---
title: What Is a Solicitation in Procurement? Definition | Aavenir
url: https://aavenir.com/glossary/solicitation/
description: A solicitation is a buyer's formal request to suppliers to submit information, quotes, proposals or bids, the step that starts identifying and selecting suppliers.
updated: 2026-11-07
---

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# What is a solicitation?

A solicitation is a buyer's formal request to suppliers to submit information, quotes, proposals or bids, the step that starts identifying and selecting suppliers.

## How solicitation works

Solicitation sits early in the source to contract cycle that most procurement teams follow to find and select suppliers. Procurement issues a request, often called an RFx, to identify partners that can deliver the needed goods or services within the cost model the organization has set. Responses are evaluated, a supplier is chosen and the contract follows.

## Types of solicitation

- **Request for information.**Learn what the market offers.

- **Request for supplier qualification.**Check who is qualified to bid.

- **Request for proposal.**Ask suppliers how they would meet a need.

- **Request for quotation.**Price a defined specification.

- **Request for tender.**Invite formal, often sealed, bids.

## Looking beyond price

Scoring suppliers only on price and capability does not show whether a company can and should win the business. A good solicitation also asks about risk, financial health, references, security and fit with the buyer's policies.

## How Aavenir handles it

[RFPflow](https://aavenir.com/solutions/rfp-management-software/) builds and issues every kind of solicitation, collects responses and scores them. The winning terms flow into [Contractflow](https://aavenir.com/solutions/enterprise-contract-management-software/). See [source to contract](https://aavenir.com/use-cases/source-to-contract/).

## Keep reading

[Request for information A request for information is a structured set of questions sent to suppliers to learn what the market can offer. Read more](https://aavenir.com/glossary/request-for-information-rfi/)[Request for tender A request for tender is a formal invitation to suppliers to submit sealed, structured bids for defined work. Read more](https://aavenir.com/glossary/request-for-tender-rft/)[RFx tools RFx tools are the software features that build, send, collect and score requests for information, quotation and proposal. Read more](https://aavenir.com/glossary/rfx-tools/)

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

## Common questions

###

### What is the difference between a solicitation and a request for proposal?

Solicitation is the general term for asking suppliers to respond. A request for proposal is one type of solicitation, alongside requests for information, quotation and tender. [Read about request for proposal](https://aavenir.com/glossary/request-for-proposal-rfp/).

###

### What should a solicitation include?

Background, the requirement, evaluation criteria, the response format, key contract terms and the timeline, including the deadline and how questions will be handled. Clear instructions produce responses that are easier to compare. [Read about RFx tools](https://aavenir.com/glossary/rfx-tools/).

###

### How do you choose the right type of solicitation?

Match it to what you know. Use a request for information when exploring, a request for proposal when the solution is open and a request for quotation or tender when the specification is fixed. [See RFPflow](https://aavenir.com/solutions/rfp-management-software/).

Have a question we have not answered? [Ask the Expert](https://aavenir.com/contact/)

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