What's the difference between an AV tender and an RFP?
An AV tender is a formal scored procurement, typically used in public sector or regulated environments, where bidders respond to a fixed spec on published evaluation criteria. An AV RFP (Request for Proposal) is a less formal, commercial process with dialogue between buyer and bidder, where the solution itself can evolve through the conversation. An RFQ (Request for Quotation) is lighter still: just a price against a defined spec, no real evaluation beyond price and availability.
From the floor. The cost the buyer never sees on a heavy tender is the bid-team time, which is real money: a proper ITT response runs 5 to 15 person-days at integrator senior rates. Suppliers price that into the next three jobs whether the buyer wins or not. If the project is genuinely a refresh or a known spec, an RFQ saves both sides 10 grand of effort and lands a tighter price. Match the procurement route to the work, not to the governance default. — Mark Brooks, Commercial Director
| Element | AV Tender | AV RFP | AV RFQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formality | Highly formal, often statutory | Commercial, structured | Light, transactional |
| Typical sector | Public sector, regulated, large corporate | Private sector, complex requirements | Repeat orders, refreshes, defined kit lists |
| Legal framework | Procurement Act 2023, PCR2015, CCS frameworks | Buyer's standard terms | Buyer's standard terms or PO |
| Evaluation | Published criteria, often 60 per cent price / 40 per cent quality | Mixed, often weighted to solution fit | Price and lead time |
| Response format | Fixed (PQQ, ITT, SQ) | Flexible, bidder-led | Quotation document or spreadsheet |
| Dialogue once issued | Limited or none (clarification questions only) | Iterative with shortlisted bidders | Minimal, mostly clarifications |
| Contract | JCT, NEC, framework call-off | Negotiable | PO with standard terms |
| Typical value | £100k+ | £25k to £500k+ | Under £50k, sometimes much higher for refreshes |
Use a tender when you are a public-sector or regulated buyer, the value triggers procurement thresholds, you need a defensible audit trail, or your governance requires three or more independent bids on identical criteria.
Use an RFP when you are private sector, the requirements are complex enough that you need bidder input on the solution, you want a dialogue with shortlisted partners, and you have flexibility on the contract terms.
Use an RFQ when the spec is fixed (a meeting room refresh against an existing standard, a multi-site rollout of an agreed kit list), you just need price and lead time, and there is no real solution design to evaluate.
A good consultation and design phase often determines which procurement route is even appropriate; an over-specified RFQ on a complex job, or an under-specified tender on a refresh, both produce bad outcomes. For straight equipment supply on an agreed BOQ, RFQ is almost always the right tool.
Quick reference: tender = formal scored procurement (public sector, £100k+, JCT or NEC); RFP = commercial dialogue-led private sector; RFQ = price-only on defined spec; match the route to project complexity and governance, not just value.
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