When to use a RFP versus a RFQ

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Using an RFP versus a RFQ:

This is a good question and one we hear often. We will try our best to provide a simple answer to help you make an informed  decision when performing your purchasing duties. This scenario surfaces when you are faced with generating a purchasing document to send to your suppliers.

Documents issued by the Purchasing group can be an RFQ (request for quote), RFI (request for information), RFP (request for proposal), or ITQ (invitation to quote), IFB (invitation for bid) or others.

A RFQ is usually used when the Owner knows exactly the type and quantity of goods it wants to buy while RFP’s ask bidders to provide a solution to a problem that could be solved in different ways.

An example of when to use a Request for Quote (RFQ) would be if you are buying 100 each Toshiba Laptop Computers c/w 2 GB ram, 100 GB HD, DVD Burner, Windows 7. You know your exact requirement and have a specification to include or issue with the request.

An RFP might be used if you were unsure as to whether you want to purchase, lease, rent  those same 100 computers with varying specifications for software and hardware requirements that may differ from PC to PC. This gives the bidders an opportunity to offer a solution to your requirement.

With the above in mind, it should be noted that evaluating a RFQ is usually easier than trying to determine an award from the results of an RFP.

Sample Letter of Intent (LOI) or Letter of Understanding (LOU)

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Letter of Intent-LOI or Letter of Understanding-LOU:

For larger contracts or big dollar supply agreements, some corporations prefer to start a relationship by issuing a letter of intent (LOI) to the successful bidder of a tender. In essence, it is an acknowledgement by both parties of their intent to carry out the offer at hand. As a buyer, you are informing the Vendor or Supplier of your intention to proceed with the commercial arrangement proposed in the bid and this is the start of the formal documentation process.

This following sample LOI can be used to get the ball rolling until formal contract documents are drawn up and executed by the involved parties.

This particular sample letter of intent or letter of understanding covers a technical supply agreement used to purchase bulk commodities with prices that might be tied to a published index or indice.

Feel free to download and use this free sample letter of intent or letter of understanding when awarding your RFP or RFQ.

Download PDF file here >>> RFQ6 – Letter of Intent

It is a little cramped as we wanted it to fit onto a single page…Note: all RFQPro.com purchased downloads include edit friendly Microsoft word templates.  If you are looking for a specific sample Letter of Intent (LOI), or LOU template we have included them in our Premium Pack and it is available for purchase by selecting the download button in the margin.