Buyer Guides
What Information Should You Include in a Supplement RFQ?
RFQ Preparation Guide · 6 min read · Published 2026-09-04 · Updated 2026-10-13
A supplement request for quotation, or RFQ, should let suppliers price the same product and work. Include the formula or ingredient direction, dosage form, packaging, destination and order quantity, with its unit.
If something is undecided, ask for an option and have the supplier state the assumption used. You can request a preliminary quote before the final specification exists.
Explain the purchase you are planning
Give your company name, contact and the purpose of the request. Say whether it is a first launch, a transfer of an existing product or a repeat order. Include the desired arrival date and destination.
A retailer, distributor and brand owner may need different pack and delivery information. Tell the supplier which role you play and who will approve the product and quotation.
Attach the current product information
Include the formula version or main ingredient direction, preferred format and intended serving. Identify required features and acceptable alternatives. Explain any reference product by the feature you want to discuss.
If development is needed, ask for its scope and cost separately. The formulation-route guide helps distinguish an available formula from a custom request.
State exactly what the quantity means
Write “bottles,” “pouches,” “cartons” or the appropriate unit beside the quantity. Add units per retail pack and retail packs per carton. Separate the first order from possible later volumes.
For example, 1,000 bottles packed 12 per carton means 83 full cartons plus four bottles. Specify how the partial carton should be handled. This is arithmetic for an example order, not a minimum quantity.
List the container, closure, seal, label and outer carton. Note whether artwork exists and which materials your team will supply. Ask about component minimums in addition to the product MOQ.
Name the market and review requirements
List the destination countries, label languages and documents requested. Ask the appropriate market reviewer which formula, label and claims requirements apply.
For context, see the FDA supplement labeling guide for the US and the European Commission food-supplement overview for the EU. These references help identify questions; supplier records still need checking against the product.
A quotation response template
| Field | Ask each supplier to state |
|---|---|
| Specification | Formula version, format, unit specification and sample status |
| Quantity | Quoted packs, units per pack and packs per carton |
| Materials | Buyer-supplied items and items sourced by the manufacturer |
| Development | Formulation, sample and revision work included or charged separately |
| Price | Currency, price unit, quantity tier and product or packing work covered |
| Packaging | Included container, closure, seal, label and carton costs |
| Testing and records | Checks and documents included, with separate charges identified |
| Schedule | Approvals and material arrivals needed before production |
| Delivery | Delivery basis, destination, freight treatment and quote validity |
If one offer excludes printed cartons, ask for a revised quote before comparing it with a complete packed-product price. A total is useful only when you can see what it buys.
Separate first-order charges from the payment schedule
A first launch can have a development charge beside the packed-product price. A repeat order may have a different scope. Put each quoted charge on a line that says what work it covers and whether the supplier expects to charge it again. An unspecified "setup fee" needs that explanation before you can compare it with another offer.
| Quote item | Record the cost basis | Record the payment question |
|---|---|---|
| Packed products | Currency, price per pack, pack count and agreed quantity | Which installments are credited against this product total? |
| Development or setup | Named deliverable, included sample work and separately priced revisions | Is this a separate fee, and when is it due? |
| Packaging components | What is included in the pack price and what must be purchased separately | Who pays for any unused components, and when? |
| Testing and documents | The specific work or records included; additional requests priced separately | Which costs are already included and which remain to be quoted? |
| Delivery | Named destination and the charges covered by the quoted delivery scope | Which transport or handling charges will be invoiced separately? |
If a deposit is credited toward the agreed order total, show it in the payment schedule. Adding that same amount to the order total would count it twice. If the payment is for a separately priced development service instead, record the service and its deliverable as a cost. Have the supplier identify which basis applies in writing.
One manufacturer's published sales terms distinguish advance payments from a later balance and additional charges. That is a useful example of what to look for in a quotation, rather than a payment policy to assume for VITHELO or another supplier.
For a first-order comparison, start with the agreed quantity multiplied by the recurring packed-product price. Add separately priced first-order work and costs excluded from that product price. Keep unquoted items marked "not yet quoted," rather than entering zero. Work out the repeat-order comparison separately; ask which charges would actually fall away if the specification and order conditions stayed the same.
As an arithmetic example, 1,000 bottles containing 60 capsules each represent 60,000 capsules. A price per capsule multiplied by 60 gives a per-bottle capsule cost, but it becomes a packed-bottle comparison only when both offers include the same bottle, closure, label and packing work. These counts illustrate the calculation, not an order minimum or a quoted product price.
Keep delivery separate until its scope is clear. A price with freight to your warehouse covers different work from a price ending at the supplier's dispatch point. The International Trade Administration's shipping guidance identifies freight and related handling charges as quotation inputs. Use it to frame the question; the applicable arrangements and charges still need to be confirmed for your route.
Make alternatives easy to compare
Ask the supplier to identify any substituted ingredient, different pack or changed quantity beside its price. Keep an alternative proposal separate from the quote for your requested specification.
For a target budget, state the currency and whether it is a product-cost target or includes delivery and other charges. Ask which choices would need to change to approach that target.
Use the packaging guide for component and scheduling questions, and the document checklist for records.
Questions buyers often ask
Can I request a quote before the formula is final?
Yes. Label it as preliminary and list the decisions still open. Ask the supplier to state the assumptions and revise the quote when the specification changes.
What if the order quantity is undecided?
Provide a planning range with its unit. Ask for the applicable quantity tiers and component minimums. Keep future estimates separate from the first order.
Do I need final artwork?
No. Describe the pack, print requirements and artwork status. Ask what must be approved before components can be ordered or printed.
Send the request with its attachments
Check that the recipient can identify the formula, quantity and pack being priced. Send your quotation request with those files and your open questions. For an earlier development discussion, use the first project brief.