Request for Qualifications (RFQ): What It Is and When to Use One
Published on October 8, 2026 in RFP Guides
A request for qualifications asks firms to show they can do a piece of work before anyone is asked for a price. The buyer scores the responses, called statements of qualifications (SOQs), then asks the shortlisted firms for proposals or negotiates with the top-ranked one. This guide covers the process, the US federal rules and how software buyers can use the same idea.
RFQ meaning: qualifications or quotation?
RFQ can mean either of two very different documents.
- Request for quotation. Asks suppliers to price something you’ve already specified, so price and terms decide. This is what RFQ means elsewhere on RFPhub, including the RFP vs RFQ vs RFI comparison and the free RFQ template.
- Request for qualifications. Asks firms for evidence of their experience, people and track record, usually with no price at all. RFQ is used this way in architecture, engineering and construction, and by some public agencies buying professional services.
To keep them apart, this guide writes request for qualifications in full or as RFQual. If a document just says RFQ, look at what it asks for: a pricing table means quotation, while resumes and project histories mean qualifications.
What is a request for qualifications?
A request for qualifications is a document a buyer issues to find out which firms are capable of a defined piece of work. It describes the project, sets minimum requirements and evaluation criteria, and asks each firm who would do the work and what similar work it has done.
It suits purchases where the team matters more than the price, or where a full proposal would be expensive to prepare, such as selecting architects, engineers, construction managers and design-build teams. Some public buyers also use one to build a pool of pre-qualified firms for later projects.
The statement of qualifications (SOQ)
The request sets what goes in the SOQ, which can include:
- A firm overview, including any partners or subconsultants
- Named key personnel, their roles and resumes
- Comparable projects, with what the named people did on each
- Current workload and availability over your schedule
- Past performance and references
- Licenses and insurance, plus bonding capacity and safety record for construction
In US federal buying, FAR 36.603(b) says a firm must file Standard Form 330, “Architect-Engineer Qualifications,” to be considered for architect-engineer contracts.
The two-step process: qualify, then select
- Qualify. Check each SOQ against the minimum requirements, score the rest and, if it helps, interview the top firms. The result is a ranked shortlist.
- Select. Either send an RFP to the shortlisted firms (or, for construction, an invitation to bid) and compare their offers, price included, or negotiate scope and fee with the top-ranked firm and move to the next if you can’t agree. The second route is called qualifications-based selection (QBS).
The first step spares firms that couldn’t win the cost of a full proposal, and your team reads proposals only from firms that could do the work. If an RFP follows, the RFP process guide suggests three to five firms as a workable shortlist.
Qualifications-based selection in US public procurement
For US federal architect-engineer (A/E) services, qualifications-based selection is required by law. The Brooks Act, passed in 1972 and now codified at 40 U.S.C. 1101 to 1104, sets a policy of negotiating these contracts “on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualification for the type of professional services required and at fair and reasonable prices.”
FAR Subpart 36.6 sets out the steps:
- Agencies evaluate firms on criteria listed in FAR 36.602-1(a), including professional qualifications, specialized experience and technical competence, capacity, past performance and knowledge of the project’s locality.
- An evaluation board holds discussions with at least three of the most highly qualified firms and recommends at least three, in order of preference (FAR 36.602-3).
- The contracting officer negotiates with the most preferred firm first and, if no mutually satisfactory contract can be agreed, moves to the next firm on the list (FAR 36.606).
Price comes in only at negotiation, after the firm has been chosen.
These FAR references are to the text on acquisition.gov as of October 2026. The FAR is being rewritten under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, and agencies can apply deviations. Agencies using the overhauled Part 36 follow a shorter, reorganized version of these rules in FAR 36.102 and 36.202. Check the current text before relying on a section number.
State and local rules vary. Some states have their own qualifications-based selection laws, such as Florida’s Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (section 287.055, Florida Statutes). Check with your procurement office or legal counsel. This isn’t legal advice.
What to put in a request for qualifications
Keep it shorter than an RFP. Include:
- Purpose and process. What you’re selecting for, what happens next, when price will come in and how many firms you plan to shortlist.
- The work. Scope, location, schedule and delivery method, in enough detail for firms to judge whether their experience fits.
- Minimum requirements. A short list of pass-or-fail conditions, such as licenses, insurance, bonding capacity and no conflicts of interest.
- Evaluation criteria and weights. What you’ll score and how much each part counts.
- SOQ format. Sections in order, a page limit, any required forms, and how many recent comparable projects to list.
- Instructions and dates. One named contact, a deadline for written questions, how to submit and the due date.
- Terms. No payment for responses, how you’ll treat confidential material and public records requests, and your right to cancel. Have legal review this part.
How to evaluate statements of qualifications
Score SOQs the way you would score proposals: compliance check first, then independent scoring on a 1-to-5 scale with each score defined, using weights set in advance. The RFP evaluation criteria guide shows how to build the scoring matrix. These criteria suit an SOQ:
| Criterion | What a strong SOQ shows |
|---|---|
| Key personnel | Named people with relevant experience, and their share of time on your project |
| Comparable work | Recent projects of similar type and size, delivered by the people now proposed |
| Capacity | Current workload and availability across your schedule |
| Past performance | References who will speak to schedule, budget and quality |
| Approach | A brief, specific account of how the firm would handle your project’s main risks |
Score the evidence rather than the presentation, and check that the named staff worked on the projects listed. Make any later change of key personnel subject to your approval in the contract, and record the reasons for each decision.
Request for qualifications vs RFI, RFP and RFQ
An RFI and an RFQual can both come before an RFP, and both help build a shortlist. An RFI asks what the market offers and is reviewed informally, so it suits a buyer still working out what it needs. An RFQual asks who can do work you’ve already defined, and scores the answers against published criteria.
| Aspect | RFI | Request for qualifications | RFP | RFQ (quotation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asks for | General information on products, approaches and pricing models | Evidence of experience, people, capacity and past performance | A detailed proposal, including itemized pricing | Prices and terms for a defined requirement |
| Price | An indicative range at most | Usually none | Scored with other criteria | The main factor |
| Result | A shortlist and better requirements | A ranked shortlist, or a firm to negotiate with | A preferred supplier to negotiate with | A purchase order or contract |
For more, see What is an RFI? and What is an RFP?
Using a request for qualifications to buy software services
In software buying, the same idea fits services where the team is the product: implementation partners, systems integrators, development firms and consultants.
Say you’ve chosen an ERP product that’s implemented through a network of partners. A request for qualifications could ask each partner for its certifications with the product, comparable implementations, the named lead consultant, availability over your timeline and references. Shortlist the strongest partners, then send them an RFP with a draft statement of work so each one prices the same scope. The SOW template and ERP RFP template cover that stage, and the software development RFP template fits a custom build.
A private company can decide for itself when price is weighed. Grant-funded buyers should check their rules: under 2 CFR 200.320, which generally applies to grant recipients and subrecipients other than states and Indian Tribes, selection without price as a factor can only be used for A/E professional services.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an RFQ and an RFP?
It depends which RFQ. A request for quotation asks for prices on something already specified, while an RFP asks for a proposal scored on several criteria, including price. When a request for qualifications comes before an RFP, it screens firms on experience so that only shortlisted firms write proposals.
What is a statement of qualifications (SOQ)?
An SOQ is a firm’s response to a request for qualifications. It describes the firm, the people who would do the work, comparable projects and references. For US federal architect-engineer contracts, firms use Standard Form 330.
Does a request for qualifications include pricing?
Usually not. Under qualifications-based selection, firms are ranked on qualifications and the fee is negotiated with the top-ranked firm. In a two-step process that ends in an RFP, price comes in at the RFP stage.
How do you respond to a request for qualifications?
Follow the requested format and page limit, and answer every criterion in the order given. Name the people who would do the work and pick comparable projects they worked on. Meet every minimum requirement, because a missing license can rule you out before scoring.
What is the difference between an RFQ and an RFI?
An RFI asks what the market offers, so a buyer can learn its options. A request for qualifications asks firms to prove they can do a defined piece of work, and a request for quotation asks for prices on a fixed specification.