Quote request brief: a template for your promo gift supplier

Most quote requests reach a supplier as a single sentence: "Please quote 200 mugs with our logo." What comes back is a list of ten follow-up questions, and the first real quote arrives days later. This article gives you a template that takes about fifteen minutes to fill in and lets a supplier send a comparable quote straight away.

The template works whether you are ordering promotional gifts with logo for a trade fair, for clients or for your own team, and also when you ask several suppliers at once. When everyone receives the same brief, you can genuinely compare prices, deadlines and solutions.

In short

• A good brief answers nine questions: purpose, recipients, quantity, budget, deadline, logo files, print position, packaging and delivery address.
• State the budget per recipient excluding VAT – that makes it easy to compare with the Estonian tax thresholds (21 € and 10 €).
• Give the deadline as the date the gifts must be on site, not "as soon as possible".
• Send the logo as a vector file (AI, EPS, SVG or vector PDF) and add the Pantone code if you have one.
• Leave room to manoeuvre: say where you are flexible (product, colour, quantity) so the supplier can suggest better alternatives.

Why a quote request needs a brief for promotional gifts with logo

The price of a promotional product does not depend on the product alone. It is driven by quantity, decoration method, number of colours, print position, packaging and delivery terms. When this information is missing, the supplier has to guess or ask again. A guess produces a quote that does not match your needs; asking takes time. Our blog explains in more detail what the price of branded items is made of.

The second reason is purpose. According to the 2026 study by ASI, the international promotional products organisation, 78% of consumers keep promotional items because they find them useful. Usefulness, however, depends on the recipient: a software developer needs a different product than a site foreman. Describe the recipient and the supplier can recommend something that will be used, not simply the cheapest option.

The nine fields of the brief – what to write in each

1. Purpose and occasion

One sentence: what is happening and what the gift has to achieve. For example, "trade fair visitors should remember us a month later" or "a thank-you to long-standing clients at year end". The purpose decides whether you need an inexpensive giveaway or a gift handed over in person.

2. Recipients

Who are they, how many are there and what do they do at work? Are there several groups, such as key accounts, partners and employees? Groups may need different products and different budgets.

3. Quantity

Give an exact quantity or a range. If the number is not yet settled, ask for prices at two or three quantities (for example 100, 250 and 500), because the unit price changes as volume grows.

4. Budget

Give the budget per recipient and say whether it includes VAT. Since 1 July 2025 the standard VAT rate in Estonia is 24%, so the difference is significant. If you prefer not to disclose a budget, give at least a range.

5. Deadline

Write the date the goods must be with the recipient, plus the event date if it is different. Say whether the deadline is flexible. The supplier will then work backwards to the date by which the artwork must be approved.

6. Logo files and brand colours

A vector file is best. Adobe explains that a raster image is made of pixels and loses quality when enlarged, while vector graphics scale to any size. Attach your brand guidelines or at least the Pantone code. The Pantone Color Bridge shows each spot colour next to its closest CMYK match – which helps explain why the same logo can look slightly different with different print methods. If you have no vector file, our advertising design team can make the logo print-ready.

7. Print position and method

Where should the logo go (one or both sides of a mug, chest or back of a shirt) and how large should it be? If you do not know the method, leave it to the supplier but describe the result you want: "subtle and premium" points towards laser engraving, "large and colourful" towards printing. For pens and small surfaces pad printing is often the right choice.

8. Packaging and extras

Should each item be packed individually, will you add a card or envelope, do you want a gift box? Ready-made gift sets make this easier because the packaging is already part of the solution.

9. Delivery address

One address or many? If the gifts are to be sent directly to recipients, state the number of recipients and countries in the brief, but do not send the full list straight away. The European Commission stresses that personal data must be limited to what is necessary for the purpose. Share addresses only once the order is confirmed, and only to the extent needed for delivery.

Fill-in template: copy it into your email

The table below gives an example for every field. Copy the left-hand column into your email and fill it in with your own details.

The examples in the table are invented and only illustrate the format. If you are still looking for ideas, browse our product catalogue or the top 10 promotional products and add two or three links to products you like.

What to expect back in the quote

The brief is half the job. The other half is checking the quote. Ask in your brief for each option to include:

• product name, colour and material, with a link to the product description;
• decoration method, number of colours and print position;
• unit price for every quantity requested, with product and decoration on separate lines;
• one-off costs such as artwork, print set-up or a sample;
• transport and packing, if they are extra;
• the date by which artwork must be approved to hold the deadline;
• how long the quote is valid.

When two quotes differ a lot in price, the reason is usually in one of these lines: a different product, a different method or missing transport.

Example: building a trade fair brief step by step

Example: a small software company is exhibiting at an industrial fair in spring and wants to hand visitors something useful. The marketing manager writes the brief like this:

1. Purpose – visitors should remember the company name after the fair; the gift is handed over at the end of a conversation.
2. Recipients – production managers and engineers, roughly 300 conversations over two days (example figure).
3. Quantity – 300 pcs, plus a price for 500 pcs in case the same item is used in sales meetings.
4. Budget – up to 8 € per item excluding VAT (example figure). This stays below the 10 € and 21 € thresholds, which keeps the tax treatment simple.
5. Deadline – goods must be at the office one week before the fair, leaving time to check and pack.
6. Logo – SVG file and Pantone code attached.
7. Print position – one colour, one side; the method is left to the supplier.
8. Flexibility – "If you know a product that suits a factory floor better than a bottle, please suggest it."

With this brief the supplier can offer, say, two or three options, each priced at two quantities, and confirm whether the deadline is realistic. Without it, the first reply would have been a list of questions.

Taxes and budget: what to consider in the brief

If the gift goes to clients or partners, Estonian tax rules affect the budget at which it makes sense to look for products. According to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, in Estonia:

• a promotional gift with a logo for a non-employee is income-tax-free up to 21 € excl. VAT per item; for a set, the value of the whole set counts;
• no VAT is charged on a gift worth up to 10 € excl. VAT;
• above 21 €, income tax at 22/78 applies to the full cost;
• logo printing, transport and packaging are business expenses and do not count towards the value of the gift;
• gifts to employees are fringe benefits and the 21 € rule does not apply to them.

So it is worth asking in the brief for the product price and the decoration price on separate lines. Your accountant can then see at a glance which amount is the value of the gift. Confirm the exact tax treatment with your accountant.

Checklist before you send

• The purpose is written in one sentence.
• Recipient groups and quantities are known.
• The budget is per recipient and marked incl. or excl. VAT.
• The deadline is the arrival date, and you have said whether it is flexible.
• The logo is attached as a vector file, with Pantone or brand guidelines.
• Print position and the desired impression are described.
• Packaging and card requirements are stated.
• The number and region of delivery addresses are known; personal data comes later.
• You have said where you are flexible.
• A contact person who approves artwork and samples is named.

Common mistakes

• "As soon as possible" instead of a deadline. The supplier cannot tell whether a solution will arrive in time. Give a date.
• A JPG logo from an email signature. A small raster file works for a preview, but for print it usually has to be redrawn, which takes time.
• No budget. You get everything from cheapest to most expensive and the decision drags on. Even a range helps.
• Only one specific product. If it is unavailable, the search starts again. Add "or similar".
• No approver. The artwork waits a week because nobody knows who decides. Name the person in the brief.
• The proof is not checked. Mistakes surface only on finished products. Read our blog articles on avoiding print errors before production.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know which product I want?

No. Purpose, recipients, quantity and budget are enough. A good supplier will offer several options based on them.

What if I do not have a vector file of the logo?

Send the best file you have and say there is no vector. The logo can be prepared for print; ask in the quote whether this adds cost.

Can I send the same brief to several suppliers?

Yes, that is good practice. The same brief gives comparable quotes. Give everyone the same reply deadline.

How should I ask about production time?

Write the date the goods must arrive and ask the supplier to confirm in the quote whether it is realistic and when the artwork must be approved.

Does revealing my budget push the price up?

A budget helps the supplier pick products in the right price range. You can always compare quotes if you use the same brief.

What if the quantity may change?

Ask for prices at two or three quantities and say when the final number will be known.

Logotrade OÜ has operated in Tallinn since 2004, turning quote requests from Estonian companies into finished branded products. We are a member of the international promotional products networks PSI and ASI and of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and we deliver across Estonia. See examples of our work in the portfolio and an overview of what we do on the services page.

Is your brief ready? Send it to logo@logo.ee or use the contact form. In the quote we will confirm product prices, minimum quantities and deadlines.

Sources

• Estonian Tax and Customs Board: taxation of promotional gifts
• Estonian Tax and Customs Board: gifts, donations and reception costs
• Adobe: AI vs EPS, vector and raster graphics
• Pantone: Color Bridge Guide Set (spot colours and CMYK)
• European Commission: how much data can be collected
• ASI: 2026 Global Advertising Impressions Study