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Supplier Screening Brief

A fillable evidence record for screening textile and apparel suppliers across identity, capability, subcontracting, quality, traceability, and a paid pilot.

13 min readUpdated July 15, 2026

Source-reviewed July 15, 2026

Primary sources reviewed for ongoing garment-supply-chain due diligence, forced-labor documentation, supplier capability questions, and certificate-scope controls; the template does not approve a supplier or complete due diligence.

How guide evidence works

The short answer

A directory result, referral, certificate, or polished sample is a lead, not an approved supplier. Before committing production, identify the legal company and every facility that may perform the work; verify capability against one exact product specification; expose subcontracting, capacity, quality, labor, environmental, traceability, and commercial exceptions; and run a paid pilot with written acceptance criteria. This brief keeps those claims, documents, observations, and unresolved risks in one decision record.

Use evidence, not a blended score

A single score can make a missing factory address look equivalent to a slightly longer lead time. They are not equivalent. Record each claim beside its source, date, scope, and limitation, then let the people accountable for quality, sourcing, compliance, and delivery make the decision.

The OECD garment and footwear guidance treats due diligence as an ongoing cycle: embed policy, identify and assess harm, prevent or mitigate it, track results, communicate, and provide or cooperate in remediation. It is not a one-time questionnaire. The workflow below starts a supplier record; it does not finish due diligence.

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Supplier screening brief

Complete one record per proposed supplier and identify every facility, subcontractor, and production step in scope. Link claims to dated evidence and preserve unanswered questions as open risks.

Nothing entered here is saved or sent.

Project and decision owners

Define the buying decision before collecting supplier claims.

Brand, product, style, and project codeProduct category, end use, and destination marketsExpected order quantity and target production windowDecision owner and required reviewersDecision date and required evidence due

Company and facility identity

A trading company, factory group, and production facility are different entities. Record each one.

Legal company name, registration number, and jurisdictionCommercial name, website, and primary contactsOwnership and related entitiesFacility name, full address, and facility identifierSite status and evidenceIdentity discrepancies

Product and process capability

Ask against the same measurable product specification sent to every candidate.

Authoritative specification package and versionProcesses performed at each named facilityRelevant machinery, technology, and skilled operationsComparable products and referencesSpecification exceptions or proposed substitutes

Capacity, minimums, and timing

Quoted capacity is useful only when its unit, period, bottleneck, and competing demand are clear.

MOQ and commercial unitAvailable capacity for this productMaterial and production lead-time breakdownCritical equipment or process bottlenecksOverflow and delay plan

Subcontracting and supply-chain map

Unauthorized or hidden subcontracting can change quality, labor, origin, traceability, and delivery risk.

Every proposed subcontractor and production stepUpstream material and input sourcesSupplier approval and monitoring of subcontractorsWritten approval required before any production moveName who can authorize a new site or subcontractorSupply-chain map attached with date and ownerMark unknown tiers and disputed information instead of guessing

Quality system and technical evidence

A management-system certificate does not replace product-specific controls and results.

Incoming, in-process, final, and shipment controlsProduct test methods, laboratories, and current resultsMeasurement and inspection capabilityRecent relevant quality failures and corrective actionBulk quality and inspection plan

People, environment, and grievance evidence

Request evidence proportionate to the risks, impacts, leverage, and production scope. Do not reduce worker conditions to a certificate checkbox.

Workforce and employment modelWorking time, wages, recruitment, freedom of association, and safety evidenceWorker grievance and remedy processEnvironmental permits, inputs, emissions, wastewater, and waste controlsAudit or assessment reportsUnresolved severe impacts or allegations

Certificates, claims, and traceability

Verify every certificate with its scheme owner and distinguish organization scope from shipment evidence.

Certificate or claimScope certificate checkedThe named entity, site, process, and product category are within current scopeShipment or transaction evidence requiredChain-of-custody and lot recordsMarketing and product-claim approval

Commercial, data, and operating terms

Terms should make exceptions, changes, and failures manageable after the relationship starts.

Price basis and exclusionsPayment, Incoterm, delivery point, and title or risk transferChange control and written approval rulesConfidentiality, data access, intellectual property, and toolingDefect, delay, recall, remediation, and exit terms

Paid pilot and verification plan

Test the real exchange on a representative, bounded order before scaling exposure.

Pilot scope, quantity, facility, and production routeInputs and approved referenceAcceptance and rejection criteriaVerification activities and responsible peoplePilot fee, dates, retest, and ownership

Decision and living risk record

Approve only the named product, facility set, scope, conditions, and period supported by the record.

Evidence reviewed and review datesOpen questions and missing evidenceDecision and conditionsApproved facilities, products, processes, and limitsMonitoring and reassessment triggersFinal approvers and decision date

Red flags that require resolution, not a lower score

Pause the decision when the proposed payee, legal entity, facility, or certificate holder cannot be reconciled; a production step has no named location; a supplier refuses to disclose subcontracting while claiming full traceability; evidence belongs to another site or product; capacity cannot be explained; documents conflict; worker access is restricted or retaliation is plausible; or the pilot is produced somewhere other than the declared route.

The right response depends on the issue. It may be clarification, independent verification, a revised route, corrective action, more leverage and monitoring, or rejection. Never ask a worker, auditor, or local partner to take an unreasonable safety risk to fill a buyer's spreadsheet.

Limit

This brief is not a social or environmental audit, legal opinion, sanctions or forced-labor determination, customs-clearance procedure, certificate validation, credit report, cybersecurity review, or guarantee of performance. Requirements vary by product, market, company role, law, contract, and risk. Use qualified professionals and affected-stakeholder input where the consequence warrants it.

Sources and decision boundaries

The structure follows the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector, including its continuing cycle of identification, prevention, tracking, communication, and remedy. U.S. Customs and Border Protection forced-labor guidance supports knowing where and how goods are made and preserving supply-chain documentation. The U.S. Department of Commerce's CAFTA-DR commercial-availability questions support comparing suppliers against the same specifications and asking about capacity, timing, equipment, and subcontractors.

For claimed certified materials, the GOTS definitions of scope certificate and transaction certificate distinguish an entity's certified scope from evidence covering identified goods. Textile Exchange directs users to its Find a Certified Company database as the source of truth for its scope-certificate authentication. These sources inform what to record; they do not authorize Stitch Authority to certify, audit, or approve a supplier.