- Material
- 5052-H32 aluminium, 3 mm sheet
- Finish
- Clear anodise
- Process
- Laser cut and formed
- Lead time
- 4 weeks
2,000 pcs × $7.84$15,680.00
Press-brake tooling set-up & programming One-off$540.00
RFQ responses buyers can read, compare and accept
Answer every RFQ part by part, with the drawing, the price, the lead time and the terms in one quote the buyer accepts online.
- 5/5 on G2
- 4.2 on Capterra
- Building QuoteCloud since 2013
Job shops and contract manufacturers use QuoteCloud to answer RFQs: one line or section per part number with material, finish, quantity and unit price, the customer's drawing as a page, lead times and Incoterms as content, an expiry date on the quote, and acceptance online by the buyer's engineer and purchasing team.
A sample RFQ response from a fictional job shop, Tessmore Engineering, to Larkspur Medical Devices. Three part drawings are fanned behind the quote: BK-40-1 base bracket, Rev C; BK-40-2 spacer, Rev B; BK-40-3 cover plate, Rev A. One by one each part lands in its own section of the quote: 2,000 at $7.84, 4,000 at $1.92 and 2,000 at $11.37, then the total for 2,000 sets, $52,954.00 including tax, valid until Mon 26 Oct 2026.
One RFQ, three parts, one quote
Larkspur Medical Devices sent three drawings in one RFQ. This is Tessmore's response as Larkspur's engineer and buyer read it, block by block.
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Estimator edits
Open on their RFQ
A cover from your RFQ template names the customer's RFQ, the parts and the date the quote expires, so the buyer files it against the right request.
Tessmore EngineeringRFQ response · Quote TE-Q-2388 Sample · fictional businessRFQ response · Quote
Bracket set BK-40, 2,000 sets
Our response to RFQ LM-2210 for the three parts of the BK-40 bracket set, each to its own drawing revision. Every part has its own section below, with its material, finish, unit price and lead time, then the one-off tooling and the total for 2,000 sets.
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A section for every part number
Each part gets its own section: drawing revision, material, finish, process, lead time, quantity and unit price. Buyers compare suppliers line by line, so every response from your team is laid out the same way.
Price tables: Essentials and up
Your quote, part by part 2,000 sets
Part 1 BK-40-1 Base bracket Drawing Rev C -
One-off lines, then one total
Programming and tooling sit on their own one-off line under each part, never buried in the unit price. The parts, the one-offs, tax, the total and the tooling paid on signing close the quote.
Quantity breaks, tooling & NREPart 2 BK-40-2 Spacer Drawing Rev B - Material
- 303 stainless, Ø16 bar
- Finish
- Passivate
- Process
- CNC turned
- Lead time
- 3 weeks
4,000 pcs (2 per set) × $1.92$7,680.00
CAM programming One-off$320.00
Part 3 BK-40-3 Cover plate Drawing Rev A - Material
- 6061-T6 aluminium, 6 mm plate
- Finish
- Black anodise, laser marked
- Process
- CNC machined
- Lead time
- 5 weeks
2,000 pcs × $11.37$22,740.00
Fixture & CAM programming One-off$1,180.00
- Parts, 2,000 sets
- $46,100.00
- One-off tooling & NRE
- $2,040.00
- Subtotal
- $48,140.00
- Tax 10%
- $4,814.00
- Total
- $52,954.00
- Tooling paid on signing Fixed amount: the one-off lines + tax
- $2,244.00
Lead time 5 weeks for the full set, after your PO
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Locked block
The same terms in every response
Lead time, Incoterms, how long the price holds and how payment works, as a locked company block. Every estimator sends the same wording, in the same place.
Content locking: Business
Lead time, delivery and terms
- Lead time5 weeksFor the full set, after your PO
- DeliveryDAP Larkspur, LakeviewIncoterms 2020 · freight included
- Quote validUntil Mon 26 Oct 2026Sheet and bar prices held to this date
- PaymentTooling on signingParts on 30-day account, invoiced per call-off
- Each part is quoted to the drawing revision named in its section.
- Quantities may vary by ±2% per call-off; you pay for parts delivered.
- Tooling and programs are kept for repeat orders for 2 years.
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Buyer signs
Signed by engineering and purchasing
Both sign online, the PO number goes in as they accept, and the tooling is paid on signing. Until then the quote shows who still has to sign.
PO acceptance, two signers & tooling depositsAccept against your PO
Your PO number Typed when you sign Forms block field · Business0 of 2 signed
- Eleanor WhitbyEngineering Awaiting signature
- Dmitri SokolPurchasing Awaiting signature
Tooling paid on signingOne-off lines for all three parts, plus tax: a fixed amount set on this quote $2,244.00 Due on signingEach signer signs online · Certificate of authenticity and audit trail
Assumptions and exceptions, agreed before the PO
Most quoting disputes start with something assumed and never written down: which revision, which tolerance, what anodising does to a flat face. Keep your standard assumptions in the RFQ template and add this job's exceptions under them.
When Larkspur's engineer asked about flatness, she asked in a comment on the quote. Callum answered in the same thread and wrote the answer in as an exception, where the buyer and your shop floor will both find it.
- Standard assumptions saved in your content library
- This job's exceptions, written into the quote
- Comments and replies on the document
- The drawing revision named for every part
Content library: Essentials and up
Drawings, specifications & marked-up images
Tessmore EngineeringRFQ response · Quote
TE-Q-2388
Sample · fictional business
Assumptions and exceptions
- BK-40-1 quoted to drawing Rev C, BK-40-2 to Rev B, BK-40-3 to Rev A. A new revision is quoted as a revised quote.
- Exception: the BK-40-3 flatness of 0.05 is quoted as 0.1 after anodising, as agreed with your engineer.
- Called off in four batches of 500 sets at the same price.
- Material certificates and a dimensional report on the first batch of each part.
Eleanor WhitbyCan you hold 0.05 flatness on the cover plate if we drop the anodise to clear?
Callum, TessmoreClear helps, but 0.1 is what we can promise after any anodise. We've written it in as an exception.
What buyers compare, line by line
Purchasing puts three or four responses side by side. These are the lines they look for, and where each one sits in a QuoteCloud RFQ template.
Part number and revision
Each section names the part and the drawing revision you quoted, so nobody compares a Rev B price with a Rev C drawing.
Unit price at their quantity
The price at the quantity they asked for, with your other price breaks as a table if they want them.
Tooling and NRE
One-off lines on their own, noted as kept for repeat orders, and paid on signing if you ask for it.
Lead time
Weeks from the PO, per part and for the set, written into the section in your words.
Incoterms and freight
Your delivery terms as text: FCA your dock, DAP their store, or freight quoted on request.
How long the price holds
An expiry date on the quote, with material prices held to that date.
Build your RFQ response template in the trial
Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Send us the RFQ response you use now and we'll convert one template for you during the trial.
Every open RFQ, followed up before it expires
Put an expiry date on each response. The Expiring Soon filter on your documents list shows the RFQs whose prices run out next, with their status, so the follow-up call happens while the material price still holds.
Viewed but no answer? Ring the buyer while the quote is valid. If their quantity changes before they sign, Revise Last Version sends a revised quote and keeps the earlier one.
- An expiry date on every quote
- The Expiring Soon filter on the documents list
- You see when each quote is opened
- Revise Last Version before signing; version history on Business
Expiry dates and tracking: Essentials and up
How document tracking works
Documents · RFQ responsesTessmore Engineering
Sample data
4 RFQ responses expire in the next 14 days
- Bracket set BK-40, 2,000 pcsLarkspur Medical Devices · TE-Q-2388 Expires Mon 26 Octin 4 days Viewed
- Laser-cut guards, 60 setsBrindle Foods · TE-Q-2394 Expires Thu 29 Octin 7 days Viewed
- Manifold block MB-7, 150 pcsCoralline Water Services · TE-Q-2401 Expires Mon 2 Novin 11 days Sent
- QR-220 sensor housing, 500 pcsQuenda Robotics · TE-Q-2417 Expires Fri 20 Novin 29 days Accepted
From RFQ to response in five steps
What your estimator does when an RFQ with several drawings arrives.
Open your RFQ template
Your letterhead, standard assumptions, terms and a section layout for each part are already in it.
Add a section per part
Add each part from your price book and note its drawing revision, material, finish and lead time.
Place the drawings
Add each customer drawing as a PDF page or image, and mark up anything you're quoting differently.
Write the exceptions
Add this job's exceptions under your standard assumptions and set the expiry date.
Send to both signers
Engineering and purchasing each get a link, ask questions in the comments and sign when they're ready.
Templates to start your RFQ response
Real QuoteCloud templates to make your own: a manufacturing proposal, a price quote, a work order and a QA plan.
- Proposal template Manufacturing Services Proposal Scope of work, manufacturing approach, quality assurance plan, lead times, pricing breakdown and commercial terms. View template
- Quote template Price Quote A price quote for goods and items, for vendors, suppliers and product businesses. View template
- Work order template Production Work Order Product specifications, production instructions, scheduling, resources and sign-off. View template
- QA plan template Manufacturing Quality Assurance Plan Inspection processes, quality control steps and responsibilities, ready to attach to a quote. View template
RFQ response questions, answered
How do I answer an RFQ with several part numbers in QuoteCloud?
Give each part its own section in the quote, with the drawing revision, material, finish, process, lead time, quantity and unit price, and its one-off tooling on a separate line. The total, tax and any payment on signing close the quote. Build the layout once in your RFQ template and every estimator answers the same way.
Can each part show the drawing revision we quoted?
Yes. Name the revision in each part's section and place the customer's drawing as a PDF page or an image. If the drawing changes before the buyer signs, Revise Last Version sends a revised quote and keeps the earlier one. QuoteCloud doesn't read CAD files or price from drawings: your estimator prices each part.
Does QuoteCloud compare our quote with other suppliers?
No. Your buyer compares the responses they receive. QuoteCloud helps you send a response that is easy to compare: the same layout for every RFQ, every part on its own line, tooling shown separately, lead times, Incoterms and an expiry date where the buyer expects them.
How do we stop old RFQ prices being accepted?
Set an expiry date on every quote. The Expiring Soon filter on your documents list shows the responses whose prices run out next, so you can follow up or revise them in time. Expiry dates, tracking and the filter are on the Essentials plan and above.
Can the buyer's engineer ask questions on the quote?
Yes. Recipients comment on the document and your team replies in the same thread. Write the answer into your assumptions or exceptions so it is part of what the buyer signs. Two or more people, such as engineering and purchasing, can each be added as a signer.
Can our ERP or CRM create the RFQ response?
Through the QuoteCloud API, Zapier or Make on the Essentials plan and above. An automation can create a quote from your RFQ template, fill its data items and add price-table rows. It doesn't pick options or content blocks, and documents created through the API or Zapier carry a per-document fee.
More for manufacturers
Every page of the QuoteCloud manufacturing microsite, from the RFQ to the supply agreement.
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Quantity breaks, tooling & NREPrice breaks shown as a table or as alternative rows the buyer picks, with tooling, fixtures and programming as one-off lines.Explore
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Drawings, specifications & marked-up imagesThe customer's drawing attached as a PDF or placed as an image and marked up, with your assumptions and exceptions beside it.Explore
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PO acceptance, two signers & tooling depositsThe buyer's PO number in the accepted quote, engineering and procurement both signing, and the tooling paid on signing.Explore
- Configured product & equipment quotesMachines and equipment with options and add-ons as optional items, spares the buyer sets the quantity of, and a build schedule.
- Distributor & reseller quotesConfigured product quotes for distributors, reseller price offers bulk-sent from one template, and dealer terms in the agreement.
- Blanket & annual supply agreementsAnnual pricing, scheduled releases shown as repeating charges, terms and an expiry date, signed once for the year.
- Discount approvals & hidden marginsQuotes over a discount or a total value go to a manager first, and cost and margin stay in your team's view only.
- Price book, SKUs & CSV importParts, materials, finishes and services in one product catalogue with SKUs, costs and margins, loaded from a CSV export.
- ERP, MRP, CRM & accounting connectionsAccepted quotes to your ERP or MRP through Zapier, Make or the API, your CRM and your accounting software.
- Manufacturing templatesReal QuoteCloud templates for manufacturing proposals, services agreements, work orders, QA plans and price quotes.
- QuoteCloud implementation for manufacturersYour price book imported, RFQ and agreement templates converted, approvals and payments set up, estimators trained.
- FAQAnswers to the questions job shops, equipment builders, packaging and print firms, co-packers and distributors ask most.
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