> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.seloria.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# RFIs

> Build a supplier questionnaire, collect structured responses, and promote qualified suppliers to an RFP.

A Request for Information (RFI) is a structured questionnaire you send to suppliers before running a formal sourcing process. Use it to map the market, prequalify contractors, or gather capability data — no pricing, no line items.

Only **buyers, PMs, and admins** can create and issue RFIs.

## Creating an RFI

1. Click **New Request** and choose the **RFI** card. Seloria creates a silent draft (no one is notified) and opens the editor. Alternatively, start from the RFI tracker's **New** entry, fill in the basics, and click **Save as draft**.
2. On the **Basics** tab, enter a **Title** (for example, "MEP contractors prequalification — Lusail Marina Tower 3"), a **Description**, the response **Deadline**, and the **Requester** (defaults to you; you can pick any user in your organization).
3. Save. Once the draft exists, the **Questions** and **Suppliers** tabs unlock.

The editor shows a KPI strip with a completion percentage (title, description, deadline, at least one supplier, at least one question), the invited-supplier count, the question count, and days remaining until the deadline (amber when 7 days or fewer remain).

## Building the questionnaire

On the **Questions** tab, add questions one at a time by clicking the button for the answer type you want:

* **Text** — free-form written answer.
* **Yes / No**
* **Single choice** and **Multiple choice** — you supply the options as a comma-separated list.
* **Number**
* **Date**
* **File upload** — the supplier attaches a document.

For each question you can:

* Type the question text inline — changes save automatically as you type.
* Mark it **Required**.
* Delete it with the trash icon (appears on hover).

Questions are numbered in order. There is no separate "save" step for the questionnaire; edits persist immediately.

## Inviting suppliers

On the **Suppliers** tab:

1. Use the supplier picker to select companies from your directory. Suppliers already on the list are hidden from the picker, so you can't add the same supplier twice.
2. Click **Add to list**. Added suppliers sit in *Pending* status — nothing has been emailed yet.
3. Send invitations either individually (the send icon on a row) or all at once with **Send invitations**.

You can also publish from the detail page: when the RFI is in **Draft**, the primary button is **Publish**, which emails every shortlisted supplier. Publishing requires at least one supplier on the list.

Each invitation email contains a personal link to the supplier portal where the supplier answers your questionnaire — suppliers never need a Seloria account. Emails go to the supplier's registered contacts in each contact's preferred language (English or Spanish). The supplier row shows the invitation status (*Pending*, *Sent*, *Opened*, *Responded*, *Declined*) and the date it was sent.

## Reviewing responses

Open the RFI's detail page and go to the **Responses** tab. Responses appear once a supplier submits through the portal:

* A summary line shows how many suppliers responded across how many questions.
* A comparison matrix lists one row per supplier and one column per question, so you can scan answers side by side.
* Text answers display inline; file-upload answers show a **View file** link; unanswered questions show a dash.
* Each supplier row includes the contact email and submission date.

The detail page also has a **Summary** tab (key details and description), a read-only **Questions** tab, a **Suppliers** tab, and a **History** tab with the full audit feed — creation, edits with before/after values, status changes, and who did what, grouped by day.

## Promoting to an RFP

When responses have told you who's qualified, move the process forward:

* On an **issued** RFI, the primary button on the detail page becomes **Promote to RFP**.
* You can also use the **3-dot menu** (on the detail page or in the **Requests** tracker) — an RFI can be promoted to an **RFP** or, if scope is already clear, directly to an **RFQ**.

A confirmation dialog summarizes what carries over: the scope fields (title, description, organizational context, budget) and the supplier shortlist, with all suppliers reset to *invited*. RFI questions and responses stay on the RFI — they are reference material, not part of the new document. The new document starts as a draft with its own number and a default deadline 14 days out.

After promotion, the **Lineage** breadcrumb on both documents links the chain, so anyone opening the RFP can jump back to the RFI and its responses in one click.