Federal Contracting Glossary
Request for Quotation (RFQ)
A solicitation requesting quotes against a defined requirement, used in simplified acquisitions and for orders against the GSA Schedule and other vehicles.
Definition
A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is a solicitation in which the government asks vendors to submit a quote — pricing, and often a brief technical or past-performance response — against a defined requirement. RFQs are the standard instrument for simplified acquisitions under FAR Part 13 and for placing orders against the GSA Schedule (FAR 8.4) and other vehicles, frequently issued through portals such as GSA eBuy.
A quote, unlike a proposal, is not an offer the government can simply accept to form a contract; instead the government's purchase order (or order award) is the offer that the vendor then accepts by performance. RFQs are typically lighter and faster than full RFPs, which makes them well suited to commercial items and well-understood requirements.
How this affects your proposal
Whether the solicitation is an RFQ or an RFP, the win themes are the same: read the requirement, address it specifically, evidence your claims, and beat competitors on substance — but keep an RFQ response appropriately lean for a simplified or order-level buy.
Common questions about request for quotation (rfq)
Is an RFQ used in the public or private sector?
In federal contracting, RFQ is a formal instrument under FAR Part 13 (simplified acquisition) and FAR Part 8 (Schedule orders). The term is also used loosely in commercial purchasing.
Is a quote a binding offer?
Generally no — a vendor's quote is informational. The government's resulting purchase order is the offer, which becomes a binding contract when the vendor accepts it, typically by beginning performance or acknowledging the order.
Related terms
Request for Proposal (RFP)
The formal solicitation an agency issues inviting proposals in a negotiated procurement…
Request for Information (RFI)
A pre-solicitation request asking industry for capability and market information to hel…
Invitation for Bids (IFB)
A sealed-bid solicitation where award goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder…
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