MEP RFQ Template for a Factory or Warehouse: Copy, Fill and Issue

Name: Secured Engineers Private Limited — Noida (Delhi NCR)
Address: Supertech, Astralis Supernova, Sector 94, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201301, IN
Telephone: +91 70099 85817

22 October 2026 · 5 min read · by Secured Engineers Editorial Team

Title card reading MEP RFQ Template for a Factory or Warehouse: Copy, Fill and Issue. — Title card. Not a photograph of a Secured Engineers site.

An MEP RFQ for a factory or warehouse should fix six things before any price is asked: the scope by trade, the drawings and specifications that define it, the price schedule format, the commercial terms, the programme and the documents each bidder must attach. Below is a full template, field by field, with the mistake each field prevents.

What is the template, section by section?

Copy this into your own document and replace every bracket. If a section does not apply, write "not applicable" rather than deleting it, so bidders cannot say it was missing.

Section	Fill in	Mistake it prevents
1. Project particulars	[Project name], [site address], [plot and built-up area], [structure: PEB or RCC], [floors], [occupancy], [state fire service, DISCOM and pollution board that apply]	Bids priced for the wrong code regime or the wrong climate
2. Scope by trade	For each of HT and LT electrical, DG, earthing and lightning protection, lighting, HVAC, plumbing and drainage, fire fighting and detection, ELV, and any solar: mark design, supply, install, test, commission as [included] or [excluded]	Items assumed in by you and out by the bidder
3. Documents issued	[Drawing list with revision numbers], [specification], [BOQ], [soil or site report], all marked "issued for tender"	Bidders pricing different drawing revisions
4. Design basis	[Connected and demand load], [redundancy such as N+1], [design temperatures], [lux levels], [fire hazard class], [future expansion allowance]	Under-design that passes the tender and fails at inspection
5. Approved makes	[Three makes per major item] "or equivalent approved by the Engineer in writing"	Price gaps that are really brand swaps
6. Price schedule	The format in the next section, issued as a spreadsheet	Lump sums that cannot be compared
7. Commercial terms	[Bid validity], [bid security], [performance security], [retention], [payment milestones], [delay damages], [defect liability period], [price variation], [GST shown separately]	Disputes about money found only after award
8. Programme and site	[Start date], [completion date], [site access and working hours], [construction power and water], [storage area], [hot-work permits]	Unpriced site constraints
9. Statutory approvals	Who prepares, files and pays for [Fire NOC], [CEIG], [DISCOM], [consent to operate]	An approval nobody owns
10. Bidder submissions	[Company registration], [licences], [three similar projects with client contacts], [site team CVs], [programme], [make list], [exclusions list], [alternative offers, marked separately]	Hidden exclusions and unqualified bidders
11. Queries and evaluation	[Last date for queries], [how addenda are issued], [technical gate, then price]	Unequal information between bidders

How should the price schedule be laid out?

Issue one schedule for all bidders, trade by trade, and tell them to price every line. A bidder who changes the format, or adds a lump sum, should be asked to resubmit. A bill of quantities works because every bidder multiplies the same quantities by their own rates.

Item	Description	Unit	Qty	Approved make	Rate	Amount
E-01	[Main LT panel, with ratings and fault level]	No.	[qty]	[make]	[rate]	[amount]
E-14	[LT armoured cable, core count and size]	m	[qty]	[make]	[rate]	[amount]
F-03	[Fire pump set, duty flow and head]	Set	[qty]	[make]	[rate]	[amount]
P-07	[Water supply pipe, material and diameter]	m	[qty]	[make]	[rate]	[amount]
G-01	Testing, commissioning and documentation	LS	1	NA	[rate]	[amount]

Keep lump sums for items that are genuinely one thing, such as testing and handover documents. Give each trade its own subtotal and a separate line for approvals support, so you can see what you pay for filings. Show GST as a line below the total rather than inside the rates.

Which commercial terms are common, and which can you borrow?

There is no statutory template for a private MEP contract, but the Government of India's own Manual for Procurement of Works (Second Edition, 2025) is a worked reference. These are its benchmarks. Use them as a starting point and adjust to your risk.

Term	Manual's benchmark
Bid security (earnest money)	Ordinarily 2 to 5 per cent of the estimated value of the works
Performance security	3 to 10 per cent of the contract value, held until the defect liability period ends
Retention	Usually 5 per cent of each running bill, half released at taking over
Delay damages	0.5 per cent of contract value per week of delay, capped at 5 per cent
Price variation	Not usually applied where completion is within 18 months

The manual also separates lump sum contracts, which suit fully defined scope, from item rate contracts paid on measured quantities, where quantity variations of roughly 10 to 15 per cent are typically absorbed at the contract rate. A factory with drawings still moving usually belongs on item rates. Our turnkey EPC page explains when a single lump sum is the better fit.

How do you compare the quotes that come back?

Work in this order, and do not open the commercial offers of bidders who fail the first step.

Technical gate: licences, three comparable projects, named site team, programme that fits your dates.
Normalise exclusions: move each bidder's exclusions into one column and price them, using the highest figure or your own estimate. A low total with a long exclusion list is rarely the low bid.
Compare trade subtotals, not only the grand total. One trade priced far below the others usually signals a lighter specification or a missing line.
Look at the rates for cable, pipe and panels. Very low unit rates on heavy items with high rates on small ones can be front-loading, which strains your cash flow.
Send the same clarification questions to every bidder, and share the answers with all of them.
Call two clients per shortlisted bidder and ask about handover quality and documents, not only price.

What mistakes recur when RFQs are written?

Asking for "MEP works as per drawings" with no list of trades. Name each system.
Leaving the approvals owner blank. Fire NOC and CEIG have lead times that move the handover date.
Accepting "or equivalent" with no approval route. State who approves, and in what time.
Comparing quotes without checking exclusions. Make bidders list them on one page.
Issuing an addendum by phone. Issue every change in writing to every bidder.

How Secured Engineers helps

We design in-house, and we prepare and file Fire NOC, CEIG and DISCOM net-metering papers ourselves, so a scope we price carries the approvals as a named line. MEPF and solar can sit under one contract. We work from offices in Noida (Delhi NCR) and Ludhiana, with 535+ projects across 18+ states and 89.77% repeat clients. We can also check an RFQ you have already drafted: tell us what is missing, not only what is priced.

To issue this template as a package, use our RFQ page with your drawings and BOQ. You can also read about the MEPF contracting service, message us on WhatsApp, call +91 70099 85817, or ask for a free proposal.

Frequently asked

What is an RFQ in MEP works?

A request for quotation is the package you send to contractors so that every bid is based on the same scope, drawings, specifications, price format and commercial terms. In MEP works it names each trade, states who files approvals, and gives a priced schedule so quotes can be compared line by line instead of by total.

How many contractors should receive an MEP RFQ?

Three to five qualified bidders is a workable range. Fewer than three gives little comparison, and more than five makes the clarification work heavy for little extra benefit. Pre-qualify first on licences, similar completed projects and capacity, then issue the full package only to those who pass.

Should an MEP RFQ be lump sum or item rate?

Use lump sum when scope and drawings are fully defined and unlikely to change. Use item rate, with quantities in a BOQ and a variation limit, when drawings are still developing. The Government of India Works Manual describes both and notes that item rate contracts typically allow quantity variations of about 10 to 15 per cent at contract rates.

Who should own the Fire NOC and CEIG approvals in the RFQ?

Name one owner for each approval in the RFQ, with the fee payer. Many owners ask the MEP contractor to prepare and file them because the drawings come from the same team. Whichever way you decide, state it in section 9, since the approvals lead time affects the handover date.

Can I use this template for a solar or fire-only package?

Yes, by deleting the trades you do not need in section 2 and adapting the design basis in section 4. For a solar plant also add the roof structure condition, interconnection voltage, metering arrangement and the module and inverter make list. Keep the commercial terms and the submission list the same.

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