A bid request is not the same thing as asking for a quote. A quote is a friendly reply from a salesperson. A bid request is a formal document that locks every dealer into the same questions, the same scope, and the same disclosures. If you want a fair fight on price, write a bid request.
Here is how to write one that gets you real numbers in under a week.
What a Bid Request Is and Is Not
A bid request (sometimes called a request for bid or RFB) is shorter and more direct than a full RFP. RFPs ask vendors to propose a solution. Bid requests assume you already know what you want and ask vendors to compete on price and terms.
For copier leases, a bid request is usually the right tool. You know you need a copier. You know roughly what size. You just want to see who can offer the best deal on the same machine.
Step 1: Decide Exactly What You Are Bidding
Before you write a word, write down the machine type, the term, and the volume. Be specific.
Example spec: “One A3 color multifunction copier. Minimum 35 pages per minute. Duplex scanning. 100 sheet document feeder. Stapler finisher. 60 month FMV lease. Monthly volume of 4,500 black pages and 1,200 color pages.”
If you cannot describe what you want in three sentences, you are not ready to send a bid request yet.
Step 2: List the Mandatory Disclosures
This is where you make the bid request useful. State that every bid must include the following, or it will be rejected:
Equipment make and model. Monthly lease payment. Lease term and type (FMV or $1 buyout). Residual percentage assumed in the quote. Money factor used. Buy rate from the leasing company. Black and white click rate. Color click rate. Annual click rate increase, if any. All fees expressed in dollars (delivery, setup, network config, property tax, document fee, end of lease return). Lease end notice requirements (auto renewal or not).
Yes, this is a lot. That is the point. A serious dealer can produce it in 24 hours. A sloppy one cannot.
Step 3: State Your Volume Clearly
Include your average monthly print volume and your peak month volume. If your peak month is 50% higher than average, say so. The service contract should be priced around peak, not average, or you will pay overage every busy month.
Also list any paper sizes you actually use, any specialty paper (cardstock, glossy, envelopes), and any color heavy use cases. The more specific you are, the cleaner the bids come back.
Step 4: Spell Out the Exit Terms You Want
Most copier lease pain happens at lease end. Lock that down now.
Include in your bid request: “We require no auto renewal at lease end. Written notice of lease end 120 days, 90 days, and 60 days before expiration. No return shipping or freight fees. No end of lease inspection penalty for normal wear and tear. Right to purchase the equipment at lease end at the stated residual.”
Some dealers will quote these. Some will refuse. Both outcomes are useful information.
Step 5: Set a Hard Deadline
Give bidders a specific date and time. “Bids due Friday, May 22, 5:00 PM Eastern. Late bids will not be considered.”
This does three things. It forces dealers to prioritize your bid over warm leads. It puts everyone on the same schedule for comparison. And it signals you are running a real process, not fishing for free quotes.
Step 6: Specify How You Will Choose
Buyers who do not say how they will choose usually get the cheapest bid, even if the cheap bid has terrible exit terms. Avoid that.
Sample decision criteria: “We will evaluate total cost of ownership over 60 months (60% weight), exit and flexibility terms (25%), and service response time SLA (15%). Lowest total cost will not automatically win.”
Step 7: Send It to Three or More Dealers Simultaneously
Email the bid request to at least three dealers at the same time. Authorized manufacturer dealers (Canon, Ricoh, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, Sharp, Xerox) and at least one regional independent.
Do not let one dealer reply first and then shop their number around. Real competition only happens when everyone is bidding at the same time without knowing what the others said.
What Most Guides Miss
Here is the part nobody writes about. Dealers are required to disclose financing terms under Article 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs equipment leases in every state. They cannot legally hide the lease terms. They just rely on buyers not knowing they can ask.
In your bid request, cite the UCC. One line is enough: “All financing disclosures required under UCC Article 2A must be included with the bid.” This signals you know your rights and will read the master lease before signing. Reps treat bid requests with that line very differently.
One more underused tactic: ask for the W9 of the leasing company they intend to use, not just the dealer’s W9. The lease is held by the leasing company. You want to know who you are actually in business with for the next five years.
For more on what those disclosures should look like in practice, our copier lease pricing guide has live benchmarks. And the termination fee guide covers the back end traps.
Ready to Compare Copier Lease Quotes?
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