Free RFQ and RFP templates for buying from suppliers (2026)

You can get free RFQ and RFP templates from oboloo, Smartsheet, ProjectManager and HubSpot. oboloo's templates, checklists and comparison sheets are Excel files with no email needed. Smartsheet's RFQ templates are Word files, also with no sign-up. ProjectManager's RFQ template comes in Word or Excel and asks for your name and business email, and HubSpot's three RFP templates (Google Docs and PDF) sit behind a form. Use an RFQ when you know exactly what you want and need a price, and an RFP when you want suppliers to propose how they would meet a need.

Full disclosure: oboloo is our product. We checked every source below on 15 October 2026.

Free RFQ and RFP templates compared

Source	What you get	Format	Sign-up needed?
oboloo	RFQ form, RFQ comparison template, RFP template, RFP checklist, RFQ and RFP spreadsheets	Excel	No
Smartsheet	Seven RFQ templates (basic, government, construction, manufacturing, IT, nonprofit and freight), some with a filled-in example	Word	No (you can skip the trial offer)
ProjectManager	One RFQ template with vendor details, line items and totals	Word or Excel	Yes: first name and business email
HubSpot	Three RFP templates: one page, a longer version and a designed version	Google Docs (two) and interactive PDF (one)	Yes: a form, all fields required
Asana	An RFQ template	Not stated	Yes: the template link goes to Asana's sign-up page

oboloo's free templates

Each one is an Excel download, with no email required:

• RFQ form: a request for quotation to fill in, covering specification, quantity, delivery, pricing, payment terms and quote validity.
• RFQ spreadsheet: lines up unit price, total price, delivery cost, lead time and payment terms by supplier.
• RFQ comparison template: compares bids like for like.
• RFP template: a request for proposal to fill in, from background and scope to evaluation criteria, timeline and pricing.
• RFP checklist: a final review of scope, pricing, criteria, timeline and approvals before you issue.
• RFP spreadsheet: tracks proposals, pricing, scores, risks, clarification questions and decision notes.

To set your scoring weights, the free RFP evaluation scorecard builder suggests weighted criteria that add up to 100%. If you would rather keep templates inside software, oboloo's sourcing template library holds reusable and custom RFX templates (Sourcing Plus).

RFQ vs RFP vs RFI

Document	When to use	What you ask for	How you choose
RFI (request for information)	You are still finding out what the market offers	What suppliers offer and can do	You build a shortlist. Nothing is awarded
RFQ (request for quotation)	You know exactly what you want	A price against your specification, quantities and delivery dates	Usually the lowest price that meets the spec
RFP (request for proposal)	You know the need but want suppliers to propose the solution	A proposal: approach, experience, team, timeline and price	Weighted scoring on price, quality and risk

RFQ template outline

Copy this into Word, Google Docs or an email:

1. Your details and reference: organisation name, contact, RFQ number and issue date.
2. What you are buying: a description and specification, with drawings, standards or acceptable equivalents.
3. Quantities: per line item, and whether volumes are firm or estimates.
4. Delivery: address, required date or lead time, and who pays for shipping.
5. Pricing table: unit price, total, delivery, taxes, discounts and currency, in one layout for every supplier.
6. Quote validity and payment terms: how long prices must hold, and when you pay.
7. How you will choose: lowest compliant price, or your criteria and weights.
8. Deadline and how to respond: date, time, time zone and where to send the quote.
9. Questions: who to contact, the cut-off, and that answers go to all suppliers.
10. Terms: the terms and conditions that will apply, attached or linked.

RFP template outline

1. About your organisation: who you are and what you do.
2. Background: the problem or opportunity behind the RFP.
3. Objectives: what success looks like, in measurable terms.
4. Scope of work: deliverables, and what is in and out of scope.
5. Requirements: must-haves and nice-to-haves (technical, security, insurance and compliance).
6. Questions for suppliers: experience, references, team and approach.
7. Pricing format: fixed fee, day rates or options, in a set layout so proposals compare.
8. Evaluation criteria and weights: for example price 40%, quality 30% and risk 30%.
9. Timeline: issue date, question cut-off, submission deadline, presentations, award and start date.
10. Submission instructions: format, length limits and where to submit.
11. Clarification process: how suppliers ask questions and how you share the answers.
12. Contract terms: the key terms, or the draft contract.
13. Contact: one named person for all communication.

What to include before you send

Whichever template you use, check these before it goes to suppliers:

• Specification: clear enough that two suppliers would price the same thing.
• Quantities: units and volumes, marked as firm or estimated.
• Delivery: where, when and on what terms.
• Evaluation criteria and weights: agreed and shared with suppliers before responses come in.
• Deadline: a date, time and time zone. Give a complex RFP more time than a simple RFQ.
• Clarification process: one channel for questions, a cut-off date, and answers shared with every supplier so nobody gets an advantage.
• Terms: the terms that will apply, so everyone prices on the same basis.
• Contact: one named person, so suppliers do not ask around your organisation.
• Sign-off: the budget holder and anyone affected have agreed the document.

When a template is enough, and when to use software

A template and email work if you send a few RFQs a year to suppliers you know. It gets harder with several events at once: chasing replies, copying prices into spreadsheets, answering the same question twice and recording who scored what.

Then software helps. Our guide to the best free RFQ software compares the free options. oboloo's RFP software is free forever for RFQs, RFIs and RFPs, with unlimited users and no card. Suppliers get a link to a portal where they answer your questions and upload their pricing, without creating an account. Their questions and your answers stay inside the event, and you compare responses side by side. Sourcing Plus, at $25 per user a month billed annually, adds reusable and custom RFX templates, supplier questionnaires and weighted scoring, with a 14-day free trial.

FAQs

Where can I download a free RFQ template?

oboloo (Excel) and Smartsheet (Word) offer free RFQ templates with no email required. ProjectManager's RFQ template comes in Word or Excel and asks for your name and business email.

Is there a free RFP template in Google Docs?

Yes. HubSpot's three free RFP templates are two Google Docs and an interactive PDF, behind a form. oboloo's RFP template is Excel, with no sign-up.

What is the difference between an RFQ and an RFP?

An RFQ asks for a price on something you have already specified, and is usually won on price. An RFP asks suppliers how they would meet a need, and is scored on quality and risk as well as price.

What should an RFP include?

Background and objectives, scope, requirements, a pricing format, weighted evaluation criteria, a timeline, submission instructions, a clarification process, contract terms and one contact. The outline above covers each.

How do I compare supplier responses fairly?

Agree criteria and weights before responses arrive, then score every supplier against them and note why. A spreadsheet works for a handful of suppliers. Software keeps every score and comment in one record.

Related: running a formal tender? See our comparison of tender management software for buyers.