A request for tender is an invitation for suppliers to bid on supplying a product or service. In the public sector it is required by law that this process (RFT) be left open to the public, be free of bribery, and involve no favoritism. RFT's and other various requests (RFI's, RFP's, ITB’s, etc.) are distributed to potential bidders through services that alert bidders daily through email.

Request for tenders will generally be issued when requirements for the project at-hand are of $25,000 or more. Often times they are issued when the selection of a supplier cannot be made solely on the basis of the lowest price. An RFT is used to procure the most cost-effective solution based upon evaluation criteria identified in the RFP.