Free buyer toolkit
Feed procurement toolkit: write a clear RFQ and compare offers on equal terms
A good animal-feed purchase starts with one written requirement that every supplier answers in the same way. Then each offer is put on the same delivered basis — same specification, quantity, delivery term, currency and unit — and its documents are reviewed before anyone commits. This toolkit gives you the template, two worksheets and a document checklist to do that.
The worksheets run only in your browser. Nothing you type is saved, sent to FeedMatch or added to the page address; it is cleared when you leave or reload the page.
How to write a good animal-feed RFQ
A request for quotation (RFQ) works when a supplier can price it without guessing. “Price for 200 t of layer feed” leaves every supplier to decide the specification, packaging, delivery point and documents, so the answers cannot be compared.
- Say what the feed is for. Species, production stage and whether you need a complete feed, a concentrate or an ingredient for your own mill.
- Fix the specification. Product name, the nutrient ranges and physical form your nutritionist sets, contaminant limits and the test method for each parameter.
- State volume and timing. Quantity per delivery and per year with a tolerance, first delivery date and frequency.
- Name the destination and delivery term. The delivery point and the Incoterms® rule you want every offer quoted on.
- List packaging and documents. Bulk or bags, labelling language, and the documents required with each shipment and from the supplier.
- Ask the same questions of everyone. What the price includes and excludes, lead time, payment terms and which documents can be provided now.
The RFQ template below turns these steps into a list you can send as it is.
How to compare supplier offers on equivalent terms
Two quotes are only comparable when they describe the same thing. Before looking at price, check that each offer uses the same specification, quantity, delivery term and named place, currency and unit. Then add the costs each quote leaves out — an FOB price excludes the freight and insurance that a CIF or delivered price already contains.
Price is one row of the comparison, not the whole of it. Lead time, payment conditions, packaging, origin and the documents a supplier can provide often decide whether an offer is workable. Use the landed-cost worksheet for the arithmetic and the offer comparison worksheet to see where the terms differ.
Landed-cost worksheet
Add up one offer's base quote and the delivery costs you know, then see the total and the cost per unit you choose. Enter every amount in one currency; convert any other currency yourself with the rate you will actually use.
Enter a base price and shipment quantity to see the arithmetic.
Offer comparison worksheet
Type up to three offers side by side, exactly as each supplier wrote them. Rows where the text differs or is missing are flagged so you know what to clarify. The worksheet does not rank suppliers or decide whether two products are equivalent — that depends on your specification and your nutritionist.
Offer name
Your own label, e.g. Offer A
Entries
Product / specification
Name and key parameters as declared, with test method
Grade
Grade or quality class stated by the supplier
Quantity
Quantity and unit offered
Packaging
Bulk, bags, big bags, container type
Origin
Country / plant of origin
Delivery term
Incoterms® rule, version and named place
Quoted price basis
Price, currency, unit and what it includes
Freight / insurance / handling
Included, excluded or quoted separately
Lead time
Order to shipment or delivery
Payment conditions
Terms, deposit, instrument
Documentation
CoA, origin, health/phytosanitary, registrations
“Same text” means you typed the same words for each offer — it is not a statement that the products, terms or documents are equivalent.
Animal feed RFQ checklist and template
Send the same list to every supplier and ask for an answer on each line. The downloadable version opens in Excel or Google Sheets with an empty “Your answer” column.
Species and application
- Species and production stage: e.g. broiler finisher, layer phase 1, dairy cow, tilapia grow-out
- Intended use: complete feed, concentrate, ingredient for your own mill, premix, additive
Product and specification
- Exact product name: ingredient, compound feed or additive name as you buy it
- Specification: nutrient ranges, moisture, physical form and particle or pellet size set by your nutritionist
- Grade: the grade or quality class you require (e.g. protein grade, GMO status, feed vs food grade) and whether others are acceptable
- Limits and test methods: contaminant limits (e.g. mycotoxins), laboratory and method for each parameter
- Acceptable alternatives: whether substitute grades or origins may be offered, and how they must be declared
Volume and schedule
- Quantity per delivery and per year: with unit and tolerance (e.g. ±5%)
- Delivery schedule: first delivery date, frequency, contract length, seasonality
Destination and delivery terms
- Delivery point: port, mill gate or farm address region; unloading facilities
- Delivery term: Incoterms® rule, version and named place you want offers on
Packaging and storage
- Packaging: bulk, bags, big bags; bag size; labelling language; palletising
- Storage at receipt: silo, warehouse, shelf life you need
Required documentation
- Per shipment: certificate of analysis, product specification, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin
- Where the destination requires them: health, veterinary or phytosanitary certificates; import permits; registrations
- Supplier documents: certification certificates with scope and validity, traceability records
Commercial terms
- Price basis: currency, unit, validity of the offer
- Payment: terms and instrument you can accept
- Quality claims: sampling at loading/receipt and what happens if a lot fails
Questions for suppliers
- Capacity and continuity: can you supply this volume and schedule, and from which plant?
- What the price includes: list every cost included and excluded under the quoted term
- Lead time: from order to shipment and to delivery
- Evidence: which documents can you provide now, and which only after shipment?
Supplier-document review checklist
Use this to record which documents a supplier has provided and what you have checked yourself. It is a review aid only — it is not a certification, an audit or legal advice, and it does not confirm that a product or supplier meets any requirement. Requirements depend on the product and the countries involved.
| Area | Document / check | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | Product specification sheet | matches your requested parameters, units and moisture basis; dated and versioned |
| Test methods | each parameter names a method and laboratory; results are comparable to yours | |
| Quality documents | Certificate of analysis (CoA) | lot number matches the shipment; issued by a named laboratory; date of analysis |
| Sampling | who sampled, where and how; retained samples | |
| Certifications | Certificate copy | scheme, certificate holder, site address, scope covering this product, validity dates |
| Independent confirmation | confirm current status on the scheme's or issuer's own register | |
| Traceability | Lot traceability | lot links from raw material to dispatch; how a recall or complaint would be traced |
| Origin | plant and country of origin consistent across documents | |
| Import requirements | Destination requirements | registrations, permits and certificates your country requires for this product |
| Health / phytosanitary documents | required certificate types, issuing authority and validity for the route | |
| Labelling | language and content required at destination | |
| Storage and transport | Conditions | moisture, temperature and pest-control requirements; transport cleanliness or previous cargo |
Methodology and limitations
- Formulas. Base total = base price per unit × shipment quantity converted to the price unit. Total entered cost = base total + freight + insurance + handling + other costs (each a shipment total you enter). Cost per selected unit = total entered cost ÷ shipment quantity in that unit.
- Units. Conversions use exact definitions: 1 tonne = 1,000 kg; 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg; 1 short ton = 907.18474 kg; 1 long ton = 1,016.0469088 kg.
- Inputs only. Every result comes from the numbers you type. No live prices, market averages, benchmarks, exchange rates, supplier ratings or savings are fetched or estimated.
- Currency. Enter all amounts in one currency. Convert other currencies yourself with the rate you will use; the worksheet does not convert.
- What it does not determine. Whether an offer is complete, whether two products are equivalent, whether a supplier or document meets any requirement, or which supplier to choose. The offer comparison only flags where your entries differ or are missing.
- Indicative. Results are planning figures, not quotes, contracts or professional advice.
Ready to request offers?
If you want FeedMatch to approach suppliers for you, send your requirement through the request form. That is a separate step: the form explains what it collects and nothing from these worksheets is carried over. A person on our team reviews each request before any supplier is contacted, and you decide what happens next. The tools and the form are free for buyers; feed and ingredient supply has no minimum, and assisted sourcing for plant and equipment projects applies from about USD 250,000.
Availability and the ability to trade depend on the applicable law and on the licences and approvals required, which differ by product and country. Each participant is responsible for the rules that apply to its own role: suppliers for the products they offer and supply, buyers for their own import permissions and checks. FeedMatch is not a manufacturer, importer, exporter, seller or regulatory approver; it facilitates sourcing and screens requests before any supplier is contacted. Regulation & responsibilities.
Related FeedMatch tools and guides
Read the announcement: FeedMatch publishes a free feed procurement toolkit.
Questions buyers ask
What should an animal feed RFQ include?
How do I compare feed supplier quotes fairly?
What does landed cost mean?
Does the worksheet use live prices or exchange rates?
Who is responsible for product quality and regulatory compliance?
Scope and neutrality
- FeedMatch Group is an independent, supplier-neutral procurement platform. It does not manufacture, install or commission feed-processing equipment and is not an EPC contractor.
- FeedMatch does not sell feed, ingredients, premixes or additives and does not act as a trader.
- FeedMatch is not a bank, lender, credit provider or financial adviser. Financing, where relevant, is arranged by independent third parties.
- Calculator outputs and planning ranges on this site are indicative inputs for your own evaluation, not quotations, nutritional advice or performance guarantees.