Have a product in mind?
Start with these six

Product category, target market, storage condition, pack format, vegetarian class and whatever already exists: those six are the minimum input for an assessment. With them, the first reply can give a process direction, the certification likely needed and what to confirm next.

The six things we need

Why we ask for these

Contract manufacturing is not a matter of picking a product and asking for a price. Product type, market, storage method and packaging each feed straight into the process, the line, the certification, the minimum order and the way it ships.

So we confirm the product conditions first, then help you settle on a process and a direction. Done the other way round, a price quoted early gets thrown out wholesale once the spec lands.

The first reply gives a direction, not a price

If the brief carries enough, the first reply covers:

• The process and the kind of line that suits it
• The certification and regulatory conditions likely needed
• Whether the pack format and storage method are workable
• Which specifications to confirm next

Minimum order, unit cost and development time come after the specification is settled. Line, packaging material, batch size and certification all move the final cost, and we would rather not hand over a fast number that has to be withdrawn.

If this is an internal proposal or a budget exercise, say so. We can outline the likely budget band and the variables that move it, so the proposal has something to stand on before every specification is fixed.

How we work, concept to production

What needs assessment before we can confirm it

There are four things we will not put a number on in a first reply. Not evasion: each one needs real assessment before it can be answered responsibly, and a number given early has to be taken back later.

• Minimum order and unit costDepends on the line, the packaging spec and the batch size.
• Development timeDepends on sampling rounds, regulatory work and certification.
• Shelf lifeEstablished by an actual study, never read across from a similar product.
• Sales performanceWe can get the product to meet channel, regulatory and supply requirements. The result still rests on the brand, the channel and the consumer.