Owners use these documents to choose a contractor, especially on negotiated or best-value work like CM at risk, design-build and many public projects.
RFQ (request for qualifications). The owner asks firms to show they can do the job: relevant experience, key staff, safety record, bonding capacity, financial strength, references. No price, or limited fee information. The goal is a shortlist.
RFP (request for proposal). Shortlisted firms (or everyone, in a one-step process) submit a full proposal: project approach, schedule, team, general conditions and fee, and sometimes a GMP or lump sum. There’s often an interview. The owner scores proposals on weighted criteria, not just low price.
Many owners run a two-step process: RFQ to shortlist, then RFP to select. That’s common for qualifications-based procurement of CMAR and design-build teams.
RFQ (request for quotation) is the other meaning, used in purchasing. A GC sends it to subs and suppliers asking for a price on a defined scope. That’s closer to an invitation to bid.
Why it matters
Each step asks for different things. Leading with price in an RFQ response, or not giving enough approach detail in an RFP, can lose a job you were qualified for.
Common mistakes
- Treating an RFP like a hard bid and ignoring the scoring criteria.
- Missing mandatory forms or bonding letters in the RFQ response.
- Confusing qualifications and quotation RFQs in internal workflows.
How os.construction handles it
We’re building company records where past projects, staff and bonding data live in one place, so qualifications come from actual job data. It’s in development.