Every solicitation type, explained
Procurement speaks in acronyms — RFP, RFQ, RFI, ITT, DDQ, SIQ, PQQ, grants. Each is a different instrument with different rules and a different winning strategy. This guide covers all of them.
RFP · Request for Proposal
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a formal document an organization issues to solicit competitive bids for a project or service, describing requirements, evaluation criteria, and deadlines so vendors can propose how — and at what price — they would deliver the work.
RFQ · Request for Quotation
A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is a procurement document that asks vendors to quote prices for clearly specified goods or services. Unlike an RFP, the requirements are already fixed — the buyer is comparing price, availability, and terms rather than solution approaches.
RFI · Request for Information
A Request for Information (RFI) is an exploratory document buyers issue before a formal procurement to survey the market: which vendors exist, what capabilities they offer, and how a problem might be solved. RFIs gather knowledge; they rarely commit either side to anything.
ITT · Invitation to Tender
An Invitation to Tender (ITT) is a formal procurement notice — common in the UK, EU, and public sector — inviting suppliers to submit sealed, compliant bids against a precisely specified scope. Evaluation is typically strict and criteria-weighted, with less negotiation than an RFP process.
DDQ · Due Diligence Questionnaire
A Due Diligence Questionnaire (DDQ) is a standardized set of questions an organization sends to assess a counterparty's risk posture — covering security, compliance, financials, and operations. DDQs recur (often annually), which makes a maintained answer knowledge base especially valuable.
SIQ · Supplier Information Questionnaire
A Supplier Information Questionnaire (SIQ) collects structured facts about a vendor — ownership, certifications, insurance, capacity, ESG data — as part of supplier onboarding or qualification. SIQs are factual rather than persuasive: accuracy and consistency with prior submissions matter most.
PQQ · Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
A Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) screens suppliers before they may bid: financial standing, experience, references, and compliance are scored to build a shortlist. Passing the PQQ is the ticket to the tender itself, so completeness and evidence quality decide who gets to compete.
Grant · Grant Application
A grant application requests non-repayable funding from a government agency, foundation, or program, arguing that the applicant's project fits the funder's criteria and will deliver measurable outcomes. Grant responses blend narrative persuasion with strict compliance to format and eligibility rules.
At a glance
| Type | Purpose | Specificity | Typical outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFP | Compare competing solution approaches and prices | Problem defined; solution open | Evaluation → shortlist/discussions → award |
| RFQ | Obtain comparable prices for a specified purchase | Fully specified; price is the variable | Comparison → award, often lowest responsive |
| RFI | Survey the market and shape a future procurement | Exploratory; requirements still forming | Shortlists, requirement shaping → often an RFP/ITT follows |
| ITT | Award a defined scope through auditable competition | Tightly specified; approaches scored within fixed scope | Rubric scoring → award with standstill/feedback |
| DDQ | Assess counterparty risk before/while doing business | Standardized factual questions; evidence-backed | Risk review → onboarding conditions or approval; recurs on cycle |
| SIQ | Register and qualify supplier facts into buyer systems | Purely factual; format fixed by the buyer's platform | Supplier record created/refreshed; gates category eligibility |
| PQQ | Shortlist capable suppliers before tender evaluation | Standardized gates plus scored capability questions | Pass → invited to tender; scored ranking may cap invitees |
| Grant | Award non-repayable funds to advance program goals | Program priorities fixed; project design open | Panel review → award with terms and reporting cycle |
One engine for every solicitation shape
BidAuthor's extraction and answering pipeline is solicitation-agnostic — RFPs, DDQs, tenders, and questionnaires all run through the same dependency-aware engine, grounded in your knowledge base.