What information belongs in a commercial greenhouse RFQ?
A comparable greenhouse RFQ states area and phasing, site coordinates and climate data, design wind and snow loads with the applicable standard, structure and covering requirements, ventilation and screening, heating and cooling duty, irrigation and fertigation scope, control system and sensors, backup power, delivery Incoterm, installation and supervision responsibility, commissioning and FAT/SAT criteria, warranty terms, spare parts and training. Without design loads, water data and a defined scope boundary, price differences between proposals reflect different scopes rather than different value.
What actually drives the answer
The most common cause of non-comparable quotes is an undefined scope boundary: who does civil works, foundations, water supply to the head, electrical supply to the panel, and internal transport.
State the required deliverables, not only the equipment: drawings, calculations, O&M manuals, commissioning protocol and training days.
Ask each supplier to price the same options separately (screens, heating, CO2, backup) so options can be added or removed without re-tendering.
Require the supplier to declare its own role — manufacturer, integrator, licensee or EPC — and which parts it subcontracts.
Variables that change the answer
- Scope boundary
- Design loads
- Incoterm and site logistics
- Commissioning and acceptance criteria
- Warranty and spares
Evidence a supplier needs before quoting
- Site plan and area
- Climate and load data
- Water analysis
- Power availability
- Required delivery window
What this answer does not settle
- An RFQ structures the request; it does not verify supplier capability or guarantee delivery performance.
Responsibility
- Professional review:
- Project engineer or owner's representative
- Delivered by:
- Manufacturer, integrator or EPC contractor
- Feeds RFQ section:
- Full RFQ
Sources
- Good Agricultural Practices for greenhouse vegetable productionFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 2013 · Primary source · accessed 2026-08-21
More in this topic
Spotted an error? Write to support@seedmatchgroup.com — see our corrections policy.