Industrial Procurement RFQ Checklist for Serious Buyers

Work down the list. Anything you cannot answer yet is not a blocker — mark it as open and state the assumption you want suppliers to price against.

1. 01

   Industry / category

   Determines which specialist platform and supplier pool the request is routed to.

   Example: Cold chain and refrigeration; aquaculture; hatchery; feed milling; greenhouse and irrigation.

2. 02

   Country and project location

   Drives freight, duties, standards, service coverage and installation cost.

   Example: Tema, Ghana — 20 km from the port, site accessible by 40 ft container truck.

3. 03

   Project size or capacity

   Every technical calculation starts here; without it no supplier can size equipment.

   Example: 1,200 m³ cold storage; 20 t/h feed mill; 120,000 chicks per week.

4. 04

   Product or system needed

   Separates a component purchase from a turnkey line and sets the scope of supply.

   Example: Refrigeration plant, panels and controls, installation and commissioning included.

5. 05

   Current project stage

   Tells suppliers whether to quote a budget estimate or a firm, engineered offer.

   Example: Feasibility complete, budget approved, tender opening in four weeks.

6. 06

   Technical specifications

   Even partial specifications remove guesswork and make offers comparable.

   Example: -18 °C chambers, 40 °C ambient design, F-gas compliant refrigerant, CE marking.

7. 07

   Timeline

   Lead time affects price, allocation of production slots and freight mode.

   Example: Order in 6 weeks, delivery within 7 months, commissioning before the harvest season.

8. 08

   Budget range, if available

   A band, not a fixed number, keeps offers realistic and avoids wasted engineering.

   Example: USD 600,000 – 900,000 indicative for equipment and installation.

9. 09

   Required standards and certifications

   Compliance changes both design and cost, and is expensive to add after award.

   Example: CE marking, HACCP-compatible design, local electrical code, ISO 9001 supplier.

10. 10

    Existing suppliers contacted

    Avoids duplicate approaches and shows where the comparison already stands.

    Example: Two European suppliers quoted; both offers lacked commissioning scope.

11. 11

    Decision maker, consultant or EPC role

    Determines who receives the offers and how the evaluation will run.

    Example: Consultant preparing a shortlist for the client's board.

12. 12

    Financing partner interest, if relevant

    Signals whether an introduction to independent external financing partners may be discussed for a suitable large project.

    Example: Sponsor equity 30%, interested in an equipment-finance conversation.

13. 13

    Contact details

    Suppliers need a named person, a working email and a reachable phone number.

    Example: Procurement manager, direct email, WhatsApp available during business hours.

14. 14

    Urgency level

    Separates a planning enquiry from a live tender and sets response expectations.

    Example: Live tender — quotations required within 10 working days.

• Every supplier quotes the same scope, so price differences reflect real engineering rather than different assumptions.
• Clarification cycles shrink, which shortens the time between enquiry and a decision-ready comparison.
• Calculator outputs give the buyer an independent benchmark before any offer arrives.
• Serious buyers are recognised as serious, which improves both response rate and the quality of the engineering effort behind each offer.
• The resulting documentation is reusable for internal approvals, boards, auditors and — where relevant — external financing partners.