Supplier qualification checklist
A printable 45-point checklist covering corporate standing, financial health, technical capability, quality, delivery, ESG and references. Attach it to every RFQ and require suppliers to respond in writing.
Supplier Qualification Checklist
Use this checklist during pre-qualification, before shortlisting and again before contract signature. Every "No" or "Not provided" is a documented risk that either kills the bid or is priced into a mitigation clause.
1. Corporate & legal standing
Confirm the supplier is a real, solvent legal entity that can sign, invoice and be held accountable in your jurisdiction.
- Registered legal name, entity type and country of incorporation
- Company registration number and tax ID (VAT/GST/EIN)
- Ultimate beneficial owner(s) disclosed
- Sanctions / PEP / adverse-media screen completed
- Years in business (target: ≥ 5 for turnkey scope)
- Certificate of good standing or equivalent registry extract
- Litigation history disclosed (last 5 years)
2. Financial health
Under-capitalised suppliers are the single biggest cause of aquaculture project delays. Verify capacity to carry your order.
- Audited financial statements (last 3 years)
- Annual revenue ≥ 5× your contract value
- Positive operating cash flow in last 2 years
- Debt-to-equity ratio disclosed
- Bank references and credit rating (D&B, Coface, Sinosure, etc.)
- Performance bond / advance-payment guarantee capacity
- Insurance: product liability, professional indemnity, marine cargo
3. Technical capability
The supplier must have designed, manufactured and commissioned the exact scope you are buying — not an adjacent one.
- In-house engineering team size and disciplines (process, mechanical, controls)
- Manufacturing footprint: owned vs. subcontracted (with % of scope)
- Production capacity vs. current backlog (months)
- Reference list of ≥ 5 projects of similar species, capacity and system type
- Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) protocol available for review
- Spare parts and after-sales network in your region
- Digital twin / SCADA / remote-monitoring capability
4. Quality & compliance
Certifications alone are not enough — verify scope, expiry and that the certificate covers the manufacturing site quoting you.
- ISO 9001 quality management (certificate + scope)
- ISO 14001 environmental / ISO 45001 occupational health (if required)
- CE, UL, ASME, NSF, EAC or destination-country marks for equipment
- Food-contact material certificates (where applicable)
- Welding qualifications (ASME IX, EN 15085) for pressure/structural work
- HACCP / ASC / BAP alignment for processing & feed-related scope
- Non-conformance rate and warranty claim history disclosed
5. Delivery, warranty & logistics
Lock down how the equipment arrives, who commissions it and what happens when something breaks in year two.
- Lead time from PO to FAT, and FAT to site delivery
- Incoterms 2020 offered (EXW, FCA, CIF, DAP, DDP)
- Packing standard: export-grade, seaworthy, containerised
- Site supervision / commissioning days included
- Warranty duration and coverage (parts, labour, travel)
- Guaranteed spare-parts availability window (≥ 10 years)
- Training programme for operator and maintenance staff
6. ESG, biosecurity & ethics
Lenders, DFIs and off-takers increasingly require documented ESG and biosecurity posture from every Tier-1 supplier.
- Anti-bribery & anti-corruption policy (ISO 37001 or equivalent)
- Modern-slavery / forced-labour statement
- Biosecurity protocol for equipment shipped between farms
- Environmental footprint disclosure (Scope 1–2 emissions minimum)
- Data-privacy and cybersecurity posture for connected equipment
- Whistleblower / grievance mechanism
7. References & site visits
Never sign without speaking to a real operator running the exact system in the same climate zone.
- Minimum 3 client references contacted (same species and system)
- At least 1 reference project ≥ 2 years in operation
- Factory audit completed (physical or verified virtual)
- Operating reference site visit completed
- Independent third-party inspection agreed for FAT and SAT
Automatic red flags
If any of the following are true, the supplier should not proceed to shortlist without a written mitigation plan approved by the Owner.
- •Supplier refuses to share audited financials or reference contacts.
- •Certificates are expired, scoped to a different site, or issued by unaccredited bodies.
- •Reference projects are all in one geography or all under 12 months old.
- •No documented FAT / SAT protocol — commissioning is 'ad hoc on site'.
- •Warranty scope excludes labour, travel or biological performance guarantees.
- •Payment terms demand > 30% before FAT with no bank guarantee offered.