Free buyer toolkit
From project brief to comparable bids: a practical guide to using free B2B procurement tools
Every buyer-facing tool and calculator across our platforms is completely free to use, with no obligation to request a quote, buy anything or work with us. Use them on your own; if you want help with procurement, we are here.
Short answer
Use the tools in the order a project develops. First structure the project and its outcome (Project planner), then check what is still undefined (RFQ readiness score). Estimate the installed budget (CAPEX), the yearly running cost (OPEX), payback and returns (ROI) and lifetime cost (TCO). Turn the result into one structured request (RFQ builder, example RFQs), compare proposals on the same scope, and plan acceptance (FAT checklist). If outside financing may be needed, the debt capacity calculator gives a planning view only. All outputs are planning estimates from your own inputs — not supplier quotes, credit decisions or engineering advice. The tools are free for any project size; the USD 250,000 minimum applies only if you ask our team for optional assisted sourcing.
Are the tools really free, and is there any obligation?
Yes. All buyer-facing tools and calculators across Global B2B Group and its specialist platforms are free. You do not need to request a quote, purchase anything or work with us to use them, and you can keep the results for your own decisions.
Some steps, such as saving work in the signed-in workspace or submitting an RFQ for review, ask for contact details or an account. Using the calculators themselves does not.
Key point: Use and benefit from the tools freely; ask for help only if you want it.
Why define the project before talking to suppliers?
When a single vendor writes the scope, the comparison is framed around that vendor's solution. A supplier-neutral, solution-first approach reverses the order: you define the required outcome, the constraints and the acceptance tests first, then invite one or more suitable proposals against the same requirement.
This makes offers comparable, exposes what each excludes and keeps the decision with the buyer. It is the logic behind every tool below.
Which free tool does what?
Each tool was checked on this site. Inputs and outputs are listed as they appear in the tool; anything you leave empty is not assumed.
| Tool | Use it when | You enter | You get | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project planner | The project is still an idea | Sector, capacity, site country; sourcing route (turnkey, multi-supplier, phased); readiness milestones | A structured view of modules, sourcing options and open milestones | No prices; a structure, not a design |
| RFQ readiness score | Before writing to suppliers | Multiple-choice answers on scope, specification, budget and other readiness questions | A readiness score and the gaps to close | Measures completeness, not project quality |
| CAPEX calculator | You need an installed-budget estimate | Equipment, freight, insurance, duties, civil, electrical, utilities, installation, automation, commissioning, training, spares, contingency, currency | Installed CAPEX range by cost group, optional cost per m² or per output unit | Uses your figures; not a quotation |
| OPEX calculator | You need the yearly running cost | Labour, energy, maintenance, spares, consumables, insurance, other costs, escalation, horizon, optional output | Annual and projected OPEX, optional cost per unit | Escalation is your assumption |
| ROI calculator | You want payback and returns | Installed investment, residual value, annual benefit, annual operating cost, useful life, discount rate | Payback, NPV and IRR; CSV summary | Benefit figures are yours to justify |
| TCO calculator | Comparing options over their life | Installed cost, annual operating cost, life, downtime days and cost, escalation, discount rate, residual value, financing cost shown separately | Lifetime cost, annual equivalent and present-value TCO | Compares inputs, not supplier claims |
| RFQ builder | You are ready to describe the requirement | Project essentials, context, URS and acceptance, technical detail, commercial terms | A structured RFQ document (print/PDF); optional submission for human review | Managed support applies from USD 250,000 |
| Example RFQs | You want to see a complete request | Nothing — browse | Example structures for different project types | Examples, not templates for your site |
| FAT checklist | Planning acceptance before shipment | Nothing — read and adapt | A staged factory acceptance test protocol | Adapt with your engineers |
| Debt capacity calculator | Outside financing may be considered | Year-1 cash flow, target DSCR, interest rate, tenor, equity share, stress cases | Indicative debt capacity and sensitivity scenarios | Your rate assumptions; not a credit decision or offer |
What is the step-by-step workflow?
- Write the outcome in one sentence: what must the operation achieve, by when, measured how
- Structure the project in the Project planner and choose a sourcing route
- Run the RFQ readiness score and close the largest gaps
- Estimate installed cost in the CAPEX calculator
- Estimate running cost in the OPEX calculator
- Test payback, NPV and IRR in the ROI calculator with cautious benefits
- Compare alternatives over their life in the TCO calculator
- Build one structured RFQ, using the example RFQs as a reference
- Normalise the proposals you receive to the same scope before scoring them
- Plan FAT/SAT acceptance and, if relevant, check debt capacity as a planning view
Key point: Same requirement, same basis, then compare — whichever supplier wins.
How do you compare supplier proposals with these tools?
Put each proposal's installed cost into CAPEX, its operating figures into OPEX, and both into TCO, so every offer is measured on the same assumptions. Price anything a proposal excludes before comparing totals.
Then score technical fit, delivery, service and risk with weights you set before opening the offers. The comparison guide linked below explains that scorecard in detail.
What is a planning estimate, and what is it not?
| Item | Who produces it | What it can be used for |
|---|---|---|
| Planning estimate (these tools) | You, from your own inputs | Screening options, setting a budget range, preparing an RFQ |
| Supplier quotation | A supplier, against your RFQ | Commercial comparison and negotiation |
| Engineering advice | Qualified engineers for your site | Design, safety, compliance and final technical decisions |
| Financing decision | A lender or financier, after its own review | Actual terms, if any are offered |
Key point: Tool results do not replace quotes, engineering review or lender decisions.
Can you track a procurement project?
A signed-in procurement workspace is available at the dashboard; it requires an account. This guide does not describe its features beyond that. The planning tools themselves work without signing in, and the CAPEX, OPEX and ROI calculators can carry figures into an RFQ.
Where do sector-specific tools and guides live?
This site covers cross-sector buyer planning. For single-sector depth — cold rooms, hatcheries, fish and shrimp farms, greenhouses and feed mills — use the specialist platforms listed below, which have their own sector guides.
The five-step method: from outcome to accepted result
The same sequence applies across sectors. Each step produces one document the next step depends on; skipping one usually shows up later as non-comparable bids or disputed acceptance.
- Define the outcomeCapacity, quality, uptime and budget range the project must reach — before any supplier is named.Project brief tool
- Scope-first RFQOne scope, one battery-limit list, one response template for every bidder.RFQ builder
- Normalize bidsFill exclusions, align Incoterms, currency and options so prices are compared on the same basis.Weighted scorecard
- Landed cost and ROIAdd freight, duties, installation, energy and spares; test the payback under low/base/high assumptions.CAPEX / ROI calculator
- Acceptance criteriaMeasurable FAT/SAT tests and payment milestones written into the contract, not agreed after delivery.Acceptance guide
Buyer checklist: what each step must produce
| Step | Ready when you have | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Target output, quality spec, site constraints, budget range (USD 250,000+ projects) | Equipment named before the need is quantified |
| RFQ | Single scope, utilities/battery limits, required response format, deadline | Each supplier quotes a different scope |
| Normalization | Exclusions priced, same Incoterm and currency, options separated | Comparing EXW to DAP prices |
| Landed cost / ROI | Freight, duties, install, commissioning, energy, spares, sensitivity range | Payback quoted from equipment price only |
| Acceptance | Test protocol, pass/fail values, retention or milestone tied to SAT | Acceptance defined as 'machine runs' |
Method questions buyers ask
What is a scope-first RFQ?
An RFQ written from the required outcome and a single scope, so every supplier prices the same thing. It replaces a request for 'your best machine' with measurable requirements and a fixed response template.
How do free tools help before supplier matching?
They turn an idea into numbers — capacity, budget range, landed cost and payback assumptions — so the project team can scope the RFQ and approach suppliers with comparable requirements. The tools produce planning estimates, not quotes.
Why normalize bids instead of picking the lowest price?
Quotes differ in scope, delivery terms and exclusions. Normalization adds the missing items to each bid so the comparison reflects the full cost you will actually pay.
When should I use a sector calculator instead?
When the project is clearly cold storage, hatchery, aquaculture, feed or seed specific. The sister sites below hold the sector tools; this page covers the cross-sector method.
Sector-specific calculators
For sector sizing and transactional requests, use the specialist sister sites:
- ColdMatchCold storage and cold-chain tools
- HatchMatchHatchery and poultry calculators
- FishMatchAquaculture, fish and shrimp calculators
- FeedMatchFeed mill calculators
- SeedMatchSeed processing projects
Method reviewed by the Global B2B Group project team · October 14, 2026
Method references:
Free, optional tools
Use the framework on your own, or with these free tools. Nothing here commits you to anything.
- Master Project PlannerOutcome, scope, budget and timeline in one place.
- RFQ readiness scoreCheck the request is complete before it goes out.
- CAPEX calculatorA planning estimate of total installed cost.
- OPEX calculatorPlanning estimate of annual operating cost.
- ROI calculatorPayback and return from your own inputs — a planning estimate.
- Total cost of ownership calculatorCompare whole-life cost under your assumptions.
- RFQ BuilderTurn the brief into one structured request.
- Example RFQsSee how complete requests are structured.
- Factory acceptance test checklistA staged FAT protocol with a free PDF.
- Debt capacity calculatorPlanning view of what cash flow could service — not a credit assessment.
Sector-specific projects
Global B2B Group covers cross-sector industrial projects. Single-sector projects are handled in depth by the group's specialist platforms.
Frequently asked questions
Are the procurement tools free to use?
Yes. All buyer-facing tools and calculators across our platforms are free, with no obligation to request a quote, purchase or work with us.
Is a calculator result a price quote?
No. It is a planning estimate built from your own inputs. Only a supplier can quote, against a defined requirement.
What requirements should an industrial equipment RFQ include?
State the required output and capacity, the product and its conditions, scope boundaries and exclusions, site utilities and interfaces, delivery and installation assumptions, and measurable acceptance criteria. The RFQ builder walks through each of these; the example RFQs show complete requests.
Which tool should I use first?
Start with the Project planner or the RFQ readiness score to define the project, then move to the cost calculators.
How do I compare supplier proposals fairly?
Normalise every proposal to the same scope, price the exclusions, compare lifetime cost with the TCO calculator, then score with weights set in advance.
Does the debt capacity calculator mean I can get financing?
No. It shows an indicative range from your assumptions. Global B2B Group is not a lender and does not approve or guarantee financing.
Do I need an account?
Not for the calculators. Saving work in the signed-in workspace or submitting an RFQ asks for an account or contact details.
Can I use the tools for a single-sector project?
Yes, but the specialist platforms have deeper sector guides for cold chain, poultry, aquaculture, greenhouse and feed projects.
Want help turning your results into an RFQ?
Use the tools on your own as long as you like. If you want support, the project team can review your brief, prepare a structured RFQ and compare suitable proposals on the same basis.
Managed RFQ support applies to projects from USD 250,000. Buyer tools are free; no price, availability, financing or outcome is guaranteed.
Sources and frameworks
Next in this series: How to compare manufacturers beyond the lowest quote
Overview framework: Start with the Outcome: A Practical Framework for Better Agrifood Procurement
General procurement guidance only. World Bank documents are cited as useful methodology frameworks; they are not binding on private buyers. Confirm legal, technical and regulatory requirements with qualified advisers.
