A strong RFQ enables bidders to answer the same technical question. For water treatment, that means issuing a controlled design basis, water data, project boundary, scope split, site constraints, documentation list, testing requirements, and clarification process before comparing offers.
Issue a controlled technical basis
The technical basis should identify the available source-water data, product-water objective, demand profile, operating conditions, utilities, site location, layout constraints, owner requirements, and applicable project documents. Include the revision status and a process for adding missing information so suppliers do not build incompatible assumptions into their proposals.
World Bank sample bidding documents illustrate the value of defined responsibilities and controlled procurement documentation in water and wastewater projects.[1] The principle for an EPC RFQ is the same: make scope and evidence visible before commercial comparison.
- Controlled design-basis document
- Source-water and product-water data
- Site, utility, and logistics information
- Document revision and clarification procedure
Separate package scope from project interfaces
List the package scope and the works supplied by others. This commonly includes civil foundations, external tanks, site pipework, electrical distribution, drainage, chemical storage, communications, discharges, lifting, commissioning support, and operator training. The list should assign an owner to each item.
The purpose is not to transfer every risk to a supplier. It is to identify the risk early enough to price, engineer, and manage it transparently.
- Supply and installation boundary
- Utilities and external works
- Residuals and drainage responsibility
- Commissioning and handover boundary
Request comparable documentation
The RFQ should request enough technical documentation to assess the offered concept. Depending on the project stage, that may include process description, PFD, preliminary P&ID, equipment schedule, data sheets, layout, electrical/control narrative, assumptions, exclusions, test plan, document register, and O&M scope.
Bidders should identify deviations from the requirement rather than hide them in general notes. EPC teams can then compare technical differences before they become site changes.
- Technical submission schedule
- Assumption and deviation register
- FAT/SAT and commissioning plan
- O&M, spares, and training proposal
Manage clarification and award
Use a clarification log that connects every answer to the relevant requirement. Classify changes as technical, commercial, interface, schedule, or documentation matters and track who must close them. Avoid treating an unanswered technical point as included by default.
The award recommendation should identify the accepted design basis, key exclusions, required pre-award submissions, and conditions that remain subject to water analysis or site confirmation.
- Clarification log
- Comparable bid matrix
- Accepted assumptions
- Pre-award engineering actions
Related Engineering Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should an EPC RFQ include first?
The controlled design basis, representative water data, scope boundary, site conditions, documentation requirement, test boundary, and clarification process.
Can suppliers be compared if water data is incomplete?
They can provide preliminary concepts, but missing data should remain visible as an assumption or clarification rather than an implied final guarantee.
Sources & Reading Notes
These sources support the engineering context of this guide. Final project decisions remain subject to current water data, owner requirements, applicable rules, and approved design documentation.
- World Bank — Sample Bidding Documents for Water and Wastewater Treatment PlantsProcurement and responsibility framework context.
- Georgia EPD — Surface Water Treatment Plant ChecklistTreatment-project checklist context.