An RFQ is a request for quotation. Its job is to give potential suppliers enough information to assess a product and explain their price. If two suppliers quote different fabrics or packaging, their totals will not tell you which offer fits your brief.
1. Describe the garment
Name the product and its intended use. Add drawings, reference images or a tech pack if you have one. Identify the details that are essential and the details where alternatives are acceptable. A reference photograph alone may leave construction and measurements open to interpretation.
2. Break down the quantity
Give the total units and the split by style, colour and size. For example, “300 T-shirts” and “300 T-shirts across three styles and four colours” describe very different orders. Ask which minimums apply to the garment, fabric and colour.
3. State material and finish requirements
Include the fabric composition, target weight, colour references, finish and trims where known. If you do not know the specification, describe the intended feel and use and ask for options. Do not label a material certified or sustainable without the evidence required for that claim.
4. Separate sample and production questions
Ask for the sample cost, what that cost includes, the estimated sample timing and the revision process. For production, ask what approval starts the lead time and which costs remain outside the quotation.
5. Make the quotation comparable
- Currency, unit price and the quantity that price assumes.
- Fabric, trims, labels and packaging included in that price.
- Sample, setup and other separately charged costs.
- Delivery term and named location; ask what freight, duties and taxes are excluded.
- Payment stages, quote validity and estimated lead time.
- Proposed quality checks and how issues would be handled.
A brief you can adapt
Product and use:
Reference / tech pack link:
Fabric and finish:
Styles, colours and sizes:
Quantity per style and colour:
Labels and packaging:
Destination:
Target sample date:
Target delivery date:
Budget and currency:
Support needed:
Open questions:
Before you place an order
Review the sample against written requirements and resolve the remaining questions with the supplier. A sourcing enquiry does not confirm factory capacity, compliance or delivery. Those need to be assessed for your specific product and destination.
