What Is an RFI (Request for Information)?

An RFI (request for information) is a short document a buyer sends to potential suppliers to learn what the market offers before running an RFP or RFQ. It asks general questions and doesn’t commit either side to a purchase. This guide covers when to use one, what to include and how to use the answers, with 18 example questions and a free RFI template to start from.

What is an RFI in procurement?

RFI stands for request for information. In procurement, it’s a fact-finding document you send when you understand your problem but not the market: which products exist, how they’re deployed and priced, and which suppliers work with organizations like yours.

Vendors reply with information, not offers. What you get is a shortlist and a clearer view of what’s possible, which you then use to write the RFP.

RFIs in the public sector

Public buyers follow their own rules, and they vary by jurisdiction. In US federal procurement, FAR 15.201(e) says RFIs may be used for planning purposes when the government doesn’t presently intend to award a contract, and that responses aren’t offers. That’s the acquisition.gov text as of October 2026. The FAR is being rewritten under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, and many agencies have adopted the overhauled Part 15, where the same rule is at FAR 15.101(c): it encourages agencies to use RFIs for planning, and responses still aren’t offers. Check which version a solicitation applies. For state and local purchases, ask your procurement office or legal counsel.

RFI meaning in construction

In construction, “RFI” means something else: a question raised during a project, typically by the contractor to the architect or engineer, to clarify drawings, specifications or site conditions. This guide doesn’t cover that, or freedom-of-information requests to public bodies, which sometimes go by the same name.

When to use an RFI, and when to skip it

Send an RFI when you know the problem but not the market, for example when:

• You don’t know which products exist, or which suppliers serve organizations like yours.
• Your long list is too long to run a full RFP against.
• You haven’t chosen an approach, such as one platform versus several specialist tools.
• You need a budget figure and don’t know how the product is priced.

Go straight to an RFP when you already have a credible shortlist and can write your requirements. Use an RFQ when every supplier would deliver the same thing and only price and terms differ; the RFQ template covers that case. For all three documents side by side, see RFP vs RFQ vs RFI.

An RFI adds about a month in the example schedule below, so skip it if the answers wouldn’t change your shortlist or your requirements.

How to write an RFI: what to include

Keep it short. Vendors answer RFIs at their own cost, and a long questionnaire tends to get pasted-in answers. Include six parts:

1. Purpose and status. Who you are, what you want to achieve, and a statement that this is a request for information only and no contract will be awarded from it.
2. Background. Users, sites, current systems, the integrations you need and a rough timeline: the facts vendors need to answer sensibly.
3. Questions. Grouped by theme and numbered, so you can compare answers line by line.
4. Response instructions. Format, length limit, deadline, how to submit and one named contact.
5. Next steps. How you’ll use the responses and whether you expect to issue an RFP.
6. Confidentiality and terms. How you’ll treat vendors’ information and that you won’t pay for responses. Have your legal or procurement team review this part.

Leave the full requirements, firm pricing and scoring weights for the RFP. The free RFI template covers all six parts, with a longer question bank you can cut down to the questions that matter.

Example RFI questions for a software purchase

These 18 questions work for business software purchases such as CRM, ERP or service desk systems. Replace the bracketed text, delete what doesn’t apply and ask for short answers. At this stage you only need enough to decide who goes on the shortlist.

Company and fit

1. How long has the product been on the market, and where are the staff who would support us based?
2. Which types and sizes of organization use the product, and could we speak to similar customers later?
3. Who would implement and support the product for us in [region]: you, a partner or both?

Product and capabilities

4. How does the product handle [use case 1], [use case 2] and [use case 3], and which parts need configuration or custom development?
5. Which editions or modules would an organization like ours need?
6. Which of the needs in our background section would the product not meet, or meet only through a partner or add-on?
7. Which features relevant to us are on your roadmap but not yet generally available?

Technology and integration

8. Which deployment options do you offer (multi-tenant SaaS, single-tenant, on-premises), and in which regions can our data be hosted?
9. Which of our systems ([ERP], [email], [identity provider]) do you connect to with a standard connector, and what APIs cover the rest?
10. How do customers migrate data from [current system], and how would we export all our data if we left?
11. Do you support single sign-on with [identity provider] and automated user provisioning?

Security and compliance

12. Which independent security reports or certifications do you hold, such as a SOC 2 report or ISO/IEC 27001 certification, and will you share them under NDA?
13. Where would our data be stored and processed, and by which subprocessors?
14. Do you publish an accessibility conformance report, and against which standard?

Implementation and support

15. What does an implementation for an organization our size involve, including an example duration and the time needed from our staff?
16. What support is included as standard (hours, channels and service levels), and what costs extra?

Pricing and commercial terms

17. How is the product priced (per user, per module, by usage or otherwise), and what costs extra, such as implementation, training or premium support?
18. Based on the figures in our background section, what indicative, non-binding price range would you expect for year one and later years?

The ERP software RFP template has more vendor questions you can trim back for an RFI.

How to send an RFI and how long to give vendors

Build the long list from peers, industry associations, existing suppliers, review sites and your own research, keeping it to a number you can read properly. Then:

• Send the same document to every vendor at the same time, from one named contact.
• Take questions in writing by a set date, and share every answer with all vendors without naming who asked.
• Give every vendor the same information and the same deadline.

Public-sector buyers may have to publish an RFI openly; rules vary, so check with your procurement office. The state procurement portals page shows where each US state posts opportunities.

This is an example schedule, not an industry standard. Allow more time for a long RFI or a holiday period. Set the deadline too tight and the vendors you most want may decline rather than rush.

Using the answers to build a shortlist and the RFP

Decide what you’re looking for before responses arrive, so the most polished one doesn’t win by default. Keep this review light; weighted scoring belongs in the RFP.

Build the shortlist

• Rule out any vendor that can’t meet a true must-have, such as hosting in your region.
• Rate the rest against each question group: strong fit, possible fit or poor fit.
• Note how each vendor answered. One that ignored your format and sent a brochure has told you something.
• Hold short follow-up calls where answers were unclear, and ask each vendor the same questions.
• Record why each vendor made or missed the shortlist. Public-sector buyers may be required to.

Keep the shortlist small enough to evaluate in depth with demonstrations and reference calls, for example three or four vendors. Tell the others, and thank them.

Write a better RFP

The answers should also change what goes into the RFP:

• If no vendor meets a requirement, downgrade it to a nice-to-have or accept custom work and its cost. A requirement every vendor meets won’t separate them, so give it less weight.
• Build the pricing table around the pricing models vendors described, so every proposal prices the same items the same way.
• Turn vague answers into precise RFP questions and demonstration scripts, and check your budget and timeline against what vendors told you.
• If implementation services are in scope, draft a scope of work. The statement of work (SOW) template can help.

Don’t build the RFP around one vendor’s answers. Requirements copied from one response favor that product, and in public procurement that can raise fairness concerns.

Next, the RFP process guide covers every step from writing requirements to signing a contract. For the RFP itself, start from a category template such as the CRM software RFP template, or browse all templates.

Frequently asked questions

What does RFI stand for?

RFI stands for request for information. In procurement, it’s a document asking potential suppliers for general information so a buyer can learn the market and build a shortlist. In construction, an RFI is a question raised during a project to clarify drawings or specifications.

Is an RFI legally binding?

An RFI generally doesn’t commit the buyer to purchase anything, and responses aren’t offers, but it depends on the RFI’s terms and the law that applies. In US federal procurement, FAR 15.201(e) says RFI responses are not offers and can’t be accepted to form a binding contract. Ask your legal team to review your terms. This isn’t legal advice.

Should an RFI ask for pricing?

Ask how the product is priced and for an indicative, non-binding range based on your figures. That’s enough to check your budget and design the pricing table for the RFP. Firm, itemized pricing belongs in the RFP or RFQ.

How many questions should an RFI have?

Enough to decide who makes the shortlist, and no more. The example in this guide has 18, grouped by theme. If the answer to a question wouldn’t change your shortlist or your requirements, cut it.

How long should vendors get to respond to an RFI?

It depends on the length of the RFI and the complexity of the purchase. As an example, a short software RFI might give vendors two weeks, with written questions in the first week. Allow longer for a detailed RFI or a holiday period.