What Is an RFQ in Manufacturing? Request for Quote Explained

RFQ (request for quote): An RFQ (request for quote, or request for quotation) is a buyer’s request asking one or more suppliers to price a defined part, assembly or service: what it is, how many, to what specification and by when.

What a manufacturing RFQ contains

A useful RFQ lets a supplier price the job without guessing. Most include:

• The part: drawings or CAD models with a revision level, material, finish and tolerances.
• Quantities: the first order, expected annual volume and release sizes, so the supplier can quote price breaks.
• Requirements: inspection and documentation (first-article inspection, material certificates), and certifications such as ISO 9001 or AS9100 where the industry needs them.
• Commercial terms: delivery date, shipping terms, payment terms, and the date the quote is due.

RFQ, RFP and RFI

An RFQ asks for a price on something already specified. An RFP (request for proposal) asks suppliers to propose how they would solve a problem, so price is one of several things compared. An RFI (request for information) comes earlier and only gathers capabilities. In contract manufacturing most new work starts as an RFQ.

What happens after the RFQ

The supplier answers with a quote: unit price at each quantity, one-time tooling or setup charges, lead time, and how long the price is valid. The buyer compares quotes, often asks for a revision, and places a purchase order with the winner. The share of quotes that become orders is the quote-to-PO rate.

RFQs in the 2026 data

In the 12 months to October 2026, Factur’s prospecting for U.S. manufacturing suppliers produced 1,271 quotes, 30% fewer than the 1,812 a year earlier, while quoted value held at $127.3M. The median quote rose from $8K to $12K: buyers sent fewer, larger requests. See are RFQs rising or falling and which industries send the most RFQs.

Practical tips for suppliers

• Answer quickly and ask questions early: a clarified drawing is cheaper than a requote.
• Quote exactly what was asked, and put alternatives (another material, a looser tolerance) on a separate line.
• Log every RFQ and its outcome. Without that you cannot tell which buyers, part types or quote sizes actually turn into orders.

In the data

• Manufacturing RFQ trends 2026
• Average manufacturing quote size

Figures are from the Factur 2026 U.S. Manufacturing Sales Study, November 2025 – October 2026. From Factur’s outbound prospecting for U.S. manufacturing suppliers: every opportunity that reached a quote, its amount, and whether it became a purchase order, plus the calls and emails logged in the CRM, over the 12 months November 2025 – October 2026 compared with the 12 before, by opportunity close date.

More terms

• Quote-to-PO rate
• Purchase order (PO)
• NAICS vs SIC codes
• Sales development vs business development
• Touches per quote
• All terms

Factur runs outbound prospecting for U.S. manufacturers · facturmfg.com · More free data on U.S. companies by state: Insights