An RFQ, or Request for Quote, is the document you send to a supplier asking them to quote a specific price and terms for a clearly defined product, quantity, and delivery requirement. A good RFQ for Indonesian commodities removes ambiguity so every supplier you contact is quoting on exactly the same basis, which is the only way to compare their responses fairly. This guide gives you a practical, fill-in-the-blank RFQ template, plus the mistakes that produce vague, unusable quotes.
What is an RFQ, and how is it different from a sourcing brief?
An RFQ is the tactical, outward-facing document sent directly to suppliers asking for a quote. A sourcing brief is the broader internal document that captures your full requirement and context, often used to brief a buying agent before they go and run the supplier search on your behalf.
In practice, the two work together. A sourcing brief defines the strategy; the RFQ is the standardized request that gets sent to each candidate supplier once the brief has identified who to approach. If you have not written a sourcing brief yet, start there, then use this RFQ template for the supplier-facing step.
What information must every RFQ include?
A complete RFQ for an Indonesian commodity should always include the following:
- Product name and botanical or trade name, to remove any ambiguity about what is being quoted.
- Grade or specification, including measurable parameters such as purity, moisture content, particle size, or relevant lab test thresholds.
- Quantity, stated in a consistent unit (kilograms, metric tons, drums) and ideally matched to or above the supplier’s MOQ.
- Target price range, if you have one, to filter out suppliers far outside your budget; otherwise request their best price.
- Incoterm preference, such as FOB or CIF, so freight and insurance responsibility is clear from the first quote.
- Destination port or country, needed for the supplier or their forwarder to estimate freight if quoting CIF.
- Required certifications, such as Certificate of Analysis, Certificate of Origin, phytosanitary certificate, organic, or Halal, stated explicitly rather than assumed.
- Timeline, including your target shipment window and how long your RFQ remains valid.
- Sample requirement, stating whether you require a sample before placing an order and how it should be sent.
- Payment terms you are open to, so the supplier can confirm early whether your preferred structure works for them.
RFQ template and checklist
Use the table below as a fill-in-the-blank template. Copy it into your RFQ document or email and complete every row before sending.
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Exact product and trade/botanical name | Clove leaf oil, Syzygium aromaticum |
| Grade / specification | Measurable quality parameters | Eugenol content min. 80%, GC-MS required |
| Quantity | Amount and unit | 2 x 20ft FCL, approx. 5,000 kg |
| Target price range | Optional budget guidance | USD 12-14 per kg, FOB |
| Incoterm | Preferred trade term | FOB Surabaya or supplier’s nearest port |
| Destination | Port or country of delivery | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Certifications required | List explicitly | COA, Certificate of Origin, phytosanitary |
| Sample requirement | Yes/no and method | Yes, 100g sample via courier before order |
| Timeline | Shipment window and RFQ validity | Ship by [date], quote valid 14 days |
| Payment terms | What you’re open to | 30% deposit, 70% on pre-shipment inspection |
Common RFQ mistakes that produce vague, unusable quotes
Even experienced buyers send RFQs that come back unusable because of a few recurring gaps.
| Mistake | Result |
|---|---|
| No defined grade or spec | Suppliers quote their own default grade, not what you need |
| No Incoterm stated | Quotes aren’t comparable; freight gets added back inconsistently |
| No quantity range | Supplier quotes a price that doesn’t match their MOQ tier |
| No certification list | You discover too late the supplier can’t provide a required document |
| No timeline | Quote arrives, but the supplier can’t actually ship within your window |
| Sent to one supplier only | No comparison point, and no backup if the deal falls through |
The single biggest cause of a vague quote is an RFQ that leaves the grade or specification open to interpretation. A supplier quoting against an underspecified RFQ will naturally quote their easiest, most available stock, not necessarily what you actually need.
How many suppliers should receive your RFQ?
For a first order, send the identical RFQ to at least two or three suppliers who have already passed basic verification. This lets you compare quotes on a like-for-like basis and gives you a natural fallback option, consistent with a sound backup supplier sourcing strategy, if your preferred supplier’s terms don’t work out.
How a buying agent improves your RFQ process
Writing a precise RFQ is necessary, but it doesn’t solve the harder problem: knowing which suppliers are worth sending it to, and verifying that their quoted specification actually matches what arrives. A buying agent handles both sides of this. At Karya Commodity, we help translate your requirement into a precise RFQ, send it only to suppliers we have already vetted on the ground, and then verify the winning quote against an independent sample test before any payment is made.
You can see this full sequence on our how it works page, and understand why this approach differs from going direct on our why us page. Pricing for this support is a single transparent commission, detailed on our fee page, that scales down as your order size grows.
Get help with your next RFQ
If you want a second set of eyes on an RFQ before you send it, or want us to run it through a pre-vetted supplier network on your behalf, contact us with your product and requirement and we’ll help you put together a request that gets you usable, comparable quotes.