Use this supplier due diligence framework to prepare a clearer RFQ, compare supply options and reduce avoidable changes between sampling, quotation and shipment.
Core principle: A supplier should be evaluated against the actual product, facility, certification, food-safety risk and market, not against a generic company presentation.
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Supplier due diligence
Due diligence confirms that a supplier is who it says it is, is certified for what you are buying, and can deliver to your specification and market. It is proportionate: a first pilot needs less than a large annual programme, but the core checks are the same.
Due-diligence steps
- Confirm the legal entity, ownership and contact details.
- Obtain and verify the organic scope certificate and certified-product list — see how buyers verify supplier certification.
- Confirm the facility, activities and capacity match the order.
- Review the specification, process description and a representative COA.
- Check traceability, lot coding and food-safety controls.
- Confirm the supplier can produce the destination shipment documents.
The evidence pack
Request evidence proportionate to the risk and order stage:
- legal business and contact details;
- organic scope certificate and product annex;
- facility and activity details;
- specification and process description;
- representative COA and relevant test reports;
- allergen, GMO, irradiation or treatment statements where relevant;
- traceability and lot-coding approach;
- packaging specification and artwork process;
- shipment-certificate capability for the destination;
- references, audit or food-safety certification where commercially required.
A large document folder is not approval. Check that each document describes the actual entity, product, facility and order.
Red flags
- Certificates that cannot be verified against an official registry.
- The certified entity differs from the invoicing entity.
- Capacity or stock that exceeds what the certified operation could produce.
- Reluctance to provide transaction-level evidence or destination documents.