Articles / How public buying works
RFQ vs RFP vs ITT, RFSQ and RFI: the difference, and how to answer each
The five common kinds of public solicitation compared in one table, how each one is evaluated, and what changes in how you answer it.
In short
An RFQ asks for prices on clearly defined work, usually lowest compliant price wins. An ITT or invitation to tender is the formal version for construction. An RFP asks how you'd do the work and scores approach, team and price. An RFSQ or RFSO qualifies suppliers for a list. An RFI just gathers information. Answer each to the way it's scored.
Public buyers use a handful of names for the documents they send out, and the name tells you a lot about how the bid will be judged. Get it right and you spend your time on what earns points. Get it wrong and you write a long proposal for a job decided on price, or a bare price for a job decided on approach.
The five types at a glance
| Type | What the buyer wants | How it's usually decided | What to put first |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFQ (request for quotation) | A price for clearly defined work | Lowest compliant price | A complete, correct price form |
| ITT or IFT (invitation to tender) | A firm price for construction against drawings and specs | Lowest compliant bid | Bid form, bid security, every addendum acknowledged |
| RFP (request for proposal) | How you'd do the work, and for how much | Scored on criteria such as approach, team, experience and price | Answers to each criterion, in order |
| RFSQ or RFSO (request for supplier qualifications or standing offers) | Suppliers to put on a list for future work | Qualification against set criteria, sometimes with rates | Proof you meet every requirement |
| RFI or RFEI (request for information or expressions of interest) | Information, to plan a later process | Not a contract award | Useful, honest answers that shape the scope |
Names vary between buyers. A municipality's "tender" may be scored like an RFP, and a "quotation" can carry mandatory requirements. Always read the evaluation section, not just the title.
How do I answer an RFQ or ITT?
Price is usually everything, so the risk is disqualification, not losing on points. Fill in every line of the price form. Acknowledge every addendum. Include bid security if it's asked for, in the exact form asked. Sign where it says to sign. Then check it again.
Many RFQs and ITTs still have mandatory requirements, such as a site visit, a licence or insurance. Miss one and the price doesn't matter. See why bids get disqualified.
How do I answer an RFP?
Write to the scoring. RFPs publish criteria and weights, and evaluators score each criterion on its own, using only what's in your proposal. Answer in the same order as the criteria, use the buyer's headings, and make each answer stand alone. Price is often worth something like 20 to 40 percent on service contracts, so a good approach can beat a lower price. See how public bids are scored and how to write an RFP proposal.
How do I answer an RFSQ or RFSO?
Show you meet every requirement, clearly, with the documents asked for. These lists can bring years of call-ups, so it's worth doing carefully even though there's no contract on the day. Some ask for rates that hold for the term; price them so they still work in year three. See standing offers and prequalified lists.
Should I answer an RFI?
Often, yes. It costs little, it tells the buyer you exist, and your answers can shape a scope that suits firms like yours. Be helpful and honest. Don't include confidential pricing unless asked, and remember an RFI usually isn't scored and doesn't lead straight to a contract.
Where to go next
Read how to read a tender and tender words in plain English.
What to do next
Sources
Rules and forms change. Check the official page before you rely on a detail here.