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A sportswear RFQ should name the product or a reference garment, the approximate quantity, the design you already have and the delivery destination and date, with anything undecided marked as open. To compare apparel quotations line for line, ask every supplier to confirm the fabric, quantities, size range, decoration, labels, packing and delivery basis it has priced, and to list alternatives separately. Voyager Sportswear does not need a complete tech pack before the first enquiry.
The first enquiry starts the conversation. A confirmed production quotation needs a more precise specification: otherwise two suppliers may be pricing different fabrics, different logo applications or different packing arrangements.
A short enquiry and a usable brief
“Please send your price for football jerseys” tells us the product category, but not the work involved. The next questions will be about quantity, design, fabric, sizes and delivery.
This example brief gives a first answer to each of those questions:
“We need 600 custom football jerseys for a club programme, in adult and youth sizes. We have the front-and-back design and the sponsor logos, and we would like sublimation with numbers. Delivery is to Germany, and we need the jerseys before our season launch. We can send the artwork and a preliminary size spreadsheet. Please advise on fabric options and the sampling process.”
The quantity in the example is only an illustration. The minimum order at Voyager Sportswear is 100 pieces per style. The brief works because the factory can identify the garment, see what varies from piece to piece and tell settled decisions apart from requests for help. If your quantity or date is provisional, say so.
What to include now
| Information | Useful detail | If you do not know yet |
|---|---|---|
| Product and use | Football jersey, basketball set, cycling jersey or running singlet; adult, youth or both | Send a reference and describe who will wear it |
| Quantity | Total per garment type, design or colour; size breakdown if available | Give an estimate and say when it will be confirmed |
| Fabric | Preferred composition, structure and weight, or a physical reference | Describe the feel, coverage and stretch you want and the conditions of use |
| Design | Front and back views, logos, colours and approximate placements | Send sketches or references and request design assistance |
| Numbering | Numbers on request, sponsor variations and approximate counts | State that the final number list will follow |
| Labels and packing | Own-brand labels, individual packing, size stickers or retail barcode requirements | Explain how the goods will be distributed |
| Delivery | Country, city and the date goods must be received | Distinguish a preferred date from a fixed event deadline |
| Sampling | New product development, fit check or confirmation of an existing style | Ask which sample will resolve the open decisions |
For a jersey-and-shorts set, list the pieces separately as well as the number of sets, since a player may need a different size in the top and the shorts. For a range, one row per style and colour or design makes the quantities easier to assess. The MOQ guide explains how manufacturers evaluate variations.
What the manufacturer can help clarify
Ask for advice where it changes the product: a suitable fabric direction, whether a logo should be sublimated or applied separately, how the artwork fits the garment pattern and which sample stage is needed. A reference garment shows the feel and construction, and your notes should say what to keep and what to change.
A target budget can also be useful if you want alternative constructions or fabrics considered. Say what the budget includes and which features are essential. A budget is a design constraint, not a substitute for comparing the actual specification.
What the quotation should confirm
Before accepting a quotation, check that it identifies the product specification or reference used, quantities, size range, fabric, decoration, labels and packing. Ask for alternatives to be shown separately. A lower-weight fabric should not silently replace the fabric you requested.
The commercial terms should state the currency, price basis, included work, exclusions, validity, payment terms and agreed delivery scope. You may request a particular delivery arrangement, but the supplier must confirm whether it can offer it. If an Incoterms rule is used, include its version and named place. Incoterms rules allocate transport tasks, costs and risk, but they do not in themselves define product quality or payment terms.
Ask when the proposed schedule starts and ends. Sample preparation, your approval time, bulk production and transport are separate parts of the plan. A factory-ready date is not the date a club receives its kit.
Comparing the replies
| Check | What to resolve before comparing price |
|---|---|
| Same product | Match the approved version, fabric and construction; separate proposed alternatives |
| Same quantities | Confirm the same size breakdown, designs and count of numbered pieces |
| Same decoration | Confirm method, positions, dimensions and whether numbering is included |
| Same scope | Identify sample, development, label and packing charges |
| Same delivery basis | Add any excluded transport, handling or import costs using current information |
| Same schedule | Compare the same starting conditions and completion point |
An untested change of fabric should not be counted as a saving. First decide whether the alternative is right for the product, then ask for its price. The landed-cost worksheet helps you compare the total delivered cost without counting an included charge twice.
Questions and answers
How do I compare apparel quotations from different clothing manufacturers?
Compare apparel quotations only after each one prices the same order. Check that every reply uses the same approved fabric and construction, sizes, designs, numbering, decoration method and positions. Then list the sample, development, label and packing charges and add any excluded transport or import costs. Schedules should be compared from the same starting condition to the same completion point, and proposed alternatives kept on separate lines.
Which commercial terms should a clothing manufacturer's quotation state?
A clothing manufacturer's quotation should state the currency, price basis, included work, exclusions, validity, payment terms and agreed delivery scope. It should also identify the specification or reference that was priced, with quantities, size range, fabric, decoration, labels and packing. Where an Incoterms rule is used, check its version and named place. The rule allocates transport tasks, costs and risk, not product quality or payment terms.
Should I share a target budget when asking a sportswear factory for a quote?
Sharing a target budget helps when you want the factory to consider alternative fabrics or constructions. State what the budget includes and which features are essential, then ask for each alternative to be shown separately with its own specification. A budget is a design constraint, not a replacement for comparing the actual specification, and a lower-weight fabric should not silently replace the fabric you requested.
Send the information you have
Send your current brief and any references through the quotation form. Voyager Sportswear usually sends an initial response within 24 hours, and a complete quotation follows once the requirements and scope are clear. A full tech pack is welcome, but you do not need one to start.
For a product already being developed, the tech-pack guide explains how to turn the agreed decisions into a controlled production specification.