ITQ
Acronym for Invitation to Quote; a request for a price from selected suppliers for defined goods or services.
Definition
ITQ is the acronym for Invitation to Quote, a request sent to selected suppliers asking them to submit a price for defined goods or services. It is typically less formal than an Invitation to Tender and is used for low-value or routine purchases where a full tender process would be disproportionate. ITQs are commonly issued under approved supplier lists, frameworks, or for sub-threshold spend where the buyer has identified a small number of viable suppliers via prior engagement or market knowledge.
How it works in practice
See the detailed Invitation to Quote glossary entry for substantive coverage. The short version: an ITQ usually consists of a short specification, a deadline, a price submission template, and (sometimes) a small number of quality-related questions. Response time is typically 1-3 weeks. The award criterion is usually a mix of price (dominant) and a small number of quality factors. ITQs do not typically require a separate selection stage because the buyer has pre-qualified the recipients via an ASL or framework or because the value is below the threshold for formal selection. Suppliers should treat ITQ requests as serious commercial offers: even though the format is light, the resulting call-off is legally binding and the price submitted is the price billed. Strong ITQ responses are concise, evidence-backed, and competitively priced; over-engineered responses that treat an ITQ like an ITT often score lower because they lose the evaluator in irrelevant detail when a short focused answer would have won.
Common questions
Should an ITQ response be as detailed as an ITT response?
No. Match the response shape to the request shape. An ITQ asking for a price and one paragraph on relevant experience wants a focused short answer, not a 20-page bid document. Over-engineered ITQ responses often score lower because they overwhelm the evaluator with irrelevant detail.
Can an ITQ be used for above-threshold contracts?
No. Contracts above the FTS threshold must follow a compliant procurement procedure (Open, Restricted, Competitive Dialogue, Competitive Procedure with Negotiation, Innovation Partnership). ITQs are confined to sub-threshold spend or to call-offs under frameworks that allow ITQ-shaped responses.
How quickly should I respond to an ITQ?
ITQ response windows are typically 1-3 weeks. Respond promptly; ITQs have shorter buyer timelines than full procurements and late responses are usually rejected. Treat the ITQ deadline as fixed; clarification requests can sometimes extend the deadline but should be raised early in the response window.