A request for quote (RFQ) is a structured invitation for suppliers or contractors to price a defined scope — labour, materials, access windows and compliance requirements. In facilities and multi-site operations, RFQs appear when preferred vendors cannot cover a region, a trade is missing from the book, or procurement policy requires competitive quotes for capital works.
OpsChase treats RFQ as an operator workflow, not a spreadsheet email blast. You attach specs, set deadlines, blast matched trade organisations by category and location, compare responses, award a winner, and open an onboarding case before the first work order dispatches. Preferred contractors remain the default for day-to-day reactive and PPM work; RFQ is the controlled exception with audit trail.
Create an RFQ from a template, select preferred-only or open marketplace audiences, and track responses in one grid. On award, onboarding collects insurance, licences and references per your policy. Assignment unlocks only after approval — so gap fill does not create uninsured attendance.
Pair this glossary entry with vendor onboarding and prequalification for the compliance half of the flow.
OpsChase turns this into a working flow: chase your preferred contractors to done, require proof before a job closes, and RFQ with compliance onboarding when you need the market. Book a demo to see it on your sites — one location or many.
- Is every job an RFQ?
- No. Preferred assignment handles routine work. RFQ is for coverage gaps and policy-driven quotes.
- Can RFQs span multiple sites?
- Yes. Multi-site rollups support franchise and national procurement patterns.
- What happens if nobody responds?
- Deadlines and re-issue rules escalate; assisted RFQ status supports phone follow-up without skipping gates.