RFI meaning: request for information
RFI stands for request for information: a buyer's market research before a procurement, asking suppliers what they can do, how, and roughly at what cost. Nothing is awarded from an RFI. In UK public procurement it is a form of preliminary market engagement, which a buyer can announce with a UK2 notice on Find a Tender. 1,993 UK public notices carry it in their title, from 470 buyers.
UK notices counted · 28 Sept 2026
Definition
Request for information (RFI)
A buyer's request to the market for information about capability, approach and cost before a procurement; no contract is awarded from it.
- UK notice titles using it
- 1,993
- Buyers using it
- 470
01/ Why it matters
What an RFI tells you
An RFI is the earliest sight of a procurement a supplier usually gets — and the one chance to shape it before the specification is fixed.
- A need is formingThe buyer has a problem and is testing what the market can do.
- The shape is openScope, lots and approach can still move on what suppliers say.
- A timeline is comingA tender notice often follows — sometimes a planned procurement notice first.
- The competition is visibleWho responds, and who the buyer meets, is an early read on the field.
02/ Side by side
RFI against RFP, ITT and RFQ
Four documents a buyer can send; only the RFI never ends in a contract. Tap a name to spotlight its column.
| Attribute | RFPRequest for proposal | ITTInvitation to tender | RFQRequest for quotation | RFIRequest for information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The buyer asks | How you would meet an outcome, and at what price | A tender against a set specification and published criteria | A price for a fully specified requirement | What the market can do — before any competition |
| You send back | A proposal | A tender | A quotation | Information |
| How it's judged | Quality and price, against stated weightings | Published award criteria — usually quality and price, often social value too | Mostly or wholly on price | Not scored for an award |
| Ends in a contract? | Yes, if you win | Yes, if you win | Yes, if accepted | No — nothing is awarded from an RFI |
| Where you'll see it | Private sector, international buyers, some UK public bodies | Most UK public-sector competitions | Lower-value goods and simple services | Before a procurement, as market engagement |
03/ The UK record
How often UK buyers say RFI
UK public notices with “request for information” or “RFI” in the title, each full year.
Notice titles, Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Rates are per 10,000 notices classified that year, the Requirements Observatory’s denominator. Titles only: a description mentions the term far more often.
Per 10,000 notices: 2019 16.6 · 2020 18.2 · 2021 30.7 · 2022 30.1 · 2023 29.4 · 2024 35.5 · 2025 30.6
| Period | Titles using RFI | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 85 | 85 |
| 2020 | 74 | 74 |
| 2021 | 189 | 189 |
| 2022 | 275 | 275 |
| 2023 | 284 | 284 |
| 2024 | 357 | 357 |
| 2025 | 265 | 265 |
04/ Who says it
The buyers who say RFI
470 buyers have used it in 1,993 notice titles. These eight use it most.
Notice title contains “request for information” or “RFI”, grouped by buyer as published.
05/ Recent
RFIs published lately
The most recent UK public notices with RFI in the title. Each opens the full notice.
06/ In practice
How to respond to an RFI
- 01
Decide if it's yours
Respond when the future contract is one you would bid for — the RFI is where its shape is set.
- 02
Answer what is asked
Keep to the questions and the format; say what you would do, not only what you have done.
- 03
Inform the specification
Point out what would make the requirement clearer, fairer or better value — buyers use this.
- 04
Watch for what follows
Track the procurement: the tender notice is the next step, often months later.
07/ Questions
RFI, answered
08/ Method
How this page is made
Live figures
Counts are UK public notices — Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, all years — whose title contains “request for information” or “RFI”. Titles are where a buyer names the document, and they can be counted exactly and quickly; descriptions mention the term far more often.
Rates are per 10,000 notices classified that year, the same denominator the Requirements Observatory uses. Figures are cached for up to 24 hours.
Outside sources
- Find a Tender, Notice types and sequences — the UK2 preliminary market engagement notice and the UK3 planned procurement notice, read 28 Sep 2026.
- Procurement Act 2023 — preliminary market engagement.
- Find a Tender and Contracts Finder — every notice counted on this page, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Glossary
RFP meaning
Request for proposal — and what UK buyers call it instead, measured.
Glossary
RFQ meaning
Request for quotation: price for a defined need.
Glossary
Tender meaning
What a tender is, the tender process, and how many open right now.
Live
Every open UK tender
Search today's notices, categorised and filterable, free.
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Every UK tender, whatever it’s called
RFP Quest reads every notice — ITT, RFQ, RFI or RFP — and tells you which ones fit your business, free.
RFP Quest reads every notice on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Counts on this page are read from that record and dated at the top.