QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
Where do small machine shops find RFQs?
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Small shops find RFQs through existing customers, direct outreach to OEMs, larger-shop overflow, local supplier networks, public procurement portals and marketplaces. Choose the channel by fit and cost, not by the number of listings. Worked example: four hours researching a channel plus $120 in fees and travel produces two qualified RFQs; if one becomes a $1,800 contribution job, the observed acquisition cost is $120 plus four hours of owner time at your chosen internal rate. This is a planning example, not a channel guarantee.
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Start with the channels you can qualify
Direct OEM and contract-manufacturer relationships usually give the clearest drawings, terms and repeat potential, but they take deliberate outreach and supplier onboarding. Larger shops may send overflow when your machines and inspection match. Local associations, distributor introductions and customer referrals can shorten trust-building.
Public procurement portals such as SAM.gov or DLA DIBBS have their own registration, representations, cybersecurity, packaging, payment and bid rules. Read the solicitation before downloading or forwarding controlled data. Marketplaces can fill unused capacity, but fees, buyer ownership and price competition may change the economics.
| Channel | Likely strength | Question before investing |
|---|---|---|
| Existing customers | Trust and repeat work | Which adjacent part family can we support? |
| Direct OEM outreach | Better scope and relationship | Who owns supplier approval and when is next release? |
| Larger-shop overflow | Known process gap | What inspection and terms flow down? |
| Public portals | Visible bid opportunities | Can we meet registration, data and delivery rules? |
| Marketplaces | Volume during idle time | What fees and buyer terms apply? |
Measure qualified RFQs, not clicks
In the example, spend four owner hours researching and qualifying a channel and $120 on a stated fee or event. Two RFQs arrive; one becomes a $1,800 contribution job. If your internal owner time is $90/hour, acquisition cost is 4 × $90 + $120 = $480, and acquisition cost as a share of the first job’s contribution is 26.7%. The calculation becomes meaningful only after you define contribution and count repeat work separately.
Log source, part family, quantity, required date, response, quote, award, fee, travel and payment result. A channel that sends ten tiny jobs with poor terms may be worse than one direct customer with a repeat family.
Qualify the data and commercial terms
Ask whether the package contains a controlled drawing, whether a model and print agree, who supplies material, what inspection evidence is required, who pays freight and when payment starts. Public bid files can include attachments that your ordinary mailbox or quoting workflow should not receive.
Make your capability statement specific enough to decline politely: envelope, materials, tolerances, processes, outside operations and normal lot sizes. Good qualification reduces both no-bids and expensive surprises after the PO.
What to do next
Pick one channel, set a four-week test and define “qualified RFQ” before you start. Review the log at the end: time spent, fees, fit, quotes, wins, contribution and payment. Keep the channel that produces work your shop can deliver, not merely the channel with the busiest inbox.
Illustrative channel-test assumptions
- • Four owner hours at an internal $90/hour value; $120 channel fee or travel.
- • Two qualified RFQs; one illustrative job with $1,800 contribution.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Owner time cost | 4 × $90 = $360 |
| Fee/travel | $120 |
| Acquisition cost | $480 |
| Acquisition cost / contribution | $480 ÷ $1,800 = 26.7% |
Price one of your own parts
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