Use Case · Request for Qualifications
The RFQ that proves you belong.
An RFQ is about proving you belong on the shortlist. Evaluators want credentials, similar-project experience, and a team that matches the work, not marketing prose.
What it is
Request for Qualifications (RFQ), explained.
A Request for Qualifications asks firms to show they are qualified for a scope before anyone is invited to price it. Evaluators grade on credentials, similar-project experience, and key personnel, not persuasive writing. Because the next step is usually a priced proposal, an RFQ is both a go or no-go decision and a matching exercise. Pick the wrong five reference projects and you are out before pricing ever comes up.
At a glance
- Length
- 5 to 25 pages
- Window
- 1 to 3 weeks
- Decides
- Who gets invited to submit a priced proposal
- Outputs
- Firm profile, similar projects, key personnel
Why it's hard
Where RFQs go wrong.
Go or no-go pressure. You need a fast read on whether it is worth the pursuit before you spend a week on it.
Project matching. Evaluators grade on similar work. Pick the wrong five and you are out before pricing.
Rigid templates. Tables, page limits, and fixed-form sections leave no room for cleanup.
The Stepscale Way
How Stepscale handles the RFQ.
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01
Filter
Opportunities ranked by discipline, service, and region.
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02
Surface
Past projects that match span, code, and load found in seconds.
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03
Retrieve
Current resumes, licenses, and certs without the scavenger hunt.
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04
Format
Your experience output to the exact template evaluators expect.
FAQ
RFQ questions, answered.
What is an RFQ (Request for Qualifications)?
An RFQ asks firms to prove they are qualified for a scope, meaning credentials, relevant projects, and key staff, so the owner can shortlist who will be invited to submit a priced proposal. Note that RFQ can also mean Request for Quotation in goods procurement, but in AEC it almost always means Qualifications.
What is the difference between an RFQ and an RFP?
An RFQ grades qualifications and usually has no pricing. An RFP grades a full technical proposal and a fee. Many two-stage procurements shortlist with an RFQ, then invite those firms to respond to an RFP.
How do I decide whether to pursue an RFQ?
The first call is go or no-go, and it should take minutes, not days. Stepscale ranks incoming opportunities by discipline, service, and region and surfaces your matching past projects so you can size up the pursuit before committing a week to it.
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