Key takeaways
- Every RFQ needs SKU + target quantity + Incoterm + destination. Anything less, and the first quote won't be reliable.
- Declare OEM / ODM scope on day one. Bolting it on later triggers MOQ and tooling renegotiation.
- Ask for MOQ tiers (e.g. 500 / 1,000 / 2,000) so you see the actual unit-price curve, not just the minimum.
- Close with a decision date. Suppliers lock pricing against a window, not forever.
Why the RFQ checklist matters
A tight RFQ package materially shortens the back-and-forth on quoting. Suppliers who receive a complete RFQ can return a first-version quote in one business day; suppliers chasing missing fields take three days and still return a number they'd rather caveat.
What to send before you hit "submit"
What you get in return
Send an RFQ with the five items above, and a first-version quote normally comes back within one business day. Missing any of them, and the first reply is usually a question, not a price.
One extra move that most procurement teams skip: add a decision window to the RFQ ("we're aiming to confirm a supplier by [date]"). Suppliers treat open-ended RFQs as background work and hand them to junior sales; a decision window makes your RFQ real, and you usually get the A-team on it.
For OEM / ODM projects
If there's any OEM or ODM scope — custom size, custom packaging, custom finish, private label — flag it in the first RFQ. Retrofitting it two rounds later forces the supplier to reprice, re-schedule, and in most cases renegotiate MOQ and tooling. Declare it up front, even if it's still loosely scoped.
Tiered pricing, always
Ask for MOQ tiers rather than a single quantity. Three tiers — e.g. 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 — surface the real unit-price curve, which is where most buying decisions actually live. A supplier who refuses to show tiered pricing is telling you something about their transparency.
Get the RFQ right, and the rest of the order compresses. Get it wrong, and you'll spend the next week re-aligning specs that should have been written once.