A request for qualifications (RFQ) is a step sometimes used in the formal process of procuring a product or service, for example by a government agency. It is typically used as a screening step to establish a pool of vendors (businesses or individuals to provide a product or service) that are then qualified, and thus eligible to submit responses to a request for proposals (RFP).^[1][2] In this two-step process, the response to the RFQ will describe the company or individual's general qualifications to perform a service or supply a product but generally will not include specific details or price proposals.^[3]

Benefits of including a RFQ step

For the procurer, an RFQ provides a pre-screening step, so at the request for proposal phase there are fewer proposals to evaluate.^[4] The Request for Qualifications thus becomes a means by which the purchasing agency can add vendors to their select sellers list, i.e. list of vendors eligible to bid.^[5]

For the respondent, they do not spend the time and effort to write a full proposal only to find out they were not qualified as a firm.

In some jurisdictions, the RFQ is a required step for some types of procurement.^[6] In the United States, the Federal Highway Administration denotes a request for qualifications as a "phase one solicitation" for design–build projects.^[7]

References