which award contracts based upon the price and quality of the tender, RFPs allow suppliers more flexibility in proposing an original service or product in alignment with a company's needs.

Similar requests include a request for quotation (RFQ) and a request for information (RFI), where a customer needs more information from vendors before submitting an RFP. An RFI is typically followed by an RFP or RFQ. When an RFP is made after negotiations