Electrical News
- Published
- Reading time
- 4 min
A factory electrical RFQ gives every candidate the same project information and scope to price. Include facility details, current drawings, machine requirements, work boundaries and handover expectations. Clearly identify provisional information so that quotations based on different assumptions are not mistaken for equivalent offers.
How to prepare an RFQ for factory electrical works
A factory electrical RFQ gives every candidate the same project information and scope to price. Include facility details, current drawings, machine requirements, work boundaries and handover expectations. Clearly identify provisional information so that quotations based on different assumptions are not mistaken for equivalent offers.
Start with a one-page project brief
Explain the investment in specific terms. The same basic structure can be used for a new factory, a capacity expansion or refurbishment, but describe the working conditions for each project.
Include location, approximate floor area, production type, design stage and target dates. For work in an operating facility, identify areas that require coordination with production. If shutdown windows or access conditions have not been agreed, say so rather than leaving bidders to guess.
Identify the current drawing and machine-list revisions
Sending drawings without identifying the current version can lead to quotations based on an old layout. Add a date and revision reference to each document and remove superseded files from the issue package.
Provide available machine connection information and manufacturer documents. Mark unconfirmed machines or production lines as provisional. Installed power figures do not replace the design team's assessment of how the facility's requirements should be interpreted.
Separate the scope by system
When requesting an electrical contracting quotation, list MV, LV, lighting, machine supplies, low-current systems and automation interfaces separately. Identify the equipment, installation and testing responsibilities within each item.
Provide measured quantities where they are available. Where quantities remain uncertain, ask bidders to state their assumptions. A total based on measured quantities and a total based on allowances should not be compared without clarification.
Ask candidates to use a common response structure
Offers presented in unrelated formats can be difficult to assess. Request the following information consistently:
| Field | Explanation from the bidder |
|---|---|
| Work item and quantity | What work and quantity have been priced? |
| Technical proposal | What specifications and equipment alternatives were assumed? |
| Inclusions | Which procurement, installation, coordination and testing duties are included? |
| Exclusions | What remains with the client or another contractor? |
| Programme | What inputs, stages and indicative durations are required? |
| Handover | Which drawings, records and documents will be supplied? |
Keep commercial terms in a separate section. Ask for quotation validity, the payment schedule and the process for pricing changes to the agreed work.
Manage clarifications consistently
A bidder's question may reveal an ambiguity in the issue package. If the answer changes the scope, share the same clarification with all candidates and issue a revised package where appropriate.
Set a submission deadline and a channel for clarification questions. If revised pricing is requested, record which quotation version is being assessed. This avoids mixing original and updated offers during the selection meeting.
Assess technical compliance separately from the total price
First establish whether each offer addresses the requested scope. Ask for explanations of exclusions, equipment alternatives and missing quantities. Compare commercial offers once those boundaries are clear.
If one quotation includes switchboard supply and another includes installation only, the totals do not represent equivalent work. Identify the difference and request the missing price or clarification. This makes the comparison more understandable without automatically favouring a bidder.
An opening text for your quotation request
Please submit your quotation for the electrical works of our new production facility using the attached current drawings, machine list and scope schedule. Identify your inclusions and exclusions, technical assumptions, equipment alternatives, proposed programme and handover documents. List any assumptions used to price information that is not yet available.
This is an introduction to the request, not a substitute for project details. List the attachments with their dates and revision references.
Connect the RFQ to selection and handover planning
Use the contractor selection guide to assess candidates once the information package is ready. The turnkey electrical scope guide helps clarify the work boundaries.
To request an assessment from CANEL, share your project brief and available drawings through the contact page. Describing missing information accurately helps make the first scope discussion more specific.
Frequently asked question
Can I request offers before the design is complete?
An initial assessment can be requested. However, the information and assumptions used to prepare it should be explicit. An indicative offer should not be evaluated in the same way as an implementation quotation against a defined scope.
