Request for Information (RFI)
A pre-procurement notice asking the market for information to help a buyer plan a future tender. An RFI is not a bid solicitation and does not result in an award.
Definition
A request for information, abbreviated RFI, is a document a public buyer issues to gather information from the supplier community before launching a formal procurement. It asks vendors about available solutions, capabilities, pricing models, standards, or delivery approaches so the buyer can scope and structure an eventual tender. An RFI is part of market research and engagement, not a competition: responding to one does not place a bid, and the buyer does not award a contract from it. In cleaning procurement, a buyer might use an RFI to understand current service models, green-cleaning options, or realistic pricing before drafting an RFP.
How it works in Canadian procurement
The buyer posts the RFI on its tendering portal with questions and a response deadline, usually shorter and less formal than a bid solicitation. Suppliers submit written information, and sometimes the buyer holds follow-up meetings or industry days. The buyer uses the responses to refine its requirements, evaluation criteria, and budget, and then issues a separate RFP, RFSO, or other solicitation when it is ready to compete the work. Because an RFI is non-binding, suppliers should treat it as a chance to shape the upcoming procurement and signal interest, while protecting genuinely proprietary information they do not want disclosed.
Common confusions
An RFI is not a request for proposal or a request for quotation; it does not solicit priced bids and cannot result in a contract. It is also distinct from a request for expression of interest, though the two overlap; an expression-of-interest notice focuses on gauging which suppliers are interested and qualified, while an RFI focuses on gathering information about solutions and the market. Finally, a strong RFI response is not a guarantee of advantage in the later competition; the buyer must run the eventual solicitation fairly, and information shared in an RFI may be made available to all bidders.
Frequently asked questions
A pre-procurement notice a buyer issues to gather information from suppliers about solutions, capabilities, and pricing before designing a formal tender. It is not a bid and results in no award.
It lets you shape the upcoming procurement and signal interest, but the buyer must still run the eventual competition fairly, and RFI information may be shared with all bidders.
An RFI gathers market information and cannot result in a contract. An RFP solicits priced, evaluated proposals and leads to an award.
Related terms
- Request for Proposal (RFP): A formal procurement notice used by Canadian government buyers to solicit competitive bids for goods or services of every kind, from professional services and construction to IT, facilities, and cleaning contracts.
- Request for Quotation (RFQ): A Canadian government procurement notice used to solicit competitive prices for a clearly defined, lower-complexity requirement.
- What Is a Tender: A tender is a formal invitation by a public-sector buyer for suppliers to submit competitive bids for goods or services.
- Sole-Source (Non-Competitive) Contract: A Canadian government contract awarded without a competitive process, permitted only under specific exceptions in the Government Contracts Regulations.
See Request for Information (RFI) terms in real Canadian government contracts
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