competitive bidding; competitive estimates
Refers to the practice of obtaining multiple quotes or bids from different suppliers to compare prices and services. Often used in business and procurement contexts. The full form 相見積もり is also common.
See also: 相見積もり
When introducing the new system, we obtained competitive bids from three companies.
相見積を比較して、最も条件の良い業者を選びます。
We will compare the competitive estimates and choose the vendor with the best terms.
Standard kanji spelling. The most common written form.
Alternate kanji spelling using 合い instead of 相. Less common but still encountered.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling. Used in less formal contexts.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling with 合い. Informal variant.
Compound of 相 (あい, mutual, together) and 見積 (みつ, estimate). The 相 prefix indicates a reciprocal or comparative action, so 相見積 literally means 'mutual estimates' or 'estimates taken together for comparison'.