Key takeaways
- Missing fields get filled with the cheapest assumption, which is how price surprises appear at sample or production stage.
- Ask every factory for the same three quantity tiers and the same shipping term, or the quotes cannot be compared.
- Name the destination market and the documents you need. A factory cannot guess which reports apply to your market.
- Say what you do not know. An 'open' field invites the factory's suggestion without hiding the gap.
Why does a clear brief lower price surprises?
A factory quotes in minutes from what your message contains. Anything missing is filled with a convenient assumption: standard materials, plain packaging, no branding, no test reports, the factory's preferred shipping term. The quote looks cheap, and the difference appears later as a revised price at sample stage, a change request during production or a freight bill you had not planned for.
A complete brief moves those conversations to the start, when changing your mind costs nothing. It also makes the quotes comparable, which is the whole point of sending the same request to more than one factory.
What should an RFQ include?
| Field | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product and use | Name, one-line description, who uses it, a reference link or photo | Defines the product class and how it is built. |
| Target market and users | Country or countries; age range for a children's product | Drives plug type, labelling, test scope and documents. |
| Quantity tiers | A first-order quantity, a middle tier and a volume tier | Price steps follow set-up and material lots. See the MOQ guide. |
| Specification | Dimensions, weight, functions, performance, reference model, drawing or sample | The core of the quote. |
| Materials and finish | Materials, colour standard, surface finish, key components | Left open, the factory picks the cheapest default. |
| Colours and variants | A table of SKUs with colour, size and quantity for each | Each colour or variant can change the minimum. |
| Branding | Logo placement, method, artwork files, private label or generic | Branded items need files, proofs and often printing minimums. |
| Packaging | Unit pack, inner and outer carton, pack language, barcodes, manual, labels | Packaging is a separate quote line. |
| Documents and certification | The reports and declarations you need for your market, for this exact model | Test reports refer to a specific model and configuration. |
| Shipping term and destination | Incoterm with a named place, and the destination port or address | Quotes at different terms are not comparable. |
| Target price range | Your unit price range per tier and currency, or 'open' | Helps the factory propose a suitable build. |
| Sample plan | Pre-production sample, who pays, one sealed approved sample kept | Sets the standard that production is judged against. |
| Timing | Target ship date and any season or event deadline | Decides production slot and freight mode. |
| Your company | Legal name, country and contact | Needed for the quote and the invoice. |
On the shipping term, the International Chamber of Commerce publishes eleven Incoterms 2020 rules that allocate costs, risk and obligations between buyer and seller, so write the rule and the place, for example the rule plus the named port. The glossary explains the common ones.
Copy-paste product brief
Paste this into an email or a message and replace each bracket. Delete nothing; write 'open' where you do not know yet.
- Company and contact: [legal name, country, contact name, email, WhatsApp]
- Product: [name, one-line description, reference link or photo]
- Target market and users: [country or countries; age range if a children's product]
- Quantity tiers: [first order] / [middle tier] / [volume tier] units
- Specification: [dimensions, weight, functions, performance, reference model or drawing]
- Materials and finish: [materials, colour standard, finish, key components]
- Colours and variants: [SKU list with colour, size and quantity for each]
- Branding: [logo placement, method, artwork files, private label or generic]
- Packaging: [unit pack, inner and outer carton, pack language, barcodes, manual, labels]
- Documents and certification: [reports and declarations needed for the target market and this exact model]
- Shipping term and destination: [Incoterm and named place, destination port or address]
- Target price range: [per unit for each tier, with currency, or 'open']
- Sample plan: [pre-production sample, who pays, one sealed approved sample]
- Timing: [target ship date and any hard deadline]
- Please quote: unit price for each tier, the minimum and what drives it, tooling or set-up cost and who owns it, sample price and lead time, production lead time, payment terms and how long the quote is valid.
Which extra fields matter for electronics and toys?
These lists are illustrative prompts, not compliance advice or claims about any LYBAM product.
- Electronics: screen size and resolution, memory or storage, battery type and capacity, charger and plug type for the destination, wireless modules, software language and preloaded content, accessories in the box.
- Toys: age grade, materials and paint, small parts, batteries, magnets or other features that widen the test scope, language on the pack and warnings.
On documents, the European Commission says that for CE-marked products the manufacturer carries out the conformity assessment, sets up the technical file, issues the EU declaration of conformity and affixes the CE marking, and that importers must make sure the products they bring in comply. Ask the factory which documents it can supply for your exact model, and see the toy safety and certification guide for toys.
How do you compare the quotes you get back?
Put every answer into the same grid before you look at the price. A quote that is lower because it leaves out packaging or quotes a different shipping term is not lower.
| Compare | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal name, and factory or trading company | - | - | - |
| Unit price for each tier, with currency | - | - | - |
| Shipping term and named place | - | - | - |
| What the price includes: packaging, labels, logo, accessories | - | - | - |
| Minimum quantity and what drives it | - | - | - |
| Tooling or set-up cost, and who owns the tooling | - | - | - |
| Sample price and lead time | - | - | - |
| Production lead time | - | - | - |
| Payment terms | - | - | - |
| Documents offered for your market | - | - | - |
| Quote validity | - | - | - |
What should the sample request say?
Wording you can adapt: 'Please send one pre-production sample of [model], made from the intended production materials and packed as described in the brief. Please confirm the sample price, the courier cost and the lead time. We will approve it or comment in writing, and we ask you to keep one sealed copy as the production reference. If any part of the specification cannot be met, please say so now and suggest the closest alternative.'
Which brief mistakes cause the most trouble?
- Naming one quantity only, so you never see where the price steps are.
- Sending a photo or a link as the whole specification, with no list of what must match and what may differ.
- Leaving out the destination, then discovering the plug, label language or test scope is wrong.
- Asking for certificates without naming the market and the exact model.
- Omitting packaging, then comparing a bare unit with a retail-ready one.
- Letting each factory quote its own shipping term.
- Changing the specification after the quote without asking for a revised one.
- Sending a vague message to many factories and treating the replies as comparable.
How does this map to LYBAM's brief form?
LYBAM's brief form asks what you are looking for, the estimated quantity, target timing, destination market, any required certification or standard, customisation or branding needs, and your contact details. It is deliberately shorter than the template and does not accept attachments yet, so paste a link or send a photo on WhatsApp.
You can paste the filled template into the 'Anything else?' box, which takes up to 4,000 characters. LYBAM replies with what it can confirm and what still needs confirming. How a project runs shows what happens next.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an RFI and an RFQ?
A request for information asks what a factory can do. A request for quotation asks for a price on a defined product, which is why the brief has to be specific.
Should I state my target price?
Give a range per tier if you have one based on your landed cost. If you are unsure, write 'open' and ask for the factory's suggestions. Do not share your resale price.
Do I need drawings to send an RFQ?
Not always. A reference sample, or a link plus a list of the differences, can be enough for an item built on an existing design. A new design needs drawings or 3D files.
How many factories should I send the RFQ to?
Enough to compare, but few enough that you can follow up with each properly. Generic messages to many factories tend to get generic answers.
Can I send this template to LYBAM?
Yes. Paste it into the brief form or send it by email or WhatsApp, and mark unknown fields as open.
Related reading
Start a Sourcing Project
Submit a China sourcing request to LYBAM GLOBAL — real product, quantity and customization details, routed to the sourcing team.
How a China Sourcing Project Works: 8 Steps
The eight steps of a LYBAM GLOBAL sourcing project, from brief to shipment: what you provide, what LYBAM does and what you receive. No invented turnaround promises.
China MOQ Explained: Why Factories Set Them and How to Negotiate
China MOQ negotiation explained by importers: why factories set minimums, which levers lower them, and how to structure a first order and pilot run.
Sourcing Agent vs Buying Agent vs Trading Company vs Factory-Direct
Sourcing agent, buying agent, trading company or factory-direct? Who holds the contract, how each is paid, the risks, and how to choose and test a partner.
China Sourcing Glossary: MOQ, OEM, ODM & More
Real definitions for the sourcing terms that come up most in China product sourcing — MOQ, OEM, ODM, private label, white label, tooling, QC, EXW, FOB and CIF.
Toy Safety & Certification Guide
How toy safety requirements differ across the US (CPC), EU (EN 71) and UK (CE/UKCA) — general regulatory education for buyers sourcing children's products from China.
Have a brief ready?
Send what you have, even if some fields are open. LYBAM replies with what it can confirm and what still needs confirming.
Sources
- International Chamber of Commerce, Incoterms 2020 checked 2026-10-16
- European Commission, CE marking (manufacturers and importers) checked 2026-10-16