A Supplier RFQ Response That Buyers Can Actually Compare

An RFQ response should let a buyer answer three questions: what is being offered, on which terms, and what remains unresolved. A price alone is incomplete when two suppliers assume different drawings, quantities, packaging or delivery points. Keep the response short enough to review, but make its assumptions impossible to miss.

A practical order

Start by repeating the RFQ reference and the exact model or drawing revision. Then show the quoted quantity, unit and total price with currency. Follow with minimum order quantity, tooling or sample charges if applicable, lead-time starting event, delivery point, payment terms, quote validity and the items excluded. Put alternatives in a separate section; do not mix them into the requested configuration.

Close with open questions and a next action: “We can confirm the final schedule after approval of revision B and material availability.” If there are no open questions, state which evidence supports the offered configuration. Keep an internal reviewer for technical feasibility separate from the person formatting the commercial email.

The U.S. International Trade Administration's quotation guide describes product, price, shipment timing and sale terms as quotation elements. Use it as a checklist of fields, not as proof that your particular price or schedule is correct.

Worked example (illustrative)

A buyer asks for 600 housings to drawing revision E. The supplier's reply names E, the price currency, packaging, production start trigger, named handover point and two open test questions. A second option for revision D is clearly marked “alternative,” so the buyer cannot mistake its lower price for the requested configuration.

Evidence and use boundary

Source check: 2026-09-27. The linked primary sources support only the specific external statements beside them. All checklists and illustrative wording remain editorial guidance; verify the current product, destination and agreement before using them.