How to Post an RFQ on Exportain

Posting an RFQ on Exportain turns a buying requirement into an open lead that suppliers in the relevant category can view and quote against. The platform's buying guide lists this as step five of its eight-step path: state quantity and unit, target price, destination, Incoterm, required certifications, and deadline, and suppliers in that category can view it and quote against it.¹ Open buying leads are described the same way: open sourcing requirements posted by buyers, which registered Bangladeshi suppliers can quote against.² This guide follows that posting flow, from the requirement to the accepted quotation, using only what the platform pages show.

What it is

An RFQ on Exportain is a posted buying requirement, not an order and not a message to one supplier. Once posted, it sits as an open lead in its category, and any registered supplier in that category can submit a quotation against it.² That is the point of the format: one stated requirement, answered by more than one supplier.

Posting an RFQ is different from sending an order request. An order request goes to a supplier whose product a buyer has already chosen, added to a cart, and sent onward, or to a supplier messaged directly from its profile.¹ An RFQ fits the earlier stage, when the buyer knows what is needed but has not yet chosen who will supply it. Use the order request when the supplier is already chosen, and an RFQ when competing quotations are wanted.¹

What posting creates is a recorded trail. A buyer's RFQ, every quotation version, every counter-offer, and the accepted terms are stored server-side, and both parties see the same history, including unit price, MOQ, lead time, Incoterm, payment terms, and validity date.³ Nothing in that trail makes Exportain a party to the contract between buyer and supplier: Exportain does not arbitrate commercial disputes and does not act as a party to that contract.³

Who it is for

This route is for international buyers sourcing products from Bangladesh who want quotations from more than one supplier before committing to terms. It suits a buyer who can state the six items the platform lists but has not yet chosen a supplier. A buyer who has already settled on a supplier and a product will usually find the order request the shorter route.¹

On the other side of the lead are registered Bangladeshi suppliers. The supplier directory lists registered suppliers, with trust badges shown on each row that has earned them.⁴ A supplier's ability to answer leads is shaped by its membership plan: the Free plan allows 10 RFQ quotations per month, while Gold and Platinum allow unlimited RFQ quotations.⁵ Membership never grants a verification badge, and verification is reviewed separately.⁶ The pool answering an RFQ therefore mixes suppliers who carry badges for checks reviewed, and suppliers who do not.

Step-by-step with screenshots

The steps below follow the published platform text rather than reproducing screens, which the public platform pages do not show.

The diagram below shows the posting flow in four stages, from stating the requirement to accepting a quotation.

1. Confirm the account behind the RFQ. Buyer and supplier accounts confirm ownership of an email address or phone number with a one-time code.⁶ Resolve any account check problem before posting, since the RFQ and its quotation history are tied to that account.³

2. Choose the RFQ route, not the order request. Post an RFQ when the aim is competing quotations from suppliers in a category.¹ That choice decides who sees the requirement.^{1 2}

3. State the six items the platform lists. The buying guide's RFQ step lists quantity and unit, target price, destination, Incoterm, required certifications, and deadline.¹ Each item does a distinct job in the quotation that comes back. Quantity and unit set the volume being priced. Target price shows the budget the requirement is aimed at. Destination and Incoterm set where the price must deliver and what it must include. Required certifications filter for suppliers who can meet a compliance need. The deadline sets when quotations are due. Leave an item out and the quotations will be priced on different assumptions.

4. Post the requirement as an open lead. Once posted, the requirement becomes one of the open buying leads that registered Bangladeshi suppliers can view and quote against.² Suppliers in that category can view it and quote against it.¹

5. Read quotations as versions, not as single replies. Every quotation is versioned, showing unit price, MOQ, lead time, Incoterm, payment terms, and validity, and a buyer counter-offers in the same thread.¹ Both parties see the same history, so revisions stay attached to the same requirement.³ Compare the full version, not the headline price alone.

6. Accept one quotation to create the order record. Accepting creates an order record with the accepted terms attached.³ When a buyer accepts a quotation, Exportain creates one order and issues one proforma invoice from the accepted terms, covering quantity, unit price, currency, and Incoterm as quoted.⁶ A quotation can be accepted once, and a second acceptance for the same request is refused.⁶ Acceptance is the step that turns a quoted lead into a recorded order.

7. Settle on the accepted terms, in writing first. Payment for goods is settled directly between buyer and supplier on the terms in the accepted quotation, unless both agree to a funds hold.³ A supplier can ask for a funds hold of up to the order value, and the buyer chooses whether to pay it by card or decline it.³ Before paying, agree the Incoterm, payment schedule, inspection, and shipment terms in writing, and note that Exportain does not guarantee refunds.³

Tips

• Pick the category with the same care as the requirement. Suppliers in that category are the ones who can view the lead and quote against it, so a requirement in the wrong category reaches the wrong suppliers.^{1 2}

• Keep every counter-offer in the same thread. The RFQ, every quotation version, every counter-offer, and the accepted terms are stored server-side and seen by both parties.³ A term agreed outside that thread is not part of that record.

• Treat acceptance as final for that request. A quotation can be accepted once, and a second acceptance for the same request is refused, so compare the full versions before accepting.^{6 1}

• Read badges as check records, not as guarantees. A badge records checks the Exportain team has reviewed, and it is not a capacity, quality, or delivery guarantee.⁶ A company without a badge shows nothing, not a placeholder.⁶

FAQs

Is it free?

The platform pages read for this guide do not list a buyer fee for posting an RFQ. The membership page lists seller plans only: Free at no charge, Gold at 499 BDT per month, and Platinum at 999 BDT per month, governing seller listing quotas, inquiry limits, and team seats rather than buyer access.⁵ Supplier verification is free and never purchased, and membership plans never grant a trust badge.⁶

How long does it take?

No fixed timeline for receiving quotations is published on the platform pages read for this guide. The pace depends on supplier responses and on quotation versions and counter-offers in the thread.^{1 3} Where a funds hold is used, the hold is kept until the supplier has filed an export clearance document and the buyer has confirmed the trade complete.³

Who can use it?

International buyers sourcing from Bangladesh can post RFQs, and registered Bangladeshi suppliers can submit a quotation against any open lead.² Buyer and supplier accounts confirm ownership of an email address or phone number with a one-time code.⁶

Where can I get support?

If a supplier does not honour accepted terms, contact Exportain with the order reference, so the team can review the recorded RFQ, quotation, and message history.³ Exportain may suspend or remove accounts that breach the terms of use, but it does not act as a court and cannot compel payment or delivery.⁶ If the problem is suspected fraud or misrepresentation, such as a counterfeit certificate, report it to the trust and safety team, where reports are reviewed by a person.⁶

Next steps on Exportain

Read the platform buying guide for the full eight-step path: How to Buy on Exportain. Before accepting a quotation, read the Trust Center for what each badge covers and what it does not, and read Buyer Protection for the recorded quotation trail, the funds hold, and the dispute and reporting routes.