A useful request for quotation gives suppliers enough information to price the same requirement. State the intended application, identify the fabric or reference sample, and separate fixed requirements from preferences. You can begin before every detail is known, provided the open questions remain visible.
The aim is a comparison you can act on. A low unit price means little if one supplier quoted a different width, finish, quantity or delivery arrangement.
Start with the application and reference
Explain what the fabric will become and where it sits in the product. Include a sample reference, photographs or an existing specification where available. For mesh, add a close-up with a scale and identify any important stretch or coverage requirement.
Mark each input as required, preferred or open for proposal. This lets a supplier offer an alternative without silently changing the basis of the quotation. Ask for deviations to be listed separately.
If you provide a reference sample, specify whether it controls appearance, handle, construction, performance or all of these. A sample can be a useful starting point without being a complete specification.
Provide the fields that affect comparison
| RFQ field | Information to provide |
|---|---|
| Application | Component, intended use and relevant care conditions |
| Fabric identity | Reference code, sample identifier and specification revision |
| Technical requirements | Composition, construction, GSM and usable width where known |
| Performance | Required properties, test methods and agreed or proposed limits |
| Color and finish | Color reference, treatment and approval needs |
| Quantity | Trial and production quantities, unit and split by color |
| Sampling | Sample size, intended evaluation and required date |
| Commercial basis | Currency, price unit, packaging and quotation validity |
| Delivery | Destination, required milestone and proposed delivery term |
Specify usable width separately when cutting efficiency matters. ASTM D3774 addresses both fabric width and usable width; ask the supplier to identify which measurement the quotation uses. ASTM D3774
Ask for a structured supplier response
Request the quoted fabric reference, offered specification and a list of differences from the brief. Ask the supplier to distinguish stock availability from new production and to state what event starts any quoted lead time.
The starting event might be sample approval, color confirmation or another agreed commercial prerequisite. Have it written beside the quoted lead time so the date can be planned.
Request separate lines for development, samples, testing and other charges. Where a quotation depends on a minimum quantity per color or construction, have that condition stated explicitly. A total order quantity can otherwise conceal a color split that changes the offer.
Keep price and delivery terms distinct
State the price unit clearly: kilogram, linear meter, yard or another agreed unit. When converting a weight-based quote, use the relevant GSM and width, and keep net fabric quantity separate from packaging.
If using Incoterms, specify the rule, named place and version. ICC explains that these rules allocate delivery obligations, risks and costs, but do not settle the complete product specification, payment arrangement or ownership transfer. Those details need their own agreement. ICC on Incoterms and commercial contracts
Compare delivery scope as carefully as unit price. Add any excluded transport stages and other relevant costs before treating the offers as comparable.
Use a short inquiry structure
Keep the first message easy to answer. Open with the component and intended use, then provide the reference, quantities, color split and timing. End with what you need back: an offered specification, clearly listed deviations, sample arrangements and an itemized quotation.
An early development inquiry can simply say that you are considering two mesh constructions and need suitable samples for a stated application. That context belongs in the description, with a reference image if available. Leave unknown measurements open instead of guessing.
After receiving replies, place the offers side by side and resolve deviations before ranking them. Where a field remains unknown, carry it as an open item rather than filling it from another supplier's response.
Close the loop before ordering
Once a candidate is chosen, connect the final quotation to the approved sample and specification revision. Replace earlier assumptions with agreed values, and finish the relevant supplier checks before committing to the order.
Send your fabric RFQ to CWT with the requirement, quantities and the questions you still need answered.