How to prepare an industrial sourcing request

Describe what you need to receive

Identify the product, part, material or service, its application and the project stage: exploration, prototype, first batch or recurring supply. Separate the initial quantity from future forecasts; a forecast is not a confirmed order.

Give each drawing or specification a revision reference. Identify critical dimensions, necessary tolerances, finish and documentation requirements relevant to your project. Where a requirement is undecided, flag the question and seek technical input.

Make proposals comparable

State the delivery location and required date, including whether staged deliveries are acceptable. Ask suppliers to identify assumptions, exclusions, subcontracted operations and missing information.

Explain how a sample will be assessed: which characteristics matter, who will evaluate them and how the decision will be recorded. Acceptance criteria need agreement between the parties; this guide does not define contract terms or replace technical assessment.

Share information in stages

An initial enquiry can use a non-confidential summary. Before sharing sensitive drawings, internal prices or third-party information, confirm recipients and an appropriate private channel with the team. Do not publish such documents in publicly accessible fields or pages.

Share only what is needed for the current stage and check that you are authorised to do so. Confidentiality and rights in drawings should be handled by the appropriate people within your company.

Editable briefing template

Use these fields to prepare your text, then copy it into your own document. Nothing is sent or saved; the text disappears when you leave the page. Enter only a summary without confidential information.

Review before making contact

Check whether a supplier unfamiliar with the project can understand the expected outcome. Make sure quantities, units and dates are consistent. Then explore the platform or request help preparing the brief and researching suppliers under the relevant service conditions.