ITAD RFQ template
Cover letter, scope, an asset list table, data destruction requirements, documents, commercial terms and a vendor response section.
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ITAD RFQ, RFI and RFP: Which One, and Free Templates.
When to send each one for IT asset disposition, what to put in it, and editable Word templates your procurement team can send to any vendor today.
The short answer
For IT asset disposition, send an RFI when you are building a shortlist, an RFP when you want vendors to propose how they would run a programme, and an RFQ when you already have an asset list and need an itemised price. All three should ask the same core questions: who holds the authorisations, how data is destroyed, which documents come back, and when you are paid.
Free, editable and vendor-neutral. No email needed for the Word files.
Side by side
RFI, RFP or RFQ: what each one does.
| RFI | RFP | RFQ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Request for Information | Request for Proposal | Request for Quotation |
| Use it when | You do not know the vendors yet | You know the scope, not the best way to deliver it | You know exactly what is being retired |
| What you send | Questions about the vendor | Your requirements and evaluation criteria | An asset list and fixed terms |
| What comes back | Capabilities, authorisations, sample documents | A method, timeline, documents and price | An itemised price and payment terms |
| Typical stage | Building the shortlist | Choosing a vendor for a programme | Pricing a specific pickup |
What goes in an RFQ
Eight sections every ITAD RFQ needs.
Most retirement jobs only need an RFQ. If the equipment is in a storeroom and you can count it, an asset list with clear terms gets you comparable prices within days. Use an RFI first when nobody on the team has hired an ITAD vendor before, and an RFP when the work repeats, such as quarterly refreshes across several sites.
- Scope: sites, cities and the collection window
- Asset list: category, brand, model, quantity, age and condition, working or not
- Data-bearing devices and how many drives they hold
- Data destruction requirement: wipe, destroy, onsite or offsite, witnessed or not
- Documents required: handover manifest, erasure reports, Certificate of Destruction, recycling certificate, serial lists if your audit needs them
- Commercial basis: buyback price per item, service charges, GST, transport, and when payment is made
- Downstream processing: who recycles what cannot be resold, and their authorisation
- Site rules: entry passes, safety gear, loading times, insurance certificates
What goes in an RFI
Eight things to learn before you shortlist.
- Legal entity, GSTIN, CIN and years of operation
- Authorisations: MPCB or SPCB consent, CPCB registration where it applies, with numbers and expiry dates
- Certifications: ISO 27001, 9001, 14001, 45001, with certificate numbers and the certification body
- Data destruction methods by media type, and the software used for wiping
- Sample documents: a redacted erasure report and Certificate of Destruction
- Service area, pickup model and typical timelines
- Subcontractors: what is outsourced, usually transport
- Two or three references from comparable organisations
Downloads
Free templates, ready to edit.
ITAD RFI template
Thirty questions across the legal entity, authorisations, certifications, data destruction, documents and references.
Download WordITAD vendor scorecard
Weighted scoring across security, compliance, logistics, value and reporting, to compare responses side by side.
Download ExcelNeed the full vendor due-diligence questionnaire for an RFP? It is on the templates page.
Common gaps
Three clauses procurement teams often miss.
Ask for payment timing in writing. Many vendors pay after the equipment is graded at their warehouse, which leaves you negotiating after the assets have left. Our own terms are payment before pickup, and you can make that a requirement for every bidder.
Separate data destruction from resale. Ask that drives are wiped or destroyed before any device is graded or sold, and that the documents name the method.
Check the authorisation holder. Many disposal firms collect and pass equipment to someone else. Ask which entity processes it, and for that entity’s consent number and expiry date.
Questions
Questions, answered.
An RFQ prices a known list of equipment on fixed terms. An RFP asks vendors to propose how they would deliver a programme, such as a year of laptop refreshes across several cities, and scores the method as well as the price.
Both. Ask for a price per item for anything with resale value and a separate line for anything that only goes to recycling, so the net figure is clear. Ask when payment is made, before or after the equipment leaves your site.
A signed handover manifest at pickup, an erasure report for every wiped drive, a Certificate of Destruction for drives that were degaussed or shredded, and a recycling certificate. Ask for serial lists only if your audit needs them, and agree that before pickup.
Yes. They are vendor-neutral and free to use and share. Send the same document to every vendor on your shortlist, including us.
No. They are a starting point. Your procurement, legal and information security teams should adapt them to your own policy and any tender rules that apply to you.
Last reviewed 20 October 2026.
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