Tender vs RFP vs RFQ: what's the difference?
They are modes of the same process. A tender/RFP is chosen for complex or solution-led work; an RFQ for well-defined, price-led purchases.
The short answer
A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is used for standardised goods or services where requirements are clear and the buyer mainly compares price. A Request for Proposal (RFP) is used when the buyer wants a proposed solution and evaluates technical quality alongside price. "Tender" is the umbrella term for the formal, competitive solicitation process, and is often used for large works and supply contracts.
How they change your bid
An RFQ rewards a clean, compliant, competitively-priced offer — win on price and reliability. An RFP rewards a strong technical response: methodology, team, experience, and understanding of the requirement, with price one factor among several. Reading which instrument you face tells you where to invest.
Same pipeline, different weighting
Whichever instrument is used, the process is the same: publish, clarify, receive sealed submissions, evaluate against a matrix, and award. What changes is the template and the evaluation weighting — price-led for an RFQ, technically-weighted for an RFP.
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What is the difference between an RFP and an RFQ?
An RFQ is price-led for well-defined, standardised requirements; an RFP asks bidders to propose a solution and evaluates technical quality alongside price. Both run through the same tendering process with different evaluation weightings.
Is a tender the same as an RFP?
A tender is the formal competitive solicitation process; an RFP is one type of tender used for solution-led work. The terms overlap, and usage varies by market.