A bag factory RFQ template does one job: it forces suppliers to reveal how they work before you commit a single dollar. Send price-only inquiries and you learn what the market charges for a bag. Send a structured RFQ with the right questions and you learn which factories can actually deliver the spec, the certification, and the delivery terms your order depends on.

The 14 questions below come from the screening process used on every custom moving bags and tote order that TIIOCTI quotes against. They sit in four groups: material and construction, compliance and testing, production and QC, and commercial terms. Each question includes the answer you want to see and the answer that should end the conversation.

Why the RFQ Is Your First Factory Filter

Factories answer RFQs differently from trading companies, and the difference shows in the first response. A factory can name its looms, its GSM range, and its in-house QC steps, the same way it names the full build sheet on custom moving bags. A trader can copy any answer, but it cannot sustain the follow-up. Request the GRS scope certificate, the batch test report, or a factory floor video, and the trader’s response slows down or disappears.

The document also protects you from your own negotiation habits. Buyers who start with price hear price, and they spend the next three weeks discovering that the cheap quote excluded lamination, handle reinforcement, or the print screen setup. A structured request makes the scope visible before the price, which is why it is worth more than the discount it never produces.

Send the same inquiry to every candidate, and score the answers against the same rubric. That discipline turns supplier selection from a gut call into a spreadsheet, and it gives you a written record if a factory later disputes the agreed spec. The template below is that rubric, ready to copy into your next request.

What to Attach Before You Ask Anything

A good request arrives with a mini tech pack, because questions without specs produce vague answers. Attach a one-page drawing or photo with dimensions, a material note with target GSM and weave, a color reference, and the print description. You do not need a full tech pack for the inquiry stage; you need enough detail that two factories answer the same product question.

Include your target quantity and destination country, because both change the quote and the answers. A 500-bag inquiry gets different MOQ math than a 50,000-bag order, and a DDP quote to the US differs from FOB Ningbo. State the incoterm you want quoted, and ask for the alternative price under the other incoterm so the comparison stays apples to apples.

Finally, set a response deadline. A seven-day window is standard, and it silently scores responsiveness: factories that miss it will miss production milestones too. If a supplier asks for an extension, grant one once, then watch whether the eventual answer is complete or padded.

The 14 Questions at a Glance

The four groups follow the buyer’s own risk order: if the material is wrong, nothing else matters; if compliance is missing, the shipment can be stopped; if production is unreliable, the season is missed; and if the commercial terms hide costs, the margin disappears. Score each group separately, then rank factories on the weakest group, not the average.

Material and Construction Questions

Question 1 asks for the exact material spec: polymer type, weave construction, GSM, and denier where relevant. The right answer names numbers, like 90 GSM woven PP with 1000D flat yarn or 12 oz cotton canvas. The wrong answer says “high quality fabric.” GSM and denier decide strength and price, and a factory that cannot state its own material numbers is quoting someone else’s product.

Question 2 covers construction details: laminated or unlaminated, gusset dimensions, seam type, and stitch density. Lamination changes waterproofing and print hold, and gussets change capacity and carton fit. Ask for the construction to be written into the quotation itself, so the price is tied to a specific build rather than a category name.

Question 3 requests the handle attachment method and its tested strength. The useful answer names the stitch pattern and a test value, like box-stitched webbing handles holding 500 kgf on the tensile report. The evasive answer says “reinforced handles” with no number. Handle attachment is the top failure point in moving bags, and the inquiry is the cheapest place to catch it.

Question 4 asks whether the factory can supply a physical swatch with the quote. Serious factories mail swatches or photos of lab-dipped samples within days. Traders stall, because they need to order the swatch from the same factory they are reselling. Swatch speed is a surprisingly reliable proxy for factory-direct status.

Compliance and Testing Questions

Question 5 asks for current BSCI certification with a scope certificate. BSCI, the amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative, is a third-party audited standard for working conditions, and the scope certificate names the factory address and audit date. The amfori organization publishes how the audit system works, so you can verify a factory’s claims instead of trusting a logo pasted into an email.

Question 6 requests GRS certification if you plan recycled-content claims. The Global Recycled Standard certifies the recycled content percentage and tracks it through chain of custody from reclaim to finished bag. A GRS scope certificate plus a transaction certificate for your batch is the evidence that turns a marketing claim into a defensible one.

Question 7 asks for test reports with the lab named, the standard named, and the batch identified. Ask for tensile and tear strength per ASTM D5034 or ISO equivalent, and seam strength where relevant. The answer you want names SGS, Intertek, or an equivalent third-party lab and a production batch number. The answer that fails names no lab or says “tests available on request,” which usually means they have not run them.

One screening fact worth remembering: only about 28% of woven PP bag factories keep an in-house tensile tester, according to industry sourcing data, and the rest outsource. That means a test report without a named lab may describe a different batch than the one you receive. Tie every report to the batch number in the written response.

Production and QC Questions

Question 8 asks for the MOQ per design and per color, with the logic behind it. A factory that breaks down the number, like one loom day, one dye lot, or one screen setup, shows real cost knowledge. A factory that quotes a round number with no breakdown is pricing defensively, and the MOQ may move after you order. Compare the answer against the MOQ mechanics guide to see which breakdowns are legitimate.

Question 9 asks for the sample timeline: cutting sample, pre-production sample, and mass production sample, each with dates. The right answer runs 1-3 weeks for the pre-production sample after artwork approval, followed by a photo or video report before bulk production starts. The wrong answer offers one vague “sample in two weeks” date, which usually means the sample stage will consume your production window.

Question 10 asks for the QC checkpoint list and the AQL level used at final inspection. The answer should name specific checkpoints: incoming fabric check, in-line sewing inspection, print alignment check, and a final AQL 2.5 general inspection with random sampling. This question separates factories that inspect from factories that ship, and it is the same list you would run in a factory audit report later.

Commercial and Logistics Questions

Question 11 asks for a unit price breakdown under two incoterms: FOB and DDP. The FOB price isolates the product cost, while the DDP price includes freight, duty, and domestic delivery in one number. The gap between them reveals the factory’s logistics capability. A factory that quotes DDP confidently has a freight network; one that only offers FOB may be a trader without shipment control.

Question 12 asks for payment terms and the deposit structure. Standard terms run 30% deposit with the balance before shipment, and established factories accept T/T with some flexibility. The red flag is a factory demanding 70% or more upfront with no third-party verification option. Payment terms are the last line of defense between you and a lost deposit, so negotiate them in the inquiry, not under deadline pressure.

Question 13 asks for total lead time from artwork approval to port or door, broken into sample, production, and QC stages. The right answer states each stage, like 2 weeks sample, 4 weeks production, 1 week inspection and packing. The vague answer gives one date and hides which stage is likely to slip. Add 20% to the factory’s number when you plan your season, and hold them to the original in writing.

Question 14 asks how the factory handles defects and overruns. The answer should state the allowed overrun percentage, the defect allowance, and the remedy for defective units, such as replacement or credit. This question is the one most buyers skip, and it is the one that decides who pays when a production run comes up short. A written answer here prevents a dispute that would otherwise start at the dock.

Scoring the Responses and Next Steps

Score each answer on a three-point scale: complete with documents, complete without documents, or evasive. Rank the factories by their weakest group, then shortlist the top two. From there, the process moves to samples and verification: order the pre-production sample, run the handle and print checks, and book the third-party inspection. The pre-production sample guide covers the acceptance tests that follow a strong written response.

Two follow-up moves close the loop. First, ask the shortlisted factories for a video walkthrough of the production floor, which confirms the factory exists and shows the equipment that answered the RFQ. Second, request a reference order or a certificate tied to a named batch. A factory that passes the 14 questions and these two checks has earned the sample order.

Keep every RFQ response on file, including the evasive ones. Six months later, when a supplier misses a deadline or changes a spec, the original response is your leverage and your record. The RFQ is not paperwork; it is the first page of the contract you are about to sign.

Questions fréquemment posées

Conclusion

Fourteen questions will not guarantee a perfect factory, but they will remove the factories that cannot answer them. Material spec, certifications, QC checkpoints, and commercial terms are all knowable before you commit, and the RFQ is the cheapest way to learn them. The factories that answer completely earn the sample order; the rest saved you a mistake.

• Attach a mini tech pack with dimensions, material, and destination.
• Score material, compliance, production, and commercial groups separately.
• Demand named labs, scope certificates, and batch-tied test reports.
• Shortlist on the weakest group, then verify with samples and video.

TIIOCTI answers complete RFQs within two working days, with free samples, BSCI and GRS documentation, and DDP delivery options. Send your RFQ and put the template to work.