RFQ template that gets you comparable quotes
A complete request-for-quotation document in Word: line items, commercial terms, and evaluation criteria, so every supplier answers the same question and every quote lines up.
Download the free RFQ template
Real .docx files in English and Arabic. No watermarks; edit and send.
What's inside
Request details block: reference, deadlines, validity, currency, delivery
Line-item table with specification, quantity, and unit columns
Commercial terms checklist: payment, delivery terms, warranty, penalties
"What your quote must include" section that pre-empts vague bids
Evaluation section with example weighting and a clarification rule
How to use it
Fill the scope
Define every line item with specification, quantity, and unit. If a line is vague, the quotes for it will be too.
Send to every supplier at once
Same document, same deadline, same clarification contact, so all quotes answer identical scope.
Hold the structure
Reject substitutions inside line items; take alternatives as separate notes. Comparison stays honest.
A sample RFQ line item, done right
Comparable quotes are won or lost in the line-item table. This is the level of detail that works, straight from the template:
| Description and specification | Quantity | Unit | Notes for bidders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ergonomic task chair: adjustable seat height 42 to 53 cm, lumbar support, armrests, castors for hard floor, load rated 110 kg or more, EN 1335 or equivalent | 40 | pcs | Fabric upholstery; state warranty term |
| LED panel light 600 x 600 mm, 36 W, 4000 K, UGR below 19, flicker-free driver included | 120 | pcs | State brand and driver warranty |
| Cat 6 U/UTP network cable, LSZH jacket, 305 m per box | 12 | box | State manufacturer |
| Delivery to site in a single consignment, tail-lift offload | 1 | lot | Price separately, never blended into unit rates |
The test for every row: a stranger could price it without calling you. Description plus specification plus quantity plus unit, with the commercial expectations stated once for the whole document.
Choosing and using the format
Word or Excel: which RFQ format do you actually need?
This template is a Word document, and for most RFQs that is the right call: the request is as much commercial terms, quote requirements, and evaluation rules as it is items, and a document carries that frame better than a grid. You get a formal cover, a terms checklist, and a line-item table sized for tens of items, in English and Arabic versions that mirror each other.
Switch to a spreadsheet when quantities dominate: fifty or more lines, bills of quantities, anything a quantity surveyor would recognize. For that, use the free bill-of-quantities template in Excel, built with automatic totals, and keep this document for the commercial wrapper. The two are designed to work together.
From blank template to sent request in under an hour
Fill the request details block first: reference, deadline, validity period, currency, and delivery. Then work the line items to the standard in the sample above, one line per priced thing, closing every interpretation that would change a price. Vague lines do not save writing time; they move the ambiguity into your suppliers' assumptions, where it costs more.
Send the identical document to every supplier, name one clarification contact, and share every answer with all bidders. That discipline is what makes the returned quotes comparable. And when you would rather skip the document entirely: on VEXORS the AI drafter builds the same structure from a plain-language description in seconds, suppliers price the lines directly and free, and the AI evaluates the offers against your criteria and recommends, with written reasoning.