Short answer: a specification a supplier can quote against fixes everything that changes price except the supplier's own costs: product identity and grade, measurable requirements with their test methods and evidence, packing and marking, shelf life at a named checkpoint, origin, quantity and tolerance, one Incoterms® rule with a named place and edition, and the documents you need. The enquiry built on it also sets currency, validity and a reply format with an exceptions list. When every supplier answers the same brief, price differences can be examined; when they do not, the lowest figure may simply cover the least.
Why three quotes for sunflower oil can be three different products
Hypothetical opening. These responses are invented to illustrate an enquiry problem, not a Maqboola transaction or market prices.
A buyer sends three suppliers the same line: "Please quote sunflower oil, one container, CIF." It names no destination port, grade or packing format. One supplier assumes refined oil in retail bottles, another refined oil in drums, the third crude oil in bulk. The totals differ, but comparing them says little about which offer meets the buyer's needs.
An incomplete specification can produce this. It is not the only reason prices differ: suppliers have different costs, availability, payment conditions and margins. A better enquiry makes those differences easier to examine; it cannot promise identical or lower prices.
Most published RFQ templates come from public procurement, where offers are ranked on one specification and one comparison currency (World Bank, Request for Quotations for goods). That principle transfers; their fields rarely cover grade, pack, shelf life or destination documents.
The test that decides what goes in
Ask two questions about each field:
Would a different answer change whether I buy, what I pay, or whether my customer can use the goods? What evidence would establish the agreed answer?
If it matters commercially, state it, then mark it mandatory, preferred or open to an alternative quote. "Could I reject the cargo?" helps identify acceptance criteria but is too narrow on its own: some requirements affect price or handling without justifying rejection.
A field in an enquiry does not by itself create an enforceable rejection right; that depends on the accepted contract and applicable law. Before sending an enquiry to an unfamiliar supplier, checks on a trading company's identity and authority come first.
The eight fields a quotable specification needs
1. Product identity and grade
Name the product precisely enough for the supplier to confirm what it proposes to supply. For sunflower oil, describe the processing state, such as refined, bleached and deodorised, rather than "premium". Where you use a recognised grade, name its source; where the grade is your customer's own, attach the definition. Ask the supplier to repeat the identity in its offer and flag any deviation.
2. Measurable requirements, methods and evidence
A numerical limit is easier to apply when the parties agree how it will be measured. For each parameter, have a food technologist or laboratory confirm the name, limit, unit, basis (for example as-is or dry matter) and a suitable method, with its edition where necessary. A governing standard or regulation may already prescribe the method. Different methods or sampling arrangements can produce results that are not directly comparable.
The same method does not remove measurement uncertainty. Codex explains that near a limit the outcome may be inconclusive, and that whether a sample meets a specification depends on the rules the parties have agreed to apply (Codex, CXG 54-2004 on measurement uncertainty). Record that decision rule, taking account of regulatory requirements, before testing.
Specify the sampling point and timing, identify the lot and assign responsibility for samples. Sampling examines part of a lot, so any lot decision carries risk for buyer and seller; Codex covers plans for different objectives, including average content (Codex, CXG 50-2004 on sampling). An isolated test result does not by itself establish a lot's quality. What an inspection at loading can and cannot certify is covered in independent inspection certificates.
If you want a certificate of analysis (CoA), say what it must show: lot and container references, each parameter with method, unit and basis, the limit of quantification wherever a result reads "not detected", and whose limits were applied. If it must come from a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, require the specific test to be within the accredited scope. The accreditation body's published schedule shows whether that test is covered; independent inspection certificates explains how to check it.
Codex texts are voluntary and do not bind national law (Codex, legal status of its texts). The destination's rules govern, and the product form you state can decide which applies. In the EU, food listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2023/915 may not be placed on the market above the maximum level set there (Article 2(1)), and Annex I treats groundnuts and other oilseeds to be sorted or physically treated (entry 1.1.4) separately from those used as the only ingredient or processed products made from them (entry 1.1.5) (EUR-Lex, current consolidated Regulation (EU) 2023/915). Entry 1.1.4 excludes oilseeds for crushing for refined vegetable oil production, while entry 1.1.5 excludes crude vegetable oils destined for refining and refined vegetable oils. The product form stated in the specification therefore decides which entry, if either, applies. Other destinations differ; no limit value is given here.
3. Packing, palletisation and marking
State the pack and net content, units per carton, pallets, markings, label languages and who approves artwork. Ask for a base quote against your requirement and separately labelled alternatives; otherwise a cheaper pack hides inside a cheaper total. How packing decisions change the landed price works through the cost side.
4. Shelf life at shipment and remaining life at delivery
State the required remaining shelf life at the checkpoint that matters: dispatch, import clearance or delivery to your customer. "On arrival" could mean vessel arrival or warehouse receipt, so define it. Ask for total shelf life, storage conditions and production and expiry dates. Check legal requirements separately from your customer's purchasing policy; a date alone is not a food-safety determination.
5. Origin and the evidence behind it
State whether a particular origin is required or alternatives may be quoted, and ask what evidence will support the declared origin. Contract wording records a requirement; it cannot give goods an origin they do not have. The WCO distinguishes origin from provenance, the last country goods passed through, and preferential from non-preferential rules (WCO, origin FAQ). Routing through Dubai or Jebel Ali does not by itself establish UAE origin. If a tariff preference affects the price, verify the destination's criteria and accepted proof first.
6. Quantity, tolerance and the payment arrangement
Write the quantity and unit, including whether weight is net product or includes packaging. State any permitted variation and who may exercise it, then check quantity, unit price, total amount and payment terms together. A letter of credit (LC) is a separate contract from the sale, and banks deal in documents, not goods (ITA, Trade Finance Guide). If the contract allows a variation the credit's amount or quantity wording cannot accommodate, that needs bank review before loading. No default percentage is recommended here; reading an LC before you accept it covers the credit side.
7. Delivery rule, named place and timing
Specify one Incoterms® rule, a precise named port or place, and the edition. ICC describes Incoterms® 2020 as the most recent version (ICC, Incoterms® rules) and CIF as reserved for maritime trade (ICC, Incoterms® 2020). The rules do not set the price, payment method, transfer of title or the documents the seller must provide for customs clearance (ITA, know your Incoterms), so those need their own fields. Ask for any alternative rule as a separate line, never instead. Choosing between FOB, CFR, CIF and DAP explains the rules in detail.
8. Documents, exceptions and the accepted version
List required documents by type, purpose and accepted issuer, and have destination requirements confirmed. Add an enquiry reference, revision date, response deadline, currency and validity period, and require an exceptions list against that revision. On acceptance, identify the dated specification revision in the contract and state which terms prevail if documents conflict. Version control reduces transcription errors; it does not prove agreement. Referring to the specification does not make every clause a documentary condition of an LC; agree separately with the bank which documents belong in the credit.
A copyable enquiry template
Delete what does not apply and keep the numbering so replies follow it.
REQUEST FOR QUOTATION Ref: [ ] Revision/date: [ ]
Buyer: [legal name, address, contact]
Reply by: [date, time zone] Reply to: [name, email]
1. PRODUCT AND SPECIFICATION
Product and grade: [e.g. refined sunflower oil]
Specification: [attached sheet, ref. and revision]
Parameters: [name, limit, unit, basis, method]
Mandatory / preferred / alternatives allowed: [ ]
Origin: [required origin(s) or "state origin"]
Remaining shelf life: [ ] at [named checkpoint]
2. PACK AND MARKING
Unit pack and net content: [ ]
Outer pack, palletisation: [ ]
Label languages; artwork approval by: [ ]
3. QUANTITY AND SCHEDULE
Quantity: [ ] tonnes net / cartons
Permitted variation: [ ] (who may exercise it)
Shipments and target periods: [ ]
4. DELIVERY
Incoterms(R) 2020 rule and named place: [ ]
Alternative rule (separate line only): [ ]
5. DESTINATION
Country and port or receiving point: [ ]
6. DOCUMENTS (state issuer for each)
[invoice; packing list; transport document;
origin evidence; health certificate; CoA
(accredited laboratory, test in scope?); other]
7. SAMPLES AND INSPECTION
Pre-shipment sample: [Y/N, quantity, by when]
Independent inspection: [Y/N, stage, paid by]
8. COMMERCIAL TERMS
Payment structure proposed: [ ]
Quote currency: [ ] Valid until: [ ]
Lead time counted from: [order/payment/LC]
9. REPLY IN THIS ORDER
a. Price per unit and total on the section 4 basis
b. Confirmation of each parameter, or deviations
c. Pack and marking offered
d. Documents offered, with issuer; any not offered
e. Lead time and earliest shipment period
f. Payment terms accepted or counter-proposal
g. Validity date
h. Everything EXCLUDED from the price
i. Own specification sheet and a recent CoA
j. Legal name, registration country, signatory
This request is not an order or a commitment to buy.Whether a document is an offer depends on its wording and the governing law, so say plainly what the request is.
Check the enquiry before sending it
This is a comparison aid. It decides no legal rejection right and certifies no destination compliance.
| Field | Why it affects the offer | Answer to request | Resolve before acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity and grade | Defines the product priced | Exact offered description and deviations | Offer describes a different product |
| Requirements and methods | Defines the technical requirement | Limits, methods, sampling, CoA content | Results not comparable |
| Packing and marking | Affects price, handling, channel | Pack details, artwork responsibility | Cheaper format unfit for the channel |
| Shelf life | Affects stock selection | Dates, storage, life at checkpoint | Stock misses the checkpoint |
| Origin | Affects requirement and eligibility | Declared origin and proof | Origin assumed from seller or route |
| Quantity and tolerance | Affects supply and payment | Quantity basis and variation | Contract and credit misaligned |
| Delivery and timing | Sets the quotation basis | Rule, place, edition, dates | Totals include different services |
| Documents and version | Decides whether the offer can be performed | Documents, issuers, cost, exceptions | Required document missing |
Normalising the replies before comparing prices
Before comparing any price, confirm each reply uses the same rule and place, specification (deviations listed), quantity basis, pack, document and inspection scope, and currency, with validity still open and exclusions listed. Send any supplier that fails a line the same clarification you send the others. Do not convert an FOB quote to CFR yourself with a freight estimate and treat the result as the supplier's price. Decide how non-price factors will be weighed before opening the replies.
Worked example: comparable offers can still differ
Hypothetical teaching example. Suppliers, figures and prices are invented; CU means currency units.
A buyer requests 120 tonnes net of refined sunflower oil in 1-litre bottles, CFR a named destination port under Incoterms® 2020, with a CoA from an accredited laboratory and payment by LC.
- Supplier A quotes CU 1,180 per tonne CFR, as asked, valid 14 days, all documents confirmed.
- Supplier B quotes CU 1,090 per tonne FOB its loading port, 5-litre bottles, CoA "available on request", valid 5 days.
- Supplier C declines: it cannot provide the CoA from an accredited laboratory.
B looks cheapest but answers a different question. The buyer does not estimate freight or re-price the pack; it asks B to requote on the stated basis. B returns CU 1,160 per tonne CFR in 1-litre bottles, with the independent CoA excluded from the price.
The two offers are now comparable but still differ. The buyer weighs the CU 20 gap against B's exclusion, validity and payment terms before deciding. A common specification makes that choice defensible; it does not prove the cheaper supplier is suitable.
Common mistakes
- Sending a product name and quantity only, then comparing replies as if they answered one question.
- Accepting "CIF" or "FOB" without a named place and edition.
- Setting a limit without its method, unit, basis or sampling point.
- Accepting a CoA that applies the supplier's limits rather than yours.
- Asking for validity shorter than your own approvals, permits or bank take.
- Letting the credit and the contract carry different quantity or document terms.
Limits and what to recheck
This is a commercial method, not legal, regulatory or laboratory advice. Destination limits, labelling and document requirements are national and change; confirm them with the importing authority or a customs broker before the enquiry goes out. Recheck the Incoterms® edition, the laboratory's accreditation scope and amendments to the rules cited. Whether a request, quote or acceptance creates a contract depends on the governing law and the wording. Public buyers must follow their own procurement rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is a specification sheet? A document stating what the product must be: identity and grade, parameters with limits, units and methods, packing, and the evidence required. It does not show that any particular lot meets it.
How is a specification different from a certificate of analysis? The specification sets the requirement; a CoA reports what a laboratory found in a sample. A CoA is useful only when read against the agreed specification and linked to the lot shipped.
How long should a quotation be valid? Long enough to cover internal approval, any permit or LC application, and a margin. Where prices are volatile, ask what happens to the price when validity lapses.
Next step
Copy the enquiry template into your next RFQ and complete all eight fields before requesting prices. Mark every requirement as mandatory, preferred or open to an alternative, then ask each supplier to list deviations and exclusions in the same order. Before acceptance, have your customs broker confirm destination requirements and a trade lawyer review any term that creates a rejection, payment or liability right.
Resources
- World Bank — Standard Request for Quotations (SRfQ) for Goods, COVID-19 emergency operations, October 2020 — https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/363131585576244163-0290022020/render/COVIDRequestForQuotationGOODS.pdf (accessed 23 September 2026)
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty, CXG 54-2004 (amended 2021) — https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXG%2B54-2004%252FCXG_054e.pdf (accessed 4 October 2026)
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — General Guidelines on Sampling, CXG 50-2004 (revised 2023) — https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXG%2B50-2004%252FCXG_050e.pdf (accessed 4 October 2026)
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — Are Codex standards mandatory? — https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/about-codex/faq/faq-detail/en/c/454753/ (accessed 23 September 2026)
- ISO — ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories — https://www.iso.org/standard/66912.html (accessed 4 October 2026)
- EUR-Lex — Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food, consolidated text of 19 August 2026 — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02023R0915-20260819 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- World Customs Organization — FAQ on origin — https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/origin/overview/faq-origin.aspx (accessed 23 September 2026)
- US International Trade Administration — Trade Finance Guide — https://www.trade.gov/report/trade-finance-guide (accessed 23 September 2026)
- International Chamber of Commerce — Incoterms® 2020 — https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/ (accessed 4 October 2026)
- US International Trade Administration — Know Your Incoterms — https://www.trade.gov/know-your-incoterms (accessed 4 October 2026)
