A flexible packaging quotation is only as good as the brief behind it.
A buyer who approaches a supplier with “We need a pouch for coffee” is asking for a price based on assumptions. A buyer who provides the right technical and commercial information is asking for a price based on a defined requirement.
For the packaging supplier, the difference can be substantial.
The following checklist looks at the RFQ from the supplier's side of the table. These are the questions a competent flexible packaging converter needs answered before it can provide a meaningful quotation.
1. What exactly is the product?
“Food packaging” or “a pouch for coffee” is not enough information.
The packaging structure depends on the characteristics of the product being packed. Coffee, nuts, fried snacks, dehydrated foods and liquids can have very different barrier and sealing requirements.
State the product clearly, including its form — powder, granules, liquid or solid — and identify what can cause it to deteriorate: oxygen, moisture, light, aroma loss, grease or other factors.
The product determines the packaging structure.
2. What is the required fill weight?
Give the net weight per pack, rather than only the proposed bag dimensions.
A pouch described as “250 ml” may contain very different weights depending on product density, headspace and filling conditions.
Also indicate the acceptable fill-weight tolerance and, where relevant, whether the stated weight is settled or as-filled.
Dimensions are important, but they should be determined in conjunction with the product, weight, structure and filling process.
3. What shelf life must the pack deliver?
State the required shelf life in months and the conditions under which that shelf life must be achieved.
A product expected to remain stable for 12 months in a controlled warehouse is not necessarily facing the same packaging challenge as one transported and stored under hot and humid conditions.
Specify whether the product will experience:
Shelf life is not simply a property of the film. It is influenced by the product, packaging structure, seals, printing and distribution conditions.
4. How will the pack be filled and sealed?
The supplier needs to know how the finished packaging will actually be used.
For example:
Also specify the filling environment where relevant — such as normal atmosphere, nitrogen flushing or vacuum — and the required sealing system.
Does the pack require a heat seal, peelable seal, zipper, spout or another closure?
The filling equipment can influence film width, seal characteristics, pouch dimensions, output speed and overall packaging design.
The packaging process is part of the specification, not a detail to be decided after the quotation.
5. Which requirements are mandatory — and which are preferences?
This is one of the most important distinctions in an RFQ.
Separate:
Must-have requirements
from
Preferred or optional features.
For example, an 18-month shelf-life requirement may be essential, while a premium matte finish may simply be preferred.
Similarly, a metallised layer, special barrier, window, spout, zipper or easy-peel feature can add cost.
If everything is presented as mandatory, the supplier has little choice but to quote the safest and potentially most expensive configuration.
Tell the supplier where alternatives are acceptable. This allows them to propose the most commercially appropriate solution rather than simply the most conservative one.
6. What is the status of the artwork?
“Artwork coming” does not tell a supplier enough.
State whether:
Artwork status can have a significant effect on both lead time and cost.
A quotation based on final print-ready artwork is very different from one that assumes artwork development, adaptation or extensive prepress work.
7. What are the expected quantities?
Flexible packaging economics depend heavily on volume.
Instead of giving the supplier only one quantity, where possible provide three levels:
This allows the supplier to identify price breaks and understand the economics of film minimums, printing, tooling and machine time.
A trial order of 10,000 packs and an annual requirement of 200,000 packs may justify very different approaches.
Pricing in flexible packaging is a curve, not a single point.
8. Where will the packaging be sold?
The destination market should be clearly stated.
Requirements can vary significantly between India, the EU, the United States, the Middle East, Japan, China and other markets.
Tell the supplier:
A supplier cannot accurately determine the compliance requirements if the destination market is unknown.
9. What sustainability requirements apply?
Sustainability should be specified early rather than added after the structure and price have been established.
If the packaging must meet a particular sustainability objective, state it clearly.
For example:
Also distinguish between a mandatory sustainability requirement and a preferred environmental objective.
This allows the converter to evaluate the requirement alongside barrier, sealing, machinability and cost considerations.
10. What performance must the finished pack withstand?
The supplier should know about any mechanical or process-related performance requirements.
Depending on the application, these could include:
A pack that looks suitable on paper may perform differently when exposed to the actual filling, transportation and storage environment.
The quotation should therefore be based on the required performance, not simply the appearance of the finished pack.
11. What are the acceptable limits — and what will the supplier not guarantee?
This question is often overlooked.
Before ordering, agree on what constitutes an acceptable pack.
Where relevant, define measurable criteria such as:
At the same time, identify any performance that is outside the supplier's guaranteed scope.
A supplier who clearly states a limitation before production is providing valuable information. It is far better to establish a boundary before an order is placed than to discover it after production.
A “no” given early is often more useful than a “yes” discovered to be conditional later.
12. What information is still uncertain?
Finally, tell the supplier what has not yet been decided.
This may include:
There is nothing wrong with an RFQ containing assumptions or open questions.
The problem arises when assumptions are presented as confirmed specifications.
Clearly identifying what is still open allows the supplier to quote with the right assumptions and identify the issues that need to be resolved before the quotation becomes firm.
The 30-Second Flexible Packaging RFQ Checklist
Before sending an enquiry, make sure you can answer these questions:
Product: What exactly are we packing, and what can cause it to deteriorate?
Weight: What is the net fill weight and acceptable tolerance?
Shelf life: How long must the product remain stable, and under what conditions?
Process: How will the pack be filled and sealed?
Specification: Which features are mandatory and which are optional?
Artwork: Is the artwork final and print-ready?
Volume: What are the minimum, expected and potential quantities?
Market: Where will the product be sold, and what compliance requirements apply?
Sustainability: Are there mandatory recyclability, mono-material or recycled-content requirements?
Performance: What mechanical, thermal and filling-line conditions must the pack withstand?
Acceptance: What measurable criteria define an acceptable finished pack?
Open issues: Which parts of the specification are still to be finalised?
The principle is simple:
The more precisely you define the requirement, the less the supplier has to guess — and the more meaningful your quotation becomes.
A good RFQ does not simply ask, “What is your price?”
It gives the supplier enough information to answer:
“What is the right packaging solution, what will it cost, and what assumptions does that price depend on?”
Authored by: J-Origin Packaging (Shenzhen Jiayuanmei Packaging Materials Co., Ltd.), a flexible packaging manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Editorial Support: www.plastemart.com
About the Author: J-Origin Packaging produces stand-up pouches, flat-bottom and quad-seal bags, side-gusset bags, spout pouches, resealable bags, roll film and printed labels for food, beverage, coffee, tea, pet food and consumer brands. Its packaging film carries a food-contact test report. To request a quote: https://joriginpackaging.com/get-a-quote
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