Short answer: a robot RFQ (request for quotation) works when it specifies the task, the workpieces, the rate, the site and the acceptance test so precisely that three competent suppliers are forced to quote the same project. Most RFQs fail by describing the desired machine ("a robot to load parts") instead of the work ("load these five parts, at this rate, into this machine, proven by this test"). Write the seven sections below, in this order, and the quotations you receive will finally be comparable — the precondition for everything our supplier evaluation checklist does next.
Section 1: The task, stated as work
Describe the operation in verbs and objects: what is picked, moved, welded, inspected or assembled, from where, to where, in what sequence. Attach drawings or models of the workpieces with weights, dimensions and materials — including the heaviest and most awkward variant, not the average one. If parts arrive in a tray, bin or fixture, say so and photograph it. Suppliers design to the worst case you show them; if you hide it, you have bought it anyway.
Section 2: Rate and quality, stated as numbers
- Cycle time or throughput: parts per hour at the cell, including load/unload — not the robot's theoretical speed.
- Accuracy or success criteria: placement tolerance, weld or inspection standard, or pick success rate, with the measurement method named.
- Operating pattern: shifts per day, days per year, planned changeovers and their frequency.
- Variation: how many part variants, and how different they are — this drives gripper and programming scope more than any other line.
Section 3: Site conditions and interfaces
Floor space and ceiling height, floor loading, power and air supply, network and the machines the cell must talk to (with their controllers or protocols where known), plus the environment: dust, washdown, temperature, explosive atmosphere. State what already exists and must be reused, and what the supplier may assume is new. A site visit can be offered at this stage or reserved for the shortlist — say which.
Section 4: Scope boundaries
The single most disputed area in robot projects is who supplies what. List explicitly: robot and end effector, fixtures, guarding and safety devices, controls integration, foundation or mounting, cabling, software licences, documentation language, training, and commissioning. For each, mark supplier, buyer or to be quoted as an option. Options quoted separately are not padding — they are how you discover what the market thinks each element costs.
Section 5: Acceptance, written as a test
Write the sign-off now, not at delivery: the test pieces, the measured criteria from Section 2, the duration of the continuous run, where it happens (supplier's floor, your floor, or both — FAT then SAT), and the remedy if the test is missed. Acceptance criteria written in the RFQ become contract language later; acceptance criteria invented at the end become negotiations. This section is also where warranty start is defined — at acceptance, not at shipment.
Section 6: Commercial terms
Delivery term and location, target timeline, payment milestones tied to the acceptance stages, warranty period and what it covers, spare-parts expectations (a priced starter list, and lead times for the wear parts), and service arrangements in your country. You do not need final legal language — you need every bidder pricing the same obligations, so the prices can be compared like for like.
Section 7: The response format you require
Tell suppliers exactly what to send back: a priced bill of materials in the Section 4 order, the proposed cycle-time calculation or simulation, deviations from your specification listed explicitly (silence means compliance), delivery schedule, and references for a comparable installation. A uniform response format is what turns five PDFs into a comparison table. When you are ready, you can post the request to matching suppliers, or send it to a shortlist drawn from the robotics directory — 631 companies across 35 countries, listed by category and headquarters country as of 10 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an RFQ and an RFI?
An RFI (request for information) explores what exists — capabilities, ranges, rough budget levels — before you know exactly what you need. An RFQ (request for quotation) states a defined requirement and asks for a price and delivery commitment against it. Skipping the RFI stage is fine when you already know the requirement; issuing an RFQ before the requirement is written is where unusable quotations come from.
How many suppliers should receive the RFQ?
Three to five serious suppliers is the range that produces real competition without wasting everyone's engineering time. Each credible bid costs the supplier effort in design and simulation; invite more than that and the best suppliers start declining, leaving you with the quotes from firms that bid on everything.
Should the RFQ name a budget?
Naming a target range helps suppliers design to your economics instead of guessing — a cell designed for the wrong budget tier wastes the whole round. Withholding the number is reasonable if you genuinely want the market to show you the range, but then evaluate the first round as market research rather than as comparable bids.
What is the most commonly missing item in robot RFQs?
Measurable acceptance criteria. Buyers describe the task vividly and the sign-off vaguely, which converts acceptance into an argument at the end of the project. Write the test in the RFQ: the part, the cycle time, the accuracy or success rate, the duration of the run, and what happens if the test is missed.