Overview
A quick overview of how the SolarMarket RFQ workflow moves from invite to order, with links to the screen-by-screen guides for each step.
What you will achieve
- Understand the full RFQ lifecycle at a glance: invited, quote, message, award, order.
- Know which detailed guide to open for the screen you are working on.
- Avoid missing invites or under-preparing a quote because the workflow was unclear.
Step-by-step
- A buyer RFQ invites your shop to quote; it lands in your RFQ inbox with a limited number of invite slots.
- You open the RFQ and build a quote on the quote form: line items, charges, discount, financing terms, lead time, and validity.
- You submit the quote, then you and the buyer message each other on the quote page to clarify requirements, and you can request an award once you are confident.
- Once the buyer accepts, the quote locks, an order is created, and the RFQ moves into normal fulfillment.
- Inbox and invite slots — a tab-by-tab walkthrough of every badge, counter, and button you will see.
- The quote form — every field on the form, top to bottom, exactly as it appears.
- The quote page — the buyer contact block, the message thread, and the award request modal, screen by screen.
- RFQ profile — the 3-step wizard that decides which RFQs you get invited to.
Open the invite while it is fresh, quote with a realistic price and lead time, answer buyer questions quickly, and request the award once the conversation supports it. Sellers who move through each screen promptly convert more RFQs into orders.
Seller checklist
- RFQ inbox is checked regularly so invites are not missed.
- Quotes are built with real pricing, lead time, and financing detail.
- Buyer messages are answered quickly.
- The RFQ profile is complete so invites match what you can actually deliver.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an RFQ on SolarMarket?
A Request for Quotation is a buyer request that invites one or more sellers to submit a priced quote for a specific need, instead of buying directly from a listed offer.
Where do I see RFQs I have been invited to?
In your seller RFQ inbox, which also shows how many invite slots remain and whether an invite is new, responded to, or closed.
What happens after I submit a quote?
The buyer can message you for clarification, and once they are ready to proceed you can request the award; an accepted quote becomes an order.
