Packaging RFQ Checklist and Bid Comparison Template for FMCG Teams
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A packaging RFQ checklist is the list of documents, data fields and commercial terms that every supplier must receive and answer in a request for quotation, so that all bids arrive on the same basis. A bid-comparison template is the matching sheet that converts those bids to total cost and scores them. Used together, they turn a sourcing event from a pile of quotes into a decision.
Ask three packaging suppliers to quote from three different emails and you will get three answers that cannot be compared. The fix is dull and it works: send one RFQ pack, ask for one price breakdown, and compare the replies on one basis.
This packaging RFQ checklist covers what goes into the pack and what suppliers must send back. Below it is a bid-comparison template you can copy into a spreadsheet. Both sit inside stages 5 and 6 of the seven-stage packaging procurement process, so start there if you want the whole sequence.
What should a packaging RFQ checklist include?
Use the table as a gate list. If a field is blank, the pack is not ready to send. Each row is something a supplier will otherwise guess, and guesses come back later as price gaps you cannot explain.
| Area | Include in the RFQ pack | Why suppliers need it |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | One frozen specification with a version number, drawings or dielines, material and grade, tolerances, test methods | One version means one price basis |
| Volumes | Annual volume by SKU and market, with a low, base and high scenario | Unit price moves with volume, so scenarios stop suppliers choosing their own |
| Compliance | Required certifications, food-contact or regulatory requirements by market, audit rights | A gap found after award is expensive to close |
| Delivery | Delivery terms and points, lead time, minimum order quantity | Freight and stock cost sit here |
| Commercial terms | Currency, payment terms, price validity, how raw material price changes are handled | Lets finance compare like with like |
| Tooling | Who owns it, who pays, the amortisation period, expected tool life | Cheap bids often hide cost in tooling |
| Quality | Defect acceptance levels, complaint process, change control | Sets the quality baseline before price is discussed |
| Reporting data | Recycled content, recyclability and the pack data you need for packaging reporting | Easier to ask now than to chase after award |
| Process | Clarification deadline, submission deadline, one named contact, how bids will be scored | Keeps the event fair and on schedule |
What should the supplier price template ask for?
Never accept a single unit price. Send the same cost lines to every bidder, and ask for each in the same unit, usually per 1,000 units. A should-cost target built on those same lines then shows you which one is out of range. If you want to see how that model is put together, how a should-cost model is built walks through it.
| Cost line | Ask the supplier for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Cost per 1,000 units, grade, yield or scrap assumed | A scrap allowance buried in the price |
| Conversion | Cost per 1,000 units, process or machine assumed | Different assumptions on run length |
| Tooling | Total cost, amortisation period, ownership | Tooling spread over different periods |
| Freight | Cost to the named delivery point under the stated terms | Bids on different delivery terms |
| Other charges | Set-up, artwork changes, storage, minimum order surcharges | Add-ons that appear after award |
| Conditions | Price validity, raw material price mechanism, capacity commitment | Prices that expire before the decision |
How do you compare packaging bids on total cost?
Before any bid goes into the sheet, put it on the same footing. Use the same volume scenario and the same delivery terms. Convert to one currency and note the rate and date. Spread tooling over the same number of units. Only then do the numbers mean anything.
Copy the table below into a spreadsheet. Make the landed total and the gap row formulas, so the sheet recalculates when a supplier revises a line. Leave the target column empty until your should-cost estimate is agreed.
| Cost line, per 1,000 units | Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C | Should-cost target | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | |||||
| Conversion | |||||
| Tooling (amortised) | |||||
| Freight | |||||
| Other charges | |||||
| Landed total (sum of the lines above) | |||||
| Gap to target (total minus target, as a percentage of target) |
How do you score packaging bids beyond price?
Agree the weights before the RFQ goes out, so nobody adjusts them after seeing who is cheapest. The split below is an example only. Set yours with the category sponsor.
| Criterion | What to score | Example weight |
|---|---|---|
| Landed cost | Normalised total against the target | 40% |
| Capability and quality record | Experience with your format, audit results, complaint history | 25% |
| Capacity and lead time | Capacity in the months you need it, reliability of lead times | 15% |
| Risk | Single-site dependency, financial standing, raw material exposure | 10% |
| Reporting data | Completeness of the pack data you need | 10% |
Let QA and packaging technology score their own rows before the award meeting. A supplier who wins on price and fails a quality audit is more expensive than the second-cheapest bid.
Where do packaging RFQs usually go wrong?
Four mistakes cause most of the damage. The specification changes after the pack has gone out, and every supplier reprices. Questions are answered privately, so one bidder knows more than the others. Tooling is left out of the comparison. And the decision gets made on unit price because the sheet never converted the bids to a common basis.
All four are avoidable with the tables above. If you want a second opinion before you issue a pack, see what to look for before you hire a procurement consultant, or talk to Packfora's packaging procurement consulting team about running the event with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an RFQ in packaging procurement?
An RFQ, or request for quotation, in packaging procurement is the document pack sent to shortlisted suppliers asking for a price against a defined specification. It includes the frozen specification, volume scenarios, delivery and payment terms, and a price template. Its purpose is to get bids on one basis, so the comparison reflects the suppliers and not differences in what each was asked.
What should a packaging RFQ checklist include?
A packaging RFQ checklist covers nine areas: the frozen specification, volume scenarios, compliance requirements, delivery terms, commercial terms, tooling ownership, quality requirements, reporting data and process rules such as deadlines. If an area is blank, suppliers fill the gap with their own assumptions, and those assumptions later appear as price differences that cannot be compared.
How do you compare packaging supplier quotes?
Compare packaging supplier quotes by converting each bid to the same volume scenario, delivery terms, currency and tooling period, then splitting the price into material, conversion, tooling and freight. Add the landed total and compare it with a should-cost target. Score capability, capacity and risk separately, so the lowest unit price does not win by default.
What is the difference between an RFI, an RFQ and an RFP in packaging?
An RFI asks suppliers what they can do and is used to build a long-list. An RFQ asks for a price against a fixed specification. An RFP asks suppliers to propose a solution as well as a price, which suits projects where the design is still open. Most repeat packaging purchases use an RFQ once the specification is frozen.
