an order. US federal purchasing makes this explicit for government buyers: under its rules a quotation is not an offer and, consequently, cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract^[4], the government's order is the offer, and a contract is established when the supplier accepts the offer^[4]. Those rules bind only federal purchases; a private order with a factory is governed by what the two of you agree and the law that applies to it, which may treat a detailed quote differently. Before you pay a deposit, put the price, specification, quantity, lead time and payment terms in a purchase order that the factory accepts in writing.

Why factories do not reply

Requests often go unanswered because they are too vague to price, below the factory's minimum, or for a product the factory does not make. A complete request sent to factories that already make your product fixes most of this, and how to find a manufacturer covers finding those factories.

Send one request instead of many

Request quotes with the same details, and we introduce you to named manufacturers that fit them. It is free for brands, and the manufacturers quote you directly.

Questions buyers ask

What is an RFQ?

A request for quotation: a document asking a supplier to price a specific product at stated quantities and on stated terms. The supplier's reply is a quotation, and it is not yet an order.

What should be included in an RFQ to a manufacturer?

The product, materials, size and packaging; a specification or photos; your quantities and price-break quantities; a target price; the destination and Incoterms rule; compliance needs; your timeline; and the lines you want quoted back.

How do I write an RFQ email to a factory?

Put the product, quantity and destination in the subject line. Then list the specification, quantities, target price, shipping terms, compliance needs and timeline, and ask for unit price, MOQ, lead time, sample cost and payment terms. The template above does all of this.

Should I include a target price?

Yes. It tells a factory quickly whether it can work at your level and saves rounds of messages. Base it on your landed cost budget.

Is an RFQ the same as an RFP?

No. An RFQ asks for a price on a defined specification. An RFP asks suppliers to propose how they would meet a need; in US federal purchasing, RFPs are used in negotiated acquisitions to communicate Government requirements to prospective contractors and to solicit proposals^[5].