Build a Packaging RFQ That Suppliers Can Quote Accurately

Describe the package as it will be used

A photograph and a quantity can produce a price, but not necessarily a price for the package you need. Start the RFQ with an application statement: what is being packed, which container it fits, how it is filled, how it is shipped, and how the customer uses it. Identify essential requirements separately from preferences so suppliers can propose useful alternatives without silently changing the specification.

For pumps, include the bottle finish, intended dose, formula information for review, dip tube requirements, locking arrangement, and actuator style. For stoppers, supply the internal bottle finish and representative bottles. For tinplate lids, specify the jar finish, proposed liner or compound, filling process, and decoration. Name the drawings and revisions supplied; an attachment without a revision can become an avoidable disagreement later.

Include these fields in the RFQ

Ask each supplier to answer the same checklist and mark unknown items explicitly. An unanswered field should remain an open issue rather than becoming an assumed approval.

Make assumptions visible before comparing price

Require a clear list of inclusions and exclusions. Check whether the quoted pump includes the actuator, collar, dip tube cutting, clip, and any metal shell shown in the picture. For printed lids, distinguish tooling or setup charges from the recurring unit price. Ask whether sample preparation, special packing, and inspection documentation are included. A low quotation may simply describe less work.

Berlin Packaging’s quality service page identifies specification development and packaging troubleshooting among its services. The broader lesson for an RFQ is practical: a supplier cannot judge conformance to requirements that have never been defined. Ask for technical questions early, and maintain a shared clarification record. If one answer changes the required specification, distribute that revision to every supplier still being compared.

Separate sample approval from production commitment

Define the purpose of each sample stage. A stock sample can show general appearance or handling; it may not represent the final color, material, tube length, or liner. Request a description of what differs from the quoted production item. Set the functional approval gates before placing a large order, including actual formula and bottle trials where those determine suitability.

For planning, STDPAK’s ordinary MOQ is 30,000 pieces, while custom printed tinplate MOQ is 100,000 pieces. Indicative lead time is 35–45 days, subject to quotation. Ask the quotation to state the event that starts the schedule, such as final specification and artwork release, and identify any separate sample or development stage. Treat an estimate as a planning input until the order configuration is confirmed.

Close the RFQ with a response format that separates commercial offer, technical conformity, outstanding questions, and proposed alternatives. Evaluate the compliant offer first, then assess alternatives on their own merits. Keep the final clarification record with the purchase order so the awarded price buys the configuration you actually reviewed, including agreed packaging and documentation.