Frequently Asked Questions

Start from the product, not the manufacturer. Decide the format (capsule, powder, gummy) and the category, then look for facilities that make that specific thing as standard. Confirm cGMP compliance under 21 CFR Part 111 with a certificate from a third-party auditor, ask for the FDA facility registration, and get an itemized written quote: unit price, minimum order, lead time, testing and freight on separate lines. On SupplementQuotes every manufacturer has passed that verification before they can see a request, so you post your spec once and compare private label quotes side by side. The full checklist is in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

In order: pick one product and the customer it is for; decide between private label (a stock formula under your brand) and a custom formula; write a spec sheet; get competing quotes from verified manufacturers; set up your business entity, bank account and product liability insurance; have your label reviewed for FDA compliance; accept a quote and pay the deposit; approve the label; then production and launch. The single largest cost is the first production run, set by the manufacturer’s minimum order. We walk through every step in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

The categories launched most often are multivitamins, protein and nutrition powders, probiotics, sleep and magnesium products, greens blends, pre-workout, and collagen. Gummies are a format rather than a category, and they lift demand in almost any of the above, at a higher minimum and unit cost than capsules. The better question is which niche inside a category you can reach: a magnesium product for evening trainers has a findable customer, and "a magnesium product" does not. More on choosing a first product in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

Reliable means verifiable. Ask for the cGMP audit certificate (NSF, UL, SQF or similar), the FDA facility registration number, and the standard testing they run on incoming ingredients and finished product. Ask what they make most, because a capsule facility is not automatically a gummy facility. Then ask for a written, itemized quote and a stated minimum order. SupplementQuotes verifies legal identity, facility registration and cGMP documentation before a manufacturer can quote, and keeps the verification file on record. Our guide to finding a GMP-certified manufacturer covers each check.

Most US contract manufacturers offer white label or private label lines alongside custom manufacturing, and the two terms usually mean the same thing: a stock formula sold under your brand. Rather than a list of company names, which goes stale and tells you nothing about fit, post your product on SupplementQuotes and let the manufacturers who already make it quote you. Every one is US-based, cGMP-verified and covered by a mutual NDA before they see your request. The difference between white label, private label and custom is explained in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

For a first brand, usually you do not source them yourself. Contract manufacturers buy ingredients through suppliers they have already qualified, with a certificate of analysis on every lot, and that sourcing is included in their quote. Your decision is whether to specify branded ingredients: trademarked forms of an ingredient with their own research and logo, which you name on the spec and the manufacturer purchases. They cost more than the generic form and give you a study to point to on the label. Details in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

Decide five things: the active ingredients and what each one is for, the doses (matched to the research, not to what fits cheaply in a capsule), the format, the serving size and servings per container, and what the product must not contain. Written down, that is a spec sheet, and a spec sheet is what manufacturers quote against. If you have never written one, the Formula Helper drafts a starting spec from a plain description of the product; it is a first draft for you and your manufacturer to refine, not a reviewed formula. The five decisions are explained in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

Supplements are regulated as a category of food, so there is no pre-approval, but there are rules. Your label must follow the Supplement Facts format in 21 CFR Part 101. Claims must stay to structure and function ("supports sleep"), never disease treatment, with the standard disclaimer and an FDA notification within 30 days of marketing. Ingredients not sold in the US before October 1994 need a New Dietary Ingredient notification 75 days before sale. Your manufacturer must follow cGMP under 21 CFR Part 111, and the FDA holds the brand on the label responsible for that too. Serious adverse events must be reported within 15 business days. This is a summary, not legal advice; the longer version is in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

One is not optional: cGMP compliance under 21 CFR Part 111, shown by an audit certificate from a third-party body such as NSF, UL or SQF, plus FDA facility registration. Everything else depends on your product and channel. NSF Certified for Sport if you sell to athletes, USDA Organic if you claim organic, Informed Sport or Informed Choice for banned-substance screening, ISO 17025 lab testing if you sell on Amazon. Ask what the manufacturer holds and what they can produce under. Our certifications guide explains what each one certifies and what it costs.

Your own store first, marketplaces second. Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce are the common choices for a store you own, and owning the store means owning the customer, the subscription and the margin. Amazon brings traffic but takes a cut and holds supplements to its own compliance requirements, including ISO 17025 lab testing and documentation your manufacturer will need to help you produce. Before building a formula around any ingredient, check the platform’s and the payment processor’s restricted products lists. More in How to Start a Supplement Brand.

Fast. You will receive a notification as each quote lands, priced against your exact specifications so they are directly comparable. If quotes are slow to arrive, select the Help button. Our team will personally review your request and identify any bottlenecks. Sometimes a minor adjustment to quantity, format, or certifications opens your request to significantly more manufacturers.

No. Requesting and comparing quotes is completely free. You only pay when you accept an offer and start an order.

Yes. Every request is covered by our mutual NDA before any manufacturer sees it, and visibility is restricted solely to verified manufacturers bound by that agreement. Nothing is ever posted publicly.

MOQs are set by each individual manufacturer and displayed directly on their quotes, typically ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 units depending on the format. If your target volume falls below a manufacturer’s minimum, their quote will state this, allowing you to counter.

No, and the distinction is critical. A broker stands between you and the manufacturer, marks up the price, and owns the relationship. On SupplementQuotes, you deal with the manufacturer directly: you verify their identity, message them one-on-one, and retain the relationship for reorders. The platform provides transparent competition, NDA protection, protected 50/50 payments, and dedicated support without middleman markups.

Yes. Manufacturers are thoroughly vetted for GMP compliance under FDA 21 CFR Part 111 standards before they can view requests or submit quotes. If your production run requires additional qualifications, such as third-party lab testing, Organic, or NSF certification, specify them in your request so only qualified facilities respond.

Cancellation is never automatic. Either party can submit a cancellation request from the order card prior to shipment along with a stated reason. An administrator reviews the request within the deal conversation, and the manufacturer documents any costs incurred. Once funds have moved, both parties must agree to the exact numbers before the order cancels. Our platform fee is $0 on any cancelled order, and the full record remains permanently logged on the order file.

Only customers who have completed an order with a manufacturer can submit a review, capped at one verified review per order. Reviews consist of a 1 to 5 star rating alongside optional written feedback. Star averages shown on quotes derive exclusively from these verified transactions. Written feedback remains private between the reviewer, the manufacturer (who may submit one formal response), and our moderation team. Reviews are moderated strictly under marketplace rules and are never removed for being negative.

You are free to communicate directly via phone, email, or video calls as a standard part of manufacturing. Our terms simply require that official transactions remain on SupplementQuotes. Any order with a manufacturer met on the platform, including reorders, must run through the system. This ensures payment protection, order tracking, and fair pricing rules. The Reorder button simplifies repeat business to a single click, allowing you to send orders straight to your previous facility or open them back up for competitive bidding.

Our platform fee is built directly into the pricing you see and is charged exclusively on the product. Label printing and freight pass through at the manufacturer’s exact cost without markups. The accepted price is your price of record.

Payments operate on a 50/50 split: half to initiate production, and the remaining half prior to shipment. All payments flow through the platform, with each milestone verified by our team before funds release to the manufacturer. Your order documentation clearly reflects your payment balance at every stage.

Production yields naturally vary in custom manufacturing. Industry standard, disclosed on every quote and purchase order, allows for final billing based on actual units produced within a +10% tolerance of your order. Overages beyond 10% represent manufacturer risk and are not billed to you, while shortages bill down accordingly. Adjustments are applied to the final payment balance. If an overage exceeds 10%, the manufacturer may request your approval to purchase the excess at your accepted rate; declined units are neither billed nor shipped. If production falls below 90% of your target quantity, the order pauses before final payment until you approve the reduced yield, with full cancellation and issue resolution paths remaining open.

Only with your explicit approval. If an unexpected cost arises, such as a label reprint or bottle upgrade, the manufacturer submits a formal proposal detailing the exact scope and reason. Nothing is added to your balance unless you click approve. Extra charges are capped per order and itemized on your final invoice.

You upload your label design, the manufacturer reviews it against your formula, and nothing goes to print until you issue approval inside the order dashboard. Revisions and approval histories remain saved directly on the order. Single production runs can also be split across multiple label designs.

Testing follows your specified requirements: the manufacturer’s standard testing program (typically identity, purity, microbiology, and heavy metals per their standard operating procedures), third-party laboratory testing, or custom protocols you define. A Certificate of Analysis (CoA) can be requested on any completed order.

You select your preferred shipping method at completion. The manufacturer can manage fulfillment with freight costs added to the final invoice at cost, or you can arrange your own carrier using the pallet specifications posted on your order. You can compare options against your own freight resources to choose the most cost-effective path.

Every active order includes a Report a Problem button accessible to both parties. Selecting it flags our administration team with your exact concern, notifies the other party, and logs the issue in the deal chat. If an order stage was clicked in error, an administrator can rewind the workflow step with full audit logging.

Yes. The Help chat connects directly to our team, and an administrator reviews every flagged order and payment transaction. We operate as a real team based in Mesa, Arizona.

Reorders require a single click from any completed order card. Your formula specifications, label files, and manufacturer history carry over automatically, with options to adjust quantities or production details before sending.