Build a new supply source in China
You know the product, demand and key requirements, but do not yet have a suitable supply source. We search for and review manufacturers in China and make quotations comparable. If required, we support the selected supplier through sampling and production launch. This covers standard items, parts made to a drawing and assemblies, as well as commodities and raw materials such as fertilisers or industrial chemicals.
At a glance
- Suitable for
- Companies that need a new or additional supplier in China. You know the product and your demand – a dependable source is still missing.
- What we do
- Search for suitable manufacturers, check registry data and assess their interest in your enquiry
- Bring quotations onto a comparable technical and commercial basis
- Check that seller, contracting party and payee match
- Prepare a reasoned supplier selection
- If you wish, verify samples and the production route on site and accompany the production trial
- Your result
- Depending on the stage, you receive reviewed candidates, a quotation comparison with sourcing recommendation, a sample validation report or a production-readiness assessment. Each result identifies open points and our recommendation for your next decision.
- What you can decide
- After each stage, you decide whether to continue, adjust, review an alternative or stop. You select the supplier for sampling and production and retain approval authority.
- Price
- RESEARCH €395
- QUALIFY €1,190 · standard items €890
- VALIDATE from €2,490
- SECURE PRODUCTION from €4,990
- You send us
- Send the product description or drawing, specification status, approximate annual volume, delivery location, must-haves and exclusions. Before starting, we clarify which missing details the chosen stage requires.
- Not the right fit if
- you already have a selected supplier. For technical clarification of one item, choose DEVELOP; for a specific problem with the supplier, IMPROVE; for a planned production trial, the Production Readiness Review.
The goal is a suitable supply source whose ability to deliver you can assess from the evidence.
Which source suits your product?
We search for, contact and review manufacturers in China, obtain quotations and clarify questions. If required, we support the selected source through actual production. After each stage, you can assess differences and open points:
Who supplies? What is actually offered? Which requirements are confirmed? Which evidence is available? Which risks remain open?
| Stage | Answers the question | You receive | Price | You then decide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RESEARCH | Who could supply your product at all? | Up to three checked and contacted candidates with registry check, open questions and recommendation | €395 – entry stage | Commission QUALIFY, adjust the search criteria or stop. |
| QUALIFY | Who quotes on a comparable basis – and who is worth the next check? | Quotation comparison and sourcing recommendation | €1,190 in total; after RESEARCH a further €795 | Select one candidate for validation, check an alternative or stop. |
| VALIDATE | Can the selected supplier actually make your product this way? | Validation report with sample status and actions; start of your supplier file | from €2,490 in total; after QUALIFY a further €1,300 or more | Approve the sample, require actions, check a second candidate or stop. |
| SECURE PRODUCTION | Does it also work under series conditions? | Documented assessment of production readiness | from €4,990 in total; after VALIDATE a further €2,500 or more | Approve series production, approve it with conditions or require further action. |
Schedule: after reviewing the complete documents and before you place the order, we confirm the binding stage schedule. Supplier replies, sample production and appointments affect it. We show those times separately from our working time.
You commission only the next stage. We credit paid stages of the same unchanged project in full against the confirmed total price of the next stage. Changed requirements, additional candidates or further sampling rounds are quoted separately in advance. Each stage ends with a status supported by evidence and our recommendation: CONTINUE, ADJUST, CHECK AN ALTERNATIVE or STOP. Supplier, sample, tooling and production approvals remain with you. The stage table and pricing page show total prices and the remaining amounts.
RESEARCH: search for and pre-check suitable manufacturers · €395
You know the product and demand, but not yet the supplier. You provide requirements, volumes, must-haves and exclusions. We then check which companies in China merit a concrete enquiry.
- Included
- Agree the search criteria: product, production process, material, volumes, must-haves and exclusions – for one item or a clearly defined item family.
- Research possible manufacturers in China and check their basic suitability for product, process and scale.
- Check registry data and establish whether you are dealing with a manufacturer or a trader.
- Contact candidates directly and check whether they are actually interested in your enquiry. A candidate that does not answer two contact attempts counts as not interested.
- We name unsuitable or uninterested sources with the reason – they do not appear as “hits”.
- You receive
You receive an overview of up to three reviewed candidates. It covers company, location, contacts, registry checks, manufacturer or trader status, product and production relevance, first response, open questions and our assessment. We also identify excluded sources, give reasons and recommend the next step.
- Limits
No quotation round yet and no supplier approval.
QUALIFY: comparable quotations and a reasoned selection · €1,190
Checked candidates are available from RESEARCH or your own shortlist. For parts made to a drawing, we need the drawing, its revision and the critical requirements. QUALIFY shows who quotes on the same basis and who merits the next review. You see not only who is cheaper, but whether the candidates are offering the same thing.
- Builds on
RESEARCH is included. If you have already paid for RESEARCH, you pay a further €795 for the unchanged project.
- Included
- One common technical and commercial enquiry to up to three candidates – with an unambiguous drawing and revision status, critical requirements and exclusion criteria.
- Bundle and clarify the suppliers' questions: one structured clarification round per candidate and, if core information is missing, one follow-up round.
- We compare price, minimum order quantity, tooling and sample costs, sample and delivery lead times, payment terms, Incoterms, packaging, technical deviations, visible assumptions and outsourced processes on the same basis.
- We compare the seller, contracting party and payment recipient as far as the documents allow. Any mismatch must be resolved before payment.
- Rating of each candidate: RECOMMENDED FOR VALIDATION, ALTERNATIVE or DO NOT PURSUE – with reasons and open risks.
- You receive
A quotation comparison and sourcing recommendation as the basis for your supplier selection, plus a 30-minute handover call by video.
- Standard items · €890
For common market products without a customer-specific drawing, the scope includes RESEARCH, one standardised quotation round and comparison of commercial and product terms. After paid RESEARCH, €495 remains. If technical clarification equivalent to a part made to a drawing is needed, that scope applies.
- Limits
No price negotiation, no sample approval and no supplier approval.
VALIDATE: check samples and the production route at the selected supplier · from €2,490
You have selected a candidate with a comparable quotation, and the supplier accepts sampling and one day at the production site. VALIDATE checks that candidate in practice through one sampling round and one day at the actual manufacturing site. This is not a general factory visit; it covers your product, revision and intended production route.
- Builds on
RESEARCH and QUALIFY are included; paid stages are credited. We continue to follow up open points from QUALIFY.
- Included
- One agreed sampling round: agree the sample requirements, review sample documents and evidence within the agreed scope.
- One product-specific day at the production site: do company and site match? Production route, machines and fixtures, tooling status, measuring equipment for the critical characteristics and key outsourced processes.
- An action list with owners and dates.
- The start of your supplier file for the new source.
- You receive
You receive a validation report covering sample status, on-site observations, verified and missing evidence, actions, Q status and our recommendation.
- Second candidate · from €990
You can compare a second qualified candidate in the same project. The additional scope covers one product-specific day on site and a limited sample assessment: one sample set, agreed characteristics. Further sampling rounds, tests or technical work are quoted separately.
- Limits
Supplier and sample approvals remain with you. One day on site and a good sample do not establish production readiness.
SECURE PRODUCTION: production conditions instead of sample assumptions · from €4,990
The supplier has been validated and a production trial or first series run is scheduled. A good sample does not prove that 1,000, 10,000 or 50,000 parts can be made consistently under production conditions. We therefore accompany the agreed trial or series run.
- Builds on
The project status from VALIDATE is the basis; paid stages are credited.
- Included
- We support one item at one supplier during one agreed production trial or first series run, with up to two further days on site. We agree the observation points in advance.
- We observe material supply, production flow, machines and fixtures, in-process checks, scrap and rework, marking and traceability, packaging and agreed quality evidence.
- We record deviations and open actions and add the production evidence to the supplier file.
- You receive
A documented assessment of production readiness with open conditions, actions and our recommendation for your series approval.
- Limits
Production approval remains with you.
Buying commodities and raw materials
Do you want to buy fertilisers, industrial chemicals or other raw materials in China? BUILD covers this too, with the same four stages. In QUALIFY, the price for standard items applies (€890). Instead of a drawing, the specification describes the goods: grade, content or purity, standard, packaging and volume.
With commodities, it matters most who actually makes the goods. Many suppliers only trade and do not disclose where the goods come from. We establish who manufactures them and check registry data and licences as far as the supplier provides them.
What changes in the four stages for commodities and raw materials
- RESEARCH · €395
We search for manufacturers that match your specification and volume and distinguish manufacturers from traders. We ask about supply capability, minimum order quantity and experience of supplying to the EU.
- QUALIFY · €890
One standardised quotation round against your specification: price, minimum order quantity, packaging, Incoterms, lead time and payment terms. With the quotation, we request the technical data sheet, safety data sheet and a sample certificate of analysis and compare them with your specification.
- VALIDATE · from €2,490
For the selected manufacturer: one sample, analysed against your specification by an independent testing body, and one day at the production site. Laboratory costs are third-party costs. We state them in advance, and you approve them.
- SECURE PRODUCTION · from €4,990
One manufacturer, the first batch of your order and up to two further days on site: sampling from the batch, comparison of the certificate of analysis with an independent analysis, labelling and packaging. For later deliveries, the pre-shipment inspection fits.
- Limits
We do not buy in our own name and do not trade goods. You sign the purchase contract with the manufacturer and pay it directly. REACH registration, dangerous goods classification, labelling and other import obligations remain with you as the importer. We check whether the documents are available and consistent with each other; we do not carry out a legal conformity assessment.
Target: identity sufficiently verified
Potential sources → registry data, manufacturer or trader, basic suitability, interest
Target: commercially qualified
Quotations on one basis, deviations named, payee checked
Target: factory & process validated
Q3 (initial sample) and Q4 count only when the evidence is sufficient
Target: production validated
A planned production trial rather than inference from a sample or visit
VALIDATE creates your supplier file
VALIDATE starts the supplier file for the selected source. It covers the contracting party, payment recipient, site, contacts, product and revision, tooling, critical outsourced processes, quotations, samples, evidence, risks, decisions and open actions. SECURE PRODUCTION adds production evidence. Later ongoing support continues the same file.
The file belongs to you. You receive reports and evidence as PDFs and comparisons, registers and action lists as editable spreadsheets, including when the engagement ends.
BUILD – from supplier search to secured series production
For one item or a defined item family, you commission only the next stage. After each result, you decide whether to continue. Each stage includes the previous one; we credit stages already paid within the same project in full against the confirmed total price of the next stage. The item or item family and the agreed brief must remain the same. We never charge for the same work twice. We quote separately for changed requirements, additional candidates, further sample rounds and work required by a changed brief before carrying it out.
| Package | Total price | Scope and result |
|---|---|---|
| RESEARCH | €395 | For one item or a defined item family, we agree search criteria, research manufacturers and check registry data. We distinguish manufacturers from traders, check basic suitability and ask about interest in your enquiry. You receive an overview with up to three checked candidates, excluded sources with reasons and our recommendation. |
| QUALIFY | €1,190 · standard items €890 | RESEARCH included. For parts made to a drawing, we send up to three candidates the same enquiry with drawing and revision status, critical requirements and exclusion criteria. We conduct one clarification round per candidate and one follow-up round if key information is missing. We compare price, minimum order quantity, tooling and sample costs, sample and delivery lead times, payment terms, Incoterms, packaging and technical deviations. We check that the seller, contracting party and payee match. For standard items, we run one standardised quotation round and compare commercial and product-related terms. You receive the quotation comparison, our sourcing recommendation and a 30-minute handover call. |
| VALIDATE | from €2,490 | For one selected supplier, we support one sampling round with one product-specific day at the production site. You receive a validation report with sample status, actions and recommendation. This starts the supplier file. An additional candidate in the same project costs from €990. |
| SECURE PRODUCTION | from €4,990 | One item, one supplier, one planned production trial or first series run and up to two further days on site. Result: documented assessment of production readiness with open conditions and actions. |
Our Q0–Q5 model shows what evidence is available and which questions remain open. We quote separately for samples, tooling, laboratory tests and external measurements. Supplier, sample, tooling and series approvals remain with you.
We search for and check commodities and raw materials such as fertilisers or industrial chemicals in the same stages; in QUALIFY, the price for standard items applies. You sign the purchase contract directly with the manufacturer.
Contract terms: Terms section 14: Research without a suitable candidate Terms section 15: Credits and changed requirements
The accepted written proposal for the confirmed scope remains authoritative.
Common questions about this service
We simply want to buy a product in China. Is BUILD the right service?
Yes. BUILD fits when you know the product, requirements and approximate demand, but do not yet have a suitable source in China. Start with RESEARCH. If you already need quotations and a selection, you can commission QUALIFY directly.
Do we have to commission all four stages?
No. You commission only the next stage and may stop afterwards. RESEARCH might show that China does not suit the task. Or your team may continue its own checks after QUALIFY. If you later continue the same unchanged project, we credit the stages already paid in full.
What is a standard item, and what is a custom part made to a drawing?
Standard items are common market products without a customer-specific drawing. A standard enquiry fully describes their requirements, as with catalogue parts, consumables or workshop equipment. Commodities and raw materials such as fertilisers or chemicals also count as standard items; here the specification describes the goods. We qualify all other tasks as parts made to a drawing.
Do you also source commodities such as fertilisers or chemicals?
Yes. We search for and check manufacturers and obtain comparable quotations against your specification. The same stages and the prices for standard items apply. You sign the purchase contract directly with the manufacturer. You alone pay us; we charge no mark-up on the value of the goods.
Who handles REACH, safety data sheets and dangerous goods?
As the importer, you remain responsible for the obligations of importing into the EU, for example REACH registration and dangerous goods classification. We request the documents from the manufacturer. We check whether they are complete and match your specification, and we name missing evidence. We do not provide legal advice or conformity assessment.
Terms section 4: Content of services, deliverables and limits
What happens if no suitable candidate is found?
That is also a result you can base a decision on. If research within the agreed scope yields no suitable candidate, we deliver the documented search result with the search path, sources checked and reasons. We do not refund the fee in this case, provided we have carried out the agreed research in full. We then recommend adjusting the search criteria, checking another region or another process, or stopping for now. A guarantee that a suitable manufacturer exists in China for every requirement would not be honest.
Does VALIDATE mean the supplier is approved?
No. You receive our assessment, supporting evidence and recommendation. Supplier, sample, tooling and production approvals remain with you. A visit and a good sample do not establish stable production at series volumes. SECURE PRODUCTION reviews the agreed production conditions.
What do Q0 to Q5 mean?
Q0 to Q5 show the verified maturity of a product or revision at a specific source. They are not a permanent company rating. The model follows initial sample, process and production approval principles.
Which costs come on top?
Samples, tooling, laboratory tests and external measurements are not included in the stage prices. We state them before you commission us; you approve them.
Terms section 7: Changes, additional services and third-party costs