Buying
How to Brief a Packaging Supplier So the First Quote Is Right
Most quoting delays are caused by an incomplete brief. Here is exactly what to send, and a template that removes three rounds of email.
Published January 29, 2026 · Updated August 18, 2026 · About 8 minutes to read
A buyer sends three suppliers an email asking for a price on "a kraft food tray, around 2lb, printed". Three quotes come back at different prices, and none of them are comparable — because each supplier has quietly assumed a different board, a different treatment, a different packing format and a different delivery term.
The fix is not to chase the suppliers. It is to send a brief specific enough that they are all quoting the same thing.
The eleven things to include
Send all of these and a competent supplier can quote without a single follow-up question.
- What goes in it. The actual food, and roughly what a portion looks like.
- Internal dimensions. Length, width and depth of the base, or a physical sample.
- Material and grade, if you know it. If not, say what the tray has to survive instead.
- Treatment. Grease-resistant, moisture-resistant, both, or none.
- Print. Number of colours, or a note that it is plain. Attach the artwork if you have it.
- Lid or closure, if any, and whether it needs to seal.
- Quantity, ideally two or three so you can see the price curve.
- Packing format. Flat-packed or assembled, and how many per carton if it matters.
- Delivery address, including country and postcode, so freight is in the number.
- When you need it, honestly. A real date rather than "as soon as possible".
- Any fixture it must fit. Delivery bag, shelf, carrier, servery rail, sealing machine.
Why "as cheap as possible" is a bad brief
It sounds like it gives the supplier freedom to find the best price. In practice it means every supplier optimises a different variable, and you receive quotes for four different products at four different prices with no way to compare them.
A better instruction is: "quote my specification, and separately tell me the one change that would most reduce the price." That gets you a comparable number and an informed suggestion, rather than a race to the bottom on something you may care about.
What to do with the quotes
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Check they are all quoting the same board
Ask for the grade and any treatment in writing. This is where the biggest silent differences hide.
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Check whether tooling is included or separate
A low unit price with tooling itemised elsewhere is not cheaper than a higher one with it included.
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Check the delivery term
Ex-works and delivered are very different numbers, especially on long-haul routes.
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Check the packing format
Flat-packed and assembled prices are not comparable, and the freight difference can be substantial.
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Ask each supplier the same follow-up question
"What would you change about my specification, and why?" The quality of the answer tells you more than the price does.
The single most useful thing you can send is a physical sample. A tray in the post removes an entire round of questions, eliminates misread measurements, and lets a supplier check board caliper and corner construction as well as dimensions. If you can post one, post one.
A template you can copy
Product: [what goes in the tray, and a typical portion]. Dimensions: [internal length × width × depth, or "sample enclosed"]. Material: [board type if known, or "advise — must hold X kg and survive Y"]. Treatment: [grease/moisture/both/none]. Print: [number of colours, or "plain"; artwork attached]. Closure: [none / fitted lid / clear lid / film seal]. Quantity: [three quantities]. Packing: [flat-packed / assembled]. Delivery: [full address with country and postcode]. Required by: [date]. Must fit: [any fixture, bag, machine or carrier].
Eleven lines. It takes ten minutes to write and it typically removes three rounds of email from the process.
Quick answers
What if I do not know what material I need?
Say so, and describe what the tray has to survive instead — the food, the temperature, the weight, how long it sits. A supplier can specify the material from that, and it is a better brief than a guess at a board grade.
Should I tell suppliers my budget?
A target unit price is useful because it tells the supplier whether your specification is realistic before they spend time quoting it. If your target is far below what the specification allows, a good supplier will say so rather than quietly cutting corners.
How many suppliers should I approach?
Two or three is usually enough to establish whether a price is sensible. Beyond that you spend more time managing the process than you save, and the quotes stop being genuinely different.
