Start a sourcing brief

What happens next

We read the brief and reply within one business day, either with the questions that decide whether it can be met — quantity per design, budget, arrival date, who approves the order — or with why it won't work as written. Saying early that a date needs stocked products rather than new production is part of the job.

For a brief we take on, the first substantial deliverable is a decision pack:

• A clarified specification
• Feasible sourcing routes
• Comparable quotations, with gaps shown rather than estimated
• Evidence status for each supplier
• A sample plan and delivery assumptions
• A recommended next action — which can be to stay with your current supplier, or to use stocked products when the date rules out new production

Every supplier in it carries its evidence state. Nothing is presented as confirmed because it looks plausible — the standard is set out in our sourcing standards.

What it costs

The initial assessment of your brief is free. Development and execution work is paid, at a fee and fee basis agreed in writing for each brief before work starts. You contract with and pay suppliers directly; samples, testing, inspection and freight are paid by you or included in the agreed scope. Any commission a supplier pays GreenFlip is disclosed to you and never affects which supplier we recommend. How it works →

Before you commit to a first order

Whatever comes back, the checks that follow are the same ones in the supplier vetting guide: confirm the legal entity, buy paid samples and seal an approved reference, agree a defect list before production, and settle the Incoterm and payment protection in writing. New importers should also read the import documentation checklist and engage a customs broker in the destination market before the purchase order goes out, not after the container sails.