RFQ meaning: request for quotation
RFQ stands for request for quotation: a buyer asks suppliers for a price against a need it has already specified in full, and usually buys on price. It suits standard goods and simple services, and lower-value public buying: below the thresholds, a buyer can invite quotes from suppliers it chooses without advertising. 3,857 UK public notices carry it in their title, from 384 buyers.
UK notices counted · 28 Sept 2026
Definition
Request for quotation (RFQ)
A request to suppliers for a price against a fully specified requirement, typically decided on price.
- UK notice titles using it
- 3,857
- Buyers using it
- 384
01/ What it contains
What's in an RFQ
An RFQ is short because the thinking is done: the buyer knows exactly what it wants and is asking what it costs.
- SpecificationExactly what is wanted — product, standard, quantity.
- DeliveryWhere, when and how it must arrive or be done.
- Pricing scheduleThe format your price must take, line by line.
- TermsThe contract or purchase-order terms that will apply.
- DeadlineWhen the quotation must arrive, and how long it must stay valid.
02/ Side by side
RFQ against RFP, ITT and RFI
Four documents a buyer can send, and what each wants back. 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 RFQ
UK public notices with “request for quotation” or “RFQ” 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 48.6 · 2020 41.4 · 2021 30.8 · 2022 42.5 · 2023 34.6 · 2024 101.6 · 2025 27.4
| Period | Titles using RFQ | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 249 | 249 |
| 2020 | 168 | 168 |
| 2021 | 190 | 190 |
| 2022 | 389 | 389 |
| 2023 | 334 | 334 |
| 2024 | 1022 | 1022 |
| 2025 | 237 | 237 |
04/ Who says it
The buyers who say RFQ
384 buyers have used it in 3,857 notice titles. These eight use it most.
Notice title contains “request for quotation” or “RFQ”, grouped by buyer as published.
05/ Recent
RFQs published lately
The most recent UK public notices with RFQ in the title. Each opens the full notice.
06/ In practice
How to respond to an RFQ
- 01
Price the specification
Quote exactly what is specified. An alternative can go alongside, never instead.
- 02
Include every cost
Delivery, installation, VAT treatment — anything left out is a price you pay later.
- 03
State the validity
Say how long the price holds, in the form the RFQ asks for.
- 04
Meet the deadline
Late or incomplete quotations are usually rejected unread.
07/ Questions
RFQ, 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 quotation” or “RFQ”. 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
- Cabinet Office, Guidance: below-threshold contracts — when a below-threshold tender notice is not required, read 28 Sep 2026.
- 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
Tender meaning
What a tender is, the tender process, and how many open right now.
Glossary
RFI meaning
Request for information: market research before a tender.
Live
Every open UK tender
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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.