Overview
Use this Ultrasound RFQ Template as a structured starting point for hospital biomedical engineering and procurement teams. The final RFQ should be adapted to local clinical workload, site conditions, budget controls, and procurement policy.
The template is vendor-neutral. It asks vendors to itemize scope, provide evidence for technical compliance, disclose exclusions, and separate capital price from accessories, consumables, software, installation, training, and service.
WHO medical-device procurement guidance is treated as the baseline: the RFQ should show health service need, transparent requirements, value-for-money lifecycle review, and a plan for safe installation, operation, maintenance, documentation, and eventual replacement or decommissioning.
The WHO technical-specification format is also used as a structure check: device name/type, intended use, level of care, technical characteristics, utilities, accessories, consumables, spare parts, environmental conditions, training, warranty, maintenance, documentation, safety, standards, regulatory evidence, and decommissioning cautions should be addressed where relevant.
Required Specifications
- System type, intended department, imaging modes, measurement packages, display, storage, and export workflow.
- Required probes by clinical application, including frequency range, connector type, and compatibility.
- DICOM send, worklist, image export, cybersecurity update policy, and user preset management where required.
- Battery runtime, cart, boot time, cleaning compatibility, and portability requirements for point-of-care use.
RFQ wording examples
Use these examples to convert vague tender wording into measurable vendor responses. Adapt final clauses to the exact model, hospital workload, and local procurement rules.
Probe package
Weak wording
Machine should include all required probes.
Stronger RFQ clause
Bidder shall list each probe by type, frequency range, application, connector compatibility, quantity, warranty, replacement price, and accidental-damage exclusions.
Vendor evidence: Probe datasheets, itemized price schedule, warranty exclusions, and probe compatibility statement.
Evaluation note: Score the clinical probe set, warranty, and replacement cost together; a low console price with weak probe coverage is not a low-risk bid.
Point-of-care workflow
Weak wording
Portable ultrasound should have battery backup.
Stronger RFQ clause
If portable use is required, bidder shall state boot time, battery runtime, charge time, cart/case scope, cleaning compatibility, DICOM/export workflow, and spare battery price.
Vendor evidence: Datasheet, user manual extract, battery warranty, cleaning instructions, and demonstration script.
Evaluation note: Score documented evidence and declared deviations, not unsupported claims.
Optional Specifications
- Elastography, contrast imaging, advanced cardiac package, needle visualization, automated measurements, or reporting tools.
- Additional probes, battery packs, carts, printers, barcode readers, or wireless export.
- Extended probe protection or accidental damage program.
Accessories
- Convex, linear, phased array, endocavity, TEE or specialty probes as required.
- Cart, probe holders, printer, gel warmer, covers, biopsy guides, batteries, chargers, and DICOM licenses.
Compliance Requirements
- The bidder shall provide a clause-by-clause compliance matrix with documentary evidence for each mandatory and scored requirement.
- The bidder shall submit an itemized scope of supply, including main equipment, accessories, consumables, software/licenses, installation, commissioning, training, warranty, PM, spare parts, and exclusions.
- The bidder shall provide lifecycle cost information for at least five years, including consumables, PM kits, major spare parts, software support, labor/travel, post-warranty rates, and expected replacement items.
- The bidder shall provide an acceptance and handover plan covering configuration verification, safety/performance inspection, user training, biomedical handover, inventory data, manuals, warranty certificate, PM schedule, and service contacts.
- The bidder shall identify the generic device name, specific type or variation, intended level of use, clinical department, and functional purpose so the committee can confirm the offered device matches the actual service need.
- The bidder shall list utility requirements, environmental operating/storage limits, accessories, consumables, spare parts, packaging/labelling requirements, applicable standards, regulatory approval/certification, and decommissioning/disposal cautions.
- Name, category, and coding: generic name, specific type or variation, local naming/coding where available, and keywords linked to service area.
- Purpose of use: clinical or operational purpose, level of care, clinical department/ward, user group, and overview of functional requirements.
- Technical characteristics: critical measured or delivered parameters, ranges, displayed parameters, user-adjustable settings, alarms, compatibility, and interoperability.
- Physical and utility requirements: dimensions/mobility, electrical supply, battery, water, gas, drain, network, environmental operating/storage limits, humidity, dust, and transport/storage conditions.
- Accessories, consumables, and spare parts: required accessories, sterilization/reprocessing needs, consumables/reagents, first-year spare parts, post-warranty parts, and complementary equipment.
- Training, installation, and utilization: pre-installation work, commissioning checks, acceptance tests, user training, maintenance training, user care, cleaning, and basic troubleshooting.
- Warranty and maintenance: warranty start date, duration, exclusions/inclusions, maintenance support during warranty, PM tasks, corrective maintenance path, service contract type, upgrades, and local support.
- Documentation, standards, and decommissioning: operating/service manuals, calibration procedures, disposal hazards, expected life span, risk classification, regulatory approval/certification, international/local standards, and field safety communication path.
- Vendor must provide documentary evidence for each claimed technical compliance item.
- Equipment must be supplied with user manuals, technical documentation allowed under the service agreement, and installation/commissioning records.
- Electrical safety, cybersecurity, data integration, and infection control requirements must be reviewed against local hospital policy.
- Vendor must disclose all exclusions, third-party dependencies, site requirements, and recurring license or consumable obligations.
Warranty Requirements
- State main unit, probes, batteries, cart, printer, software, and accessories warranty separately.
- Clarify probe cable, lens, connector, fluid ingress, and accidental damage exclusions.
- State warranty duration and start date trigger: delivery, installation, commissioning, or acceptance.
- Separate coverage for main unit, accessories, batteries, probes, sensors, software, and third-party components.
- Clarify exclusions for consumables, user damage, utility problems, software upgrades, travel, labor, and preventive maintenance.
- Provide post-warranty service pricing and spare parts availability commitment.
Training Requirements
- Provide clinical user training by department and probe set.
- Provide biomedical training on safety checks, probe inspection, cleaning limits, and escalation.
- Provide end-user training before clinical handover.
- Provide biomedical engineering training covering routine checks, first-line troubleshooting, PM expectations, and escalation.
- Provide attendance records, training materials, and competency checklist where applicable.
Service Requirements
- Provide probe repair/replacement pathway, loaner policy, battery replacement price, and software support terms.
- Provide PM scope including electrical safety, image checks, probe inspection, fan/filter review where applicable, and version documentation.
- Acceptance shall create the inventory baseline: asset identification, serial numbers, software version, accessories, warranty dates, location, risk/criticality, PM interval, and service contact path.
- Maintenance planning shall distinguish performance inspection, safety inspection, preventive maintenance, and corrective maintenance rather than treating all service activity as one generic visit.
- The vendor shall provide PM procedures, required test equipment, spare-parts recommendations, service report format, escalation process, and training needed for hospital first-line checks.
- Service records shall be usable for audit and first-year review: fault history, parts used, measured values where applicable, open risks, corrective action, and next due date.
- Maintenance documentation shall state user-care tasks, cleaning/disinfection method, calibration or testing equipment, advanced maintenance tasks, software/hardware upgrade path, and post-warranty spare-parts availability.
- Vendor must state PM frequency, required test equipment, service response time, restoration escalation, reporting format, and spare-parts pathway.