Product sourcing
Find a manufacturer who is real, competent and honest.
Supplier research, vetting, quotation and order coordination for businesses buying products from overseas manufacturers.
What this service is
The groundwork, done for you
If you sell physical products, the hardest part is rarely the selling — it is finding a manufacturer who is real, competent, and honest about what they can actually produce at your volume. That research takes weeks, and getting it wrong costs a great deal more than getting it right.
We do that groundwork for you: we find candidate suppliers, check that they exist and can do the work, get comparable quotations, and coordinate samples and orders so you are not managing a dozen conversations across time zones.
What is included
What a sourcing engagement includes
Requirement brief
We write down exactly what you need: specifications, materials, target unit cost, order quantity, packaging, certification and delivery timeline.
Supplier research
We identify candidate manufacturers and trading companies against that brief.
Vetting
We check business registration, production capability, export history and, where relevant, certifications — and we tell you when a manufacturer is actually a reseller.
Quotation comparison
We request quotes on identical terms so you are comparing like with like: unit price, tooling, minimum order quantity, lead time and shipping terms.
Sample coordination
We arrange samples and consolidate your feedback back to the supplier.
Order coordination
We keep production and shipping milestones on track and flag slippage early.
Being straight with you
What this service is not
We are a coordination and research service, not a freight forwarder, customs broker, quality-inspection agency or importer of record. We do not take title to your goods.
Two things worth reading twice
Payments to suppliers go directly from you to the supplier. FRICOF never holds your product payments. Any money you send a manufacturer is governed by that supplier’s own terms and is outside our control — we tell you this in writing before you pay anyone, and we will always recommend payment terms that protect you.
We also cannot guarantee a supplier’s performance. We can substantially reduce the risk through vetting, and we will tell you plainly when something looks wrong, but international manufacturing carries risk that no intermediary can remove entirely.
Pricing
Quoted per project
Sourcing scope varies enormously by product category, order volume and how specific your requirements are, so a fixed list price would be misleading. We quote after a short call, in writing, before any work starts.
- Fully refundable before we contact suppliers on your behalf
- Once work has begun we refund the unused portion against an itemised statement
- See our Refunds Policy for the full detail
Process
How a sourcing project runs
1
Discovery call
We work out what you actually need and whether sourcing help is worth it for your volume. Sometimes it is not, and we will say so.
2
Written brief and quote
You approve a specification document and a fixed fee before any supplier is contacted.
3
Research and vetting
You receive a shortlist with comparable quotations and our honest assessment of each supplier, including the ones we would avoid.
4
Samples and order
We coordinate samples, then production and shipping milestones, flagging any slippage as soon as we see it.
Tell us what you are trying to source
Send us the product, the rough quantity and your target unit cost. We will tell you whether it is realistic before you spend anything.
Request a quote