RFQ (Request for Quotation) — Complete FAQ Answers

An RFQ (Request for Quotation) is a formal procurement intent request sent by a buyer to potential suppliers, typically including: desired product name and specifications, purchase quantity (or range), expected price range, delivery location and timeline, packaging and certification requirements. An RFQ represents a buyer who has entered the supplier selection stage.

A general inquiry is typically broader — the buyer may just be exploring the market. An RFQ is usually more formal and detailed, with the buyer actively selecting suppliers and thus a higher conversion probability. The platform labels each lead type to help you distinguish.

The platform uses multi-source cross-referencing to verify RFQ source authenticity and displays data source and publication date. We recommend checking: ① Does the buyer company have a legitimate website and social media presence? ② Is the purchase quantity within a reasonable range? ③ Is the contact information consistent with the company domain?

RFQ validity varies — typically 2-8 weeks. The platform displays the publication date; we recommend prioritizing RFQs from within the last 30 days. RFQs over 60 days old may have already selected a supplier, but are still worth contacting to establish a backup supplier relationship.

① Unlock RFQ contact details → ② Use AI Operations to generate a customized quotation email for that RFQ → ③ Attach product spec sheets/sample information → ④ Send during the buyer's business hours (avoid their time zone's late night or holidays) → ⑤ If no reply within 48 hours, send a follow-up email.

Yes. The AI Operations system supports batch processing — select multiple RFQs and the system generates different personalized quotation emails based on each buyer's information and batch-sends them without manual processing for each.

Not necessarily. Buyers may enter a reference quantity, and actual purchase volume may be larger or smaller. We recommend proactively confirming in your reply and offering flexible MOQ options.

We recommend replying in the official language of the buyer's country or in English. The AI Operations system supports multi-language generation and can automatically select the appropriate language based on the buyer's country.