Short answer: To decide which DIBBS RFQs to bid on, run each row through four filters in order. Is it in your FSCs or watched NSNs? Are you allowed to quote it (approved source, set-aside, export control)? Can you get the tech data, packaging and testing done? Can you deliver on time near recent award prices? Quote what passes.

Why you need a filter

The same three gates show up in allowed, on time and under the last award. This post is the triage routine around them, run every business day.

DIBBS posts new RFQs every business day across a wide range of NSNs. A small shop or distributor can't read every one, and shouldn't try. Quoting more isn't the goal. Skip bad fits quickly and spend your time on the few RFQs you can win and perform.

The filter below runs from cheapest to most expensive check. Each step throws out rows before you spend time on the next. DIBBS bid software can apply this filter for you.

Filter 1: Is it in your lane?

Start with what you can make or source.

• FSC. The Federal Supply Class is the first four digits of the NSN. Pick the classes that match your machines, materials or supplier lines. The lists the product codes. See How to Search DIBBS by NSN, NIIN or FSC.
• NSN. Once you've quoted or delivered an NSN, watch it by NSN. Repeat buys are where small suppliers build history.
• Quantity. A one-piece order of a complex machined part and a 5,000-piece order of a simple fitting are both in your FSC. Only one may fit your shop.

Filter 2: Are you allowed to quote it?

These gates are on the RFQ. Read them before you price anything.

• Approved source. If the item description names an approved manufacturer CAGE and part number and you aren't that source or a distributor of that exact part, a normal quote isn't open to you. That's alternate-offer territory. See Approved Source on DIBBS: What AMSC B, C and D Mean and the AMSC decoder.
• Set-aside. If the buy is set aside for a small business status you don't hold, skip it. See Set-aside codes.
• Export control. If the RFQ flags export-controlled data, you and your source need a current Joint Certification Program certification and DLA's approval to access the data. See DLA Tech Data Access: TDMT, AMPS and JCP.
• CMMC. Check the solicitation for CMMC clauses (DFARS 252.204-7021) and any CMMC level it states. If a level is required, you need that level to receive the award. If none is stated, don't assume one.

Filter 3: Can you perform it?

• Technical data. If the item is built to a drawing, can you get the drawing? If it's not available to you, you can't price it honestly.
• Packaging. Decode the PKGING DATA line. Military packaging with a QUP of one, special containers or preservation methods can add a lot of cost. Some RFQs call for ASTM D3951 commercial packaging instead. See the MIL-STD-2073 packaging code decoder and ASTM D3951 Commercial Packaging for DLA Orders.
• Testing. First article or production lot testing adds a separate line, a schedule and risk. DLA's master solicitation says buys with first article testing aren't candidates for automated award, so they're evaluated by hand. See First Article Testing for DLA.
• Quality clauses. Search the DLA Master List of Technical and Quality Requirements on for each code on the RFQ, and look for anything you can't meet.

Filter 4: Can you win it on time and price?

• Delivery days. Required delivery is stated in days after the date of order. Add up your supplier lead time, packaging, inspection and shipping. If you can't make it, you can quote your own days, but on a hand-evaluated buy more days can count against you. See DLA Delivery Days.
• FOB. If it's FOB destination, freight is yours. See FOB Origin vs FOB Destination.
• Price. Compare your delivered cost with the recent procurement history at a similar quantity. If you can't get near it, move on. See How to Price a DLA Quote Using Procurement History.
• Return date. DLA's master solicitation says some low-dollar buys can be awarded before the return date. If an RFQ is worth quoting, quote it early.

Turn the filter into a routine

Use this with the one-page DIBBS bid checklist and how to bid on DIBBS.

1. Morning: sort. Pull new RFQs in your FSCs and watched NSNs. Mark each row Quote, Look closer, or Skip based on filters 1 and 2 alone. Many rows end here.
2. Mid-morning: research. For "Look closer" rows, open the PDF and run filters 3 and 4. Send supplier RFQs for parts you don't make.
3. Afternoon: quote. Price the rows that passed and submit on DIBBS. Log what you quoted and why you skipped the others.
4. Weekly: review. Compare awards with your quotes. Drop FSCs where you never come close, and add NSNs you've won.

The routine matters more than the tool. A spreadsheet and a consistent filter beat reading everything once in a while.

Signs an RFQ is a good fit

• It's in an FSC you know, at a quantity your shop or supplier handles well.
• You're allowed to quote it: no approved-source block, the right set-aside, no export-control issue you can't clear.
• The tech data is available, or the item is a catalog part you can source by part number.
• The packaging is something you can do in-house.
• Your delivered cost is under recent comparable awards, and you can meet the delivery days.

Where FedOpp fits

FedOpp sorts the morning's SAM.gov and DIBBS lists against your profile, then marks each RFQ Pursue, Review or Skip and names the gate that decided it, like approved source, set-aside, delivery days, packaging or price against the last award. Watchlist alert emails flag new buys on the NSNs you follow. You still read the RFQ and quote on DIBBS. FedOpp is $199 a month after a 7-day free trial.

Also see How to Read a DIBBS RFQ.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find DIBBS RFQs worth bidding on?

Filter by your FSCs and watched NSNs. Then skip anything you aren't allowed to quote (approved source, set-aside, export control) before you research packaging, testing, delivery and price.

Should I bid on every RFQ in my FSC?

No. Quantity, packaging, testing, delivery and price history make many in-lane RFQs poor fits. Spend your time on the rows that pass every filter.

What makes a DIBBS RFQ a good fit for a small supplier?

It's in an FSC you know at a quantity you handle well, you're allowed to quote it, the tech data and packaging are within reach, and your delivered cost is near recent comparable awards.

Can a low-dollar DIBBS RFQ be awarded before its return date?

Yes. DLA's master solicitation allows some low-dollar automated buys to be awarded early, so quote good fits promptly.

What should I check first on a DIBBS RFQ?

Whether you're allowed to quote it: approved source, set-aside and export control. Those gates decide the row before price matters.

Last verified 2026-10-08 · Author FedOpp

Sources

Practical notes, not legal advice. The solicitation controls.