Suppliers cannot quote accurately without drawings, tolerances and a bill of materials. But those files are often a company's most valuable know-how. Good RFQ practice shares what each supplier needs, at the stage they need it, under agreed confidentiality terms. This is orientation, not legal advice; confidentiality law differs by country.
Why confidentiality is worth planning
WIPO notes that trade secrets keep their protection only while the owner takes reasonable steps to keep them secret. Sending full design files to every supplier without agreements or controls can weaken your position if information later leaks.
Stage what you disclose
- First stage: share a summary scope, materials, quantities and target dates so suppliers can say whether they are a fit.
- Second stage: after an NDA is signed, share drawings and the BOM with shortlisted suppliers.
- Final stage: share full production files only with the supplier you award.
Control the files themselves
Send PDFs or neutral formats instead of native CAD where a quote does not need the native file. Add the recipient's name and date to drawings as a watermark. Remove details that do not affect price, such as internal part numbers or customer names. Keep a log of who received which revision.
Use mutual NDAs where both sides share information
Suppliers often share process details, pricing and capacity, so a mutual NDA is fairer than a one-way one. Define what counts as confidential, how long the obligation lasts and what happens to files when the project ends.
On Quotendra, a buyer can mark an RFQ as NDA-protected. The supplier sees only basic details until they sign the NDA; the full scope and bill of materials stay hidden, and quotes cannot be submitted until it is signed.
Sources et lectures complémentaires
Guides acheteurs
Des guides courts et éprouvés pour les équipes achats : comment rédiger une demande que les fournisseurs peuvent chiffrer précisément, et comment comparer les devis reçus.