Writing an Air Purifier RFQ Vendors Can Actually Quote Against
A vague RFQ produces incomparable vendor quotes. See what to specify, including CADR, certifications and rental terms, so responses can be fairly compared.
Key takeaways
- A vague RFQ produces vendor quotes built on different assumptions, which cannot be fairly compared.
- Specify required CADR, coverage area and filtration stages per room, not for the building in general.
- Name certifications individually so vendors know exactly what to demonstrate, not just 'certified'.
- Spell out rental terms explicitly if you want servicing, filters and delivery included in the quote.
- A short reusable specification checklist saves rebuilding the RFQ from scratch each time.
Why vague RFQs get back incomparable vendor responses
An RFQ that simply asks for 'air purifiers for our office' leaves every assumption up to the vendor: how many units, what coverage, what certification level, whether servicing is included. Each vendor fills those gaps differently, and the quotes that come back end up describing genuinely different scopes rather than competing prices for the same thing.
This makes comparison difficult, since a lower number might reflect a smaller unit or no servicing included rather than a better deal. Writing a proper air purifier specification for a Singapore tender requires spelling out the specifics upfront, so every vendor quotes against the same defined scope and the numbers that come back are actually comparable.
Procurement teams that have been through this once usually build a standard RFQ format afterward, precisely because comparing three wildly different quotes with no common baseline wastes time on both sides. A vendor who has to guess your scope will often default to a conservative, higher-margin quote to cover their own uncertainty, which does not help you either.
What to specify: CADR, coverage area and filtration stages
Start with the basics for each room or zone: floor area in square metres, ceiling height if it is unusual, and your target air changes per hour for that space. From these, required CADR in cubic metres per hour can be calculated, and this is the number vendors should quote against directly rather than a vague description of the room.
Also specify the filtration approach you expect, such as H13 medical-grade HEPA rather than the looser 'HEPA-type' wording, and whether active sterilisation such as UV-C is required or simply preferred. The air purifier size calculator is a useful reference for working out CADR figures before you write them into the document.
Certifications to name for a government or corporate tender
Name certifications specifically in the RFQ rather than asking vendors to list whatever they hold. For a government tender air purifier specification in Singapore, this typically means requesting evidence of an FDA Class 2 medical device listing where a medical function is claimed, H13 medical-grade HEPA, and CE, RoHS, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 for the manufacturer.
Ask vendors to explain what each certification specifically covers as part of their response, not just attach copies. A vendor that can articulate this clearly is generally easier to work with through the rest of procurement than one that simply pastes in a certification list without context.
Rental terms worth spelling out in the RFQ itself
If you want rental quoted, say so explicitly and specify what should be included: filters, servicing intervals, delivery and collection. Rental inclusions vary meaningfully between suppliers, and an RFQ that just says 'rental option' without detail will get back quotes that are not actually comparable on inclusions, only on the headline rate.
Also specify the contract length you are considering and whether you need flexibility to adjust unit counts mid-term, since some suppliers price this differently from a fixed-term arrangement. See the fuller breakdown of what rental typically covers on commercial air purifier rental before finalising this section of the document.
A short specification checklist to copy into your document
A reusable checklist for each zone: floor area and ceiling height, target air changes per hour, required CADR, filtration standard (H13 HEPA), sterilisation requirement if any, certifications expected (FDA Class 2 where relevant, CE, RoHS, ISO 9001, ISO 14001), and rental versus purchase with inclusions specified either way.
Copy this structure into your next RFQ rather than rebuilding it from scratch, updating only the room-specific figures for each new project. A consistent specification format across every RFQ you send also makes internal comparison easier the next time procurement reviews vendor responses side by side.
Next step
Once your specification is written, request a free room-by-room Air Report through AIRE's clinic Air Report to validate the numbers before you send your RFQ out to vendors.
Frequently asked
Why do vague RFQs produce incomparable vendor quotes?
Without specifics on coverage, CADR, certifications and servicing inclusions, every vendor fills the gaps with their own assumptions. The quotes that come back describe different scopes rather than competing prices for the same thing, so a lower number might simply reflect a smaller unit or missing servicing rather than better value.
What certifications should be named in a tender specification?
Name an FDA Class 2 medical device listing where a medical function is claimed, H13 medical-grade HEPA filtration, and the manufacturing marks of CE, RoHS, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Ask vendors to explain what each certification specifically covers as part of their response, rather than simply listing them.
Should rental terms be spelled out in the RFQ itself?
Yes. Specify what you expect included, such as filters, servicing intervals and delivery, and the contract length you are considering. Rental inclusions vary between suppliers, so an RFQ that just says 'rental option' without detail will get back quotes that are not actually comparable on anything beyond the headline rate.
What level of certification detail avoids a tender being sent back?
Name each certification individually and reference what it specifically covers, rather than a general phrase like 'fully certified'. A GeBIZ reviewer checking a tender's certification requirements is more likely to accept a submission that demonstrates it understands the distinctions between certifications than one that treats them as interchangeable.
Related reading
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