A quantity with no breakdown
Five thousand units across one size behaves nothing like five thousand across six sizes and three colours. The breakdown is what decides whether a minimum is reachable.
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The product sourcing brief
a supplier can actually quote.
A product sourcing brief is the document a supplier quotes from. It states the product, the reference it must match, materials, dimensions, quantity by variant, sample and approval requirements, destination and target date, and separates what is mandatory from what can change. Anything unresolved is marked "to confirm" rather than guessed, because a guessed figure produces a quotation for the wrong product.
Plain text, so it opens anywhere and pastes into an email. No sign-up, no tracking, nothing to accept.
WHAT THE TEMPLATE ASKS FOR
Six sections, in the order a supplier reads them.
Business and contact
- Company
- Contact name
- Product reference, brief revision and date
Product
- Product description
- Intended use and intended customer
- Reference images, drawings, tech pack or dieline
- Details that must match the reference
- Materials and composition
- Dimensions, units and tolerances
- Colours, artwork and finishes
- Labels, trims and packaging
- Mandatory requirements
- Options open to change
Quantity
- First-order quantity
- Breakdown by size, style, colour or artwork
- Possible repeat quantity, as an estimate only
Samples and approval
- Samples needed
- Features to review
- Person approving the sample
- Documents or claims to review
Commercial and delivery
- Budget and currency
- Items expected within the budget
- Delivery destination
- Target arrival date and flexibility
- Proposed delivery terms, to confirm
- Import and delivery responsibilities, to confirm
Questions to resolve
- Outstanding specifications
- Product feasibility
- Minimum order quantity by variant
- Unit price, sample and setup charges
- Quotation validity and payment terms
- Sample, production and transport timing
- Production checkpoints and change approvals
WHAT TO PLAN AROUND
Figures to hold in mind while you fill it in.
- Minimum order quantity
- From 500 units
- A common starting point. The real minimum follows the product, material, construction, decoration and the split across sizes or colours.
- Samples
- 1 to 2 weeks
- Once the specification is agreed. A new mould, tooling or a custom material extends it, and a revised sample restarts the cycle.
- Production
- 45 to 60 days
- After sample approval, before shipping. Quantity, decoration and factory loading at the time of order all move it.
Indicative planning figures, not commitments. The quantity, sampling scope and production timing for your project are confirmed in your quotation.
WHAT MAKES A BRIEF UNANSWERABLE
Four gaps that send a quotation off course.
A reference with no boundary
Attaching a reference product without saying which parts must match leaves the supplier to guess. State what is fixed and what is open.
A guessed figure instead of "to confirm"
A placeholder dimension or material is treated as a requirement and quoted against. Marking it unresolved costs nothing and avoids a quotation for the wrong product.
A claim with no evidence path
A performance, safety or compliance requirement needs to say what evidence will be accepted. It cannot be assumed from a fabric name or a reference product.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
About the brief.
What is a product sourcing brief?
It is the document a supplier quotes from. It states the product, the reference it must match, materials and dimensions, quantity by variant, sample and approval requirements, destination and target date, and separates mandatory requirements from details that can change.
What is the difference between a brief and an RFQ?
In practice they are the same document seen from two sides. The brief describes the product you want made; the request for quotation asks a supplier what that product costs and how long it takes. One well-written brief serves as the RFQ.
How complete does a brief need to be before sending it?
It does not need to be complete. Mark what is unresolved as "to confirm" and send it. An incomplete brief with honest gaps gets a useful first answer; a brief filled with guessed figures gets a quotation for a product you did not intend.
What quantities and timing should I plan around?
As an indication, minimum order quantities commonly start around 500 units, samples take one to two weeks once the specification is agreed, and production runs about 45 to 60 days after sample approval. All three depend on the product and are confirmed in the quotation.
Start with your brief
Or send the brief straight to us.
Fill in the template and attach it, or use the form below. We confirm what can be quoted and sampled, and reply by email.
- 01
We read the brief
We confirm what can be quoted and sampled for your product.
- 02
We reply by email
With the missing information we need, or the next step for the project.
- 03
You get concrete options
Supplier options, pricing, sampling, and production timing for your review.
Or contact us directly