What is RFQin construction?

Use an RFQ when the scope is fully defined and you can hand the bidder exact quantities or complete specs, leaving price, lead time, and terms as the only open questions. Use an RFP when you want the respondent to propose means, schedule, or design input, such as design-build packages or preconstruction services, and you will weigh qualifications alongside cost. An ITB sits at the owner level: complete contract documents, sealed lump-sum bids, and an award driven mostly by price among responsive bidders.

Both expansions exist, and context tells you which one you are holding. In supplier and subcontractor procurement, RFQ almost always means request for quotation, a pricing request. In public work, agencies often issue a request for qualifications to shortlist firms before an RFP, so read the document body before responding: a qualifications request wants resumes and project history, not unit prices.

The RFQ itself is an invitation to quote, not a commitment to buy. The supplier's quotation is an offer that typically holds for its stated validity period, often 30 to 90 days, and a contract forms when you accept it with a purchase order. Watch quote expiration on long bid cycles: if material prices move and the validity lapses, you may need to re-solicit before buyout.