What this form is
Official title: Request for Quotation (THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)
Current edition: Standard Form 18 (REV. 6/1995) — still the current edition
Prescribed by: FAR 53.213(a) / use at FAR 13.307(b). (The 1995 form's printed footer cites the pre-rewrite FAR 53.215-1(a); the live prescription moved.)
Official download: https://www.gsa.gov/system/files/SF18-95a.pdf
The parenthetical in the title is the whole lesson: the government is asking for market information under simplified acquisition procedures. Your quotation is not an offer the government can "accept" into a contract — under FAR 13.004, the purchase order that may follow is the offer, and YOU then accept or decline it.
The blocks, one by one
| Block | Label on the form | Who fills it in, and with what |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | REQUEST NUMBER / DATE ISSUED / REQUISITION NUMBER / CERT. FOR NAT. DEF. UNDER BDSA REG. 2 AND/OR DMS REG. 1 — RATING | Government |
| 5a/5b | ISSUED BY / FOR INFORMATION CALL (NO COLLECT CALLS) | Government |
| 6 | DELIVER BY (Date) | Government |
| 7 | DELIVERY — FOB DESTINATION / OTHER (See Schedule) | Government |
| 8 | TO: name, company, street address, city, state, ZIP | Government — the vendor being asked |
| 9 | DESTINATION — consignee name and address | Government |
| 10 | PLEASE FURNISH QUOTATIONS TO THE ISSUING OFFICE ON OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date) + the IMPORTANT paragraph: quotations "are not offers"; the request "does not commit the Government to pay any costs"; supplies are of domestic origin unless indicated; attached reps/certs must be completed by the quoter | Government sets the date; the paragraph governs the quoter |
| 11 | SCHEDULE — (a) ITEM NUMBER, (b) SUPPLIES/SERVICES, (c) QUANTITY, (d) UNIT, (e) UNIT PRICE, (f) AMOUNT | Government fills (a)–(d); quoter fills (e) and (f) |
| 12 | DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT (10 / 20 / 30 / ___ CALENDAR DAYS %) | Quoter |
| 13 | NAME AND ADDRESS OF QUOTER | Quoter |
| 14 | SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN QUOTATION | Quoter |
| 15 | DATE OF QUOTATION | Quoter |
| 16 | SIGNER — name, telephone, title | Quoter |
Common mistakes
- Treating your quote — or the government's response to it — as a contract. The form says quotations "are not offers." The later purchase order is the offer (FAR 13.004); you can decline it, and until you accept (by signature or by performing), there is no contract.
- Skipping attached representations and certifications. Block 10's IMPORTANT text requires any attached reps/certs to be completed by the quoter.
- Tossing the form when you can't quote. It asks you to mark "unable to quote" and return it — silence is how vendors quietly fall off source lists. (Consequence is practice, not regulation.)
FAQ
Is a quotation on an SF 18 a binding offer?
No. The form itself states quotations are not offers. Under FAR 13.004 the government's purchase order is the offer, which the supplier may accept or reject.
Who fills in the unit prices on the SF 18?
The quoter — columns (e) unit price and (f) amount of block 11; the government completes the item, description, quantity, and unit columns.