How we qualify suppliers
Qualification is the workflow that moves manufacturer data from an unconfirmed claim to a labelled, defensible record. This page describes the process we intend to run — it is not a claim that any specific supplier has completed any stage.
Nothing here should be read as a statement about a named manufacturer. It is the process by which a profile would earn its verification status. Where no verification has been performed, the data is published as “Supplier Reported” or “Unverified” — or not at all.
The workflow
Four stages, applied in order, each producing a stronger level of support than the last.
01 Document review
We ask the supplier for the paperwork that underpins a claim: business licence, factory documentation, product specifications, and any certifications. Documents are checked for consistency and completeness before anything is relied on.
02 Sample evaluation
A physical sample is assessed against the requirements of the intended application — form, sizing, moisture, ash and other agreed parameters — using the test protocol agreed with the buyer.
03 Batch testing
Production batches are tested against the agreed specification. Where independent evidence is required, testing is carried out by a third-party laboratory.
04 On-site / third-party verification
Where the commercial case justifies it, a manufacturer is verified through an on-site visit and/or independent third-party verification of the specific claims being made.
How each stage maps to a status
The workflow is not decoration — it is how the labels on this site are earned. A stage that has not been completed is not claimed.
| Stage | Evidence produced | Can support |
|---|---|---|
| Document review | Licences, specifications, certifications | Verified where a document confirms the field |
| Sample evaluation | Measured sample parameters | Supplier Reported / internal record at sample level |
| Batch testing | Batch test results (in-house or third-party) | Third-Party Verified when independently tested |
| On-site / third-party | Inspection report, independent verification | Verified |
| Not yet run | None | Unverified until a source is found |
What we do not do
- We do not invent a manufacturer, a capacity, a certification, or an export market to fill a profile.
- We do not publish a supplier’s own claims as if they were verified facts.
- We do not present a completed-looking profile whose fields have no source.
- We do not treat a passed sample as though a whole production line had been qualified.
See the verification model for how each of these results is labelled on a profile.