What a CRO quote should include
A CRO quote, often called a proposal, prices a defined piece of work. Two quotes for the same study can look very different because each provider has made different assumptions. A good quote states those assumptions, so you can compare like with like.
Scope and assumptions
The quote should restate the work as the CRO understood it, and list every assumption the price depends on.
- The study design or protocol version the quote is based on.
- How many samples, animals, or subjects are assumed, and what happens to the price if that changes.
- What material you supply, how much, and by when.
- What counts as a repeat or a failed run, and who pays for it.
- What is excluded.
Deliverables
Check what you get at the end and when: draft and final reports, the data files and their format, and any sample or data storage after the study. Ask how long raw data and samples are kept, and what storage costs after that.
Price structure
Quotes are usually fixed price for the defined scope, priced per unit such as per sample, or billed on time and materials. Many add pass-through costs, such as shipping, animals, reagents, or trial site fees, at cost or with a handling fee. Ask how out-of-scope work is priced and approved. A change order process should be written down before work starts.
Quality standard
The quote should say which quality rules the work follows, such as good laboratory practice or good clinical practice, and whether quality assurance reviews the report. If the work supports a regulatory filing, confirm that the quoted standard is the one the filing needs.
Bioanalysis lines to check
For bioanalysis, method development, method validation, and sample analysis are often priced as separate items. Check whether the quote assumes an existing method, a method transfer, or a new method, and whether incurred sample reanalysis and stability testing are included.
Timeline and payment
Look for the timeline from receipt of material to final report, the payment milestones, cancellation and postponement fees, and how long the quote is valid.
People and place
The quote should name the site that will run the work and, where it matters, the study director or project manager. Ask whether any part of the work will be subcontracted, and to whom.
Compare like with like
Send each CRO the same brief and ask them to quote against the same assumptions. Then compare quotes line by line rather than on the total. The price is only fixed in the signed contract, usually a work order under a master services agreement, so check that the contract carries the assumptions forward.