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Free RFQ Template for Industrial Equipment

Every section a request for quotation needs, with guidance on what to write in each one. Use it on this page, or download the printable PDF and fill it in offline. Built for capital equipment and EPC packages where bids must be comparable line by line.

Download the RFQ template (PDF)Build it online instead

The RFQ template, section by section

Copy each block into your own document in this order. Anything you leave blank is an assumption a supplier will make on your behalf — and the reason two quotations for the same machine arrive 30% apart.

  1. 01

    Header and issuing details

    Identifies the document, the buyer and the deadline. Suppliers quote late or against the wrong revision when this block is missing.

    • RFQ reference number and revision
    • Issuing company, site address and country
    • Buyer contact name, email and phone
    • Issue date, clarification deadline, quotation deadline
    • Quotation validity period required (e.g. 90 days)

  2. 02

    Project background

    Three or four sentences telling the supplier what is being built and why. Context lets a capable supplier flag a better configuration instead of quoting exactly what you asked for.

    • What the facility produces and current capacity
    • Reason for the investment (capacity, compliance, replacement, energy)
    • Required operational start date
    • Greenfield, brownfield or integration into an existing line

  3. 03

    Technical scope and capacity

    The core of the RFQ. Write it in measurable performance terms so bids can be normalised later.

    • Throughput and unit of measure (t/h, units/min, m³/day)
    • Product characteristics, temperature and handling requirements
    • Operating hours per day, days per year, shift pattern
    • Automation and control level, data or MES integration
    • Redundancy, cleaning regime and changeover expectations

  4. 04

    Standards, certification and compliance

    State the standards up front. Requesting them after bids arrive changes the price and restarts the comparison.

    • CE / UL / ATEX / IECEx as applicable
    • Hygienic design and food-contact material requirements
    • Local approvals, electrical code and language of documentation
    • Required test certificates and factory acceptance test scope

  5. 05

    Site conditions and utilities

    Everything the supplier would otherwise assume. Wrong assumptions here are the most common source of post-award variation orders.

    • Available power (voltage, phases, frequency, connected load limit)
    • Water, steam, compressed air, chilled water, drainage
    • Footprint, ceiling height, floor loading and access route
    • Ambient temperature, humidity, altitude, dust or wash-down

  6. 06

    Scope of supply split

    A simple included / excluded / by-others matrix. This single table is what makes two quotations comparable.

    • Equipment, control panels, software licences
    • Civils, foundations, structural steel
    • Electrical connection, cabling, integration with existing lines
    • Removal and disposal of existing assets
    • Supervision vs full installation, and commissioning responsibility

  7. 07

    Delivery, installation and acceptance

    Define what 'complete' means before anyone quotes, then hold payment milestones against it.

    • Incoterms, port of entry, packing and insurance
    • Required delivery window and installation duration
    • Commissioning, operator and maintenance training days
    • Performance acceptance test criteria and who signs off

  8. 08

    After-sales, spares and warranty

    Lifetime cost sits here, not in the purchase price. Request it in the bid so it can be compared.

    • Warranty duration and what it covers
    • Recommended commissioning and two-year spares list with prices
    • Response time commitment and remote support availability
    • Availability of local service partners

  9. 09

    Commercial terms

    Fix the commercial frame so bidders do not compete by shifting risk instead of price.

    • Currency and price basis
    • Payment milestones, retention and bank guarantee requirements
    • Liquidated damages for late delivery or missed performance
    • Price validity and escalation conditions

  10. 10

    Response format and evaluation criteria

    Tell suppliers exactly how to answer. A prescribed format is what turns ten PDFs into one comparison table.

    • Required price breakdown lines (equipment, freight, installation, spares, training)
    • Mandatory documents: layout drawing, utilities list, reference projects
    • Evaluation weighting between price, lead time, capability and service
    • Submission address, file format and single point of contact

Six rules that keep bids comparable

  • Send the identical package, with the identical deadline, to every invited supplier.
  • Run one clarification round and copy every answer to all bidders.
  • Freeze the specification before pricing is requested — revisions after issue destroy comparability.
  • Never accept a lump sum with no breakdown; you cannot negotiate or normalise what you cannot see.
  • Ask for delivery lead time in weeks from order confirmation, not a delivery date.
  • Invite three to five qualified suppliers. Fewer weakens the benchmark; more slows the evaluation without improving it.

The reasoning behind each rule — supplier qualification, EPC tender structure and bid normalisation — is set out in the industrial RFQ guide. If the request still has to clear a capital committee, work through the CAPEX approval process first.

Or have the RFQ run for you — free for buyers

Send us the specification and we convert it into one structured RFQ, qualify manufacturers against it, and return like-for-like offers with delivery, warranty and payment terms side by side. For engineered plants, the same template feeds EPC procurement packages. We are independent of manufacturers and lenders, and the service is free for buyers.

Start a free RFQ Industrial procurement services

RFQ template FAQ

What is an RFQ template?

An RFQ template is a structured document that sets out every section a request for quotation needs — scope, capacity, standards, site conditions, scope split, delivery, warranty, commercial terms and response format — so that every supplier prices the same thing and the bids can be compared line by line.

What should an industrial RFQ template include?

Ten blocks: issuing details, project background, technical scope and capacity, standards and certification, site conditions and utilities, scope-of-supply split, delivery and acceptance, after-sales and spares, commercial terms, and the required response format with evaluation criteria.

Is this RFQ template free to download?

Yes. The full template is on this page and the printable PDF downloads directly with no email address, registration or form.

What is the difference between an RFQ, an RFP and an RFI?

An RFQ is used when the technical outcome is already defined and the decision rests on price, lead time and commercial terms. An RFP asks suppliers to propose the solution itself. An RFI gathers market information before either is issued.

How many suppliers should receive the RFQ?

Three to five qualified suppliers is the practical range for capital equipment. Fewer than three gives a capital committee no benchmark; more than five slows evaluation and rarely improves the outcome.

Can this template be used for an EPC package?

Yes, with one addition: for EPC packages the scope-split matrix and the interface responsibilities between contractor, buyer and third parties must be far more detailed, because most EPC disputes originate at those interfaces rather than in the equipment itself.

End of arm tooling reference set

When you fill the technical scope section of the RFQ template for a robotic cell, the end effector needs its own specification. These guides supply the fields and cost logic.

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