Create a professional RFI document to gather supplier information, evaluate capabilities, and make informed business decisions. This template helps you collect standardized responses for easy comparison.
A Request for Information (RFI) is a formal business document used to collect written information about supplier capabilities, products, or services. This standardized template helps organizations gather detailed information to make informed decisions about potential partnerships or purchases.
This RFI template is designed to help organizations systematically gather information from potential suppliers or partners. It creates a structured format for collecting comparable data about vendor capabilities, experience, and offerings. The template ensures consistency in information gathering and helps establish a foundation for future Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotation (RFQ) processes.
Use this RFI template when you need to:
Follow these steps to customize your RFI:
Organizations commonly use RFIs for:
Consider these variations based on your needs:
Organizations have successfully used this RFI template to:
An RFI is used to gather information and research options, while an RFP is used to solicit specific proposals and pricing for a defined project or purchase.
Typically, organizations allow 2-4 weeks for RFI responses, depending on the complexity of information requested.
RFIs typically focus on capabilities rather than pricing. Detailed pricing discussions are usually reserved for subsequent RFP or RFQ processes.
Send the RFI to enough suppliers to get a good market overview - typically 5-10 potential vendors depending on your industry.
Yes, RFI responses often inform RFP requirements and can be referenced during the RFP process to ensure consistency.