Can you quote an equivalent product?

You can offer an equivalent product when the government solicitation permits it and your response demonstrates that the proposed item meets the stated requirements. The work starts with the bid language and the exact model you would supply. A familiar brand name in the title is not enough to decide whether an alternative belongs in your quote.

For a distributor or specialist supplier, this can change which opportunities are worth pursuing. You may carry a product that fits the buyer's use, but still need confirmation about installation, compatibility or an accessory included in the specified configuration. Resolve those questions before asking your estimator to turn a catalog price into a firm offer.

Find the requirement, then read its product rules

For state, local and education purchases, start with G2X SLED and the product category and territory you serve. Open a relevant result and follow the issuing buyer's original documents, including addenda. Federal suppliers can use the corresponding federal opportunity guide.

The distinction to establish is whether the buyer permits alternatives and how it will evaluate them. North Carolina's Division of Community Revitalization, for example, explains in its non-IT procurement manual that a named brand can describe the desired product, while a brand-specific specification restricts the acceptable manufacturers. That is guidance for that purchasing context, not permission to substitute on every local bid. The solicitation may say otherwise.

For a federal solicitation that includes FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal, an equal product must meet the specified physical, functional or performance characteristics. The offer must identify it and provide the required descriptive information. Read the actual provision and any additional instructions in your package.

Prove the configuration you intend to deliver

Imagine a facilities supplier considering an alternative pump. Its standard model appears to meet the required flow and power specifications, but the required connection size is available only with an adapter. The useful research question is whether that complete configuration meets the buyer's installation and operating requirements, and what evidence the response must provide. A higher rating on one specification does not resolve a mismatch elsewhere.

Use the manufacturer's documentation for the exact model and configuration. Identify where each relevant requirement is supported and where the literature is silent. A product-family brochure may cover options that are not included in the price you received. Ask the manufacturer for the missing facts, and price the actual equipment, accessories and delivery commitment your company would offer.

When FAR 52.211-6 applies, planned modifications need to be described clearly. The provision also places responsibility on the offeror to furnish or identify the information used to evaluate the equal product. Give the reviewer a clear route from the requirement to your evidence.

Documentation rules vary. North Carolina's January 2025 instructions to vendors require requested information and warn against sending unsolicited samples or literature. They also say a reference to material provided in a previous bid or available elsewhere does not satisfy their descriptive-literature requirement. Follow the instructions incorporated in your bid, including any approval process and deadline for alternatives.

Give the product specialist a short list of gaps

G2X Lumen can help compare an authorized solicitation with manufacturer files you upload. Ask it to identify the stated characteristics, cite the supporting product passages and flag missing evidence or configuration assumptions. That gives your product specialist a focused review instead of another unstructured pile of PDFs. The document-context guide explains how to narrow the reading.

An AI comparison cannot approve the substitution for the government or establish a test result the manufacturer has not supplied. Use the designated question process when the required characteristic or approval procedure is unclear. Keep the buyer's formal response with the version of the bid it addresses.

You can do the search and manual document review with a free G2X Community Edition account; Lumen adds a separate AI workflow. Before quoting, your team should be able to name the exact offered configuration, show the supporting evidence and identify any remaining buyer decision. That is a much firmer basis for a price than a supplier's general assurance that two products are comparable.