Everything you need to know before getting started.

ForgeSource is a private B2B strategic sourcing consultancy. We identify, vet, and deliver qualified suppliers for businesses sourcing physical goods — from precision-machined components to consumer packaged goods to regulated healthcare products.

We operate as an external sourcing desk. You tell us what you need, we find and verify the suppliers, and deliver a brief with ranked recommendations — so your team can make confident decisions without spending weeks on supplier research.

We work with any business sourcing physical goods — manufacturing companies, consumer brands, franchise operators, healthcare organizations, hospitality groups, agricultural businesses, and technology companies needing component sourcing. We serve clients globally — US, European, Asian, and international businesses are all welcome.

Our engagements start at $397, making us accessible to small businesses and startups, and scale up to retained partnerships for organizations with ongoing sourcing needs.

Yes. The ForgeSource LLC is a Wyoming-registered company operating in the United States. We source suppliers globally — US domestic, Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Asia-Pacific — but we are a US-based operation.

We use proprietary sourcing methodology and technology to deliver results. We do not discuss our internal processes. What we can tell you is that every supplier in your brief has been verified — OFAC-screened, certification-checked, and scored against your requirements.

Select the tier that matches your sourcing need on our Pricing page and complete payment via Stripe. Immediately after payment, you'll receive an email with a link to our sourcing intake form.

The intake form takes about 5 minutes — you'll describe your product, volume, required certifications, geographic preferences, and timeline. That's everything we need to begin.

Our team reviews your requirements and begins supplier research immediately. We search across our supplier database, industry directories, and global manufacturing networks to identify qualified candidates.

We screen a minimum of 8–15 candidates to find your final deliverable set. Every candidate goes through OFAC screening, certification verification, and capability scoring before being included.

For Sourcing Engagement and Retained Partnership clients, we also contact the top 3 candidates directly on your behalf before delivering the final brief.

No separate contract is required. By completing payment, you acknowledge and accept the terms of your engagement — including deliverable scope, timeline, and success fee provisions. A full engagement letter is sent to your email immediately after payment for your records.

Yes. Reach out to contact@theforgesource.com with your sourcing need and we'll respond within one business day. For complex or multi-category requirements, we recommend reaching out before purchasing so we can confirm the right tier for your needs.

All briefs are delivered in PDF format via email, with a Google Doc link as a "view online" option. The brief includes full supplier profiles, certification status, OFAC clearance, capability details, a side-by-side comparison, and our ranked recommendations.

Because we believe buyers should know what they're paying before they engage. Transparent pricing builds trust and lets you self-select the right tier without a sales conversation. If you know what you need and what it costs, you should be able to start immediately.

We accept all major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, and Klarna via Stripe's secure checkout. All payments are processed through Stripe — we never store payment information.

Yes. If ForgeSource determines that your sourcing request falls outside our capability scope after reviewing your intake form, we issue a full refund within 24 hours — no questions asked.

Once research has commenced, fees are non-refundable. However, if we are unable to identify suppliers meeting your stated requirements, we will provide additional research at no charge or issue a credit toward a future engagement.

No. The price shown is the price you pay. There are no setup fees, no consultation fees, and no additional charges within the scope of your engagement.

The only additional fee is the success fee — which applies only if you place an order with a ForgeSource-introduced supplier within 12 months. See the Success Fee section below for details.

Yes. If you purchase a Sourcing Brief and decide you want supplier outreach included, contact us at contact@theforgesource.com and we can discuss upgrading to a Sourcing Engagement. Credit from your initial purchase applies toward the upgrade.

We search across our supplier database, industry directories (ThomasNet, Made-in-China, Global Sources), manufacturer association lists, trade show exhibitor databases, and targeted web research. For Chinese suppliers, we use specialized sourcing databases and verify through China's national business registry.

We search a minimum of 8–15 candidates before selecting your final deliverable set — this gives us room to discard weaker options and deliver only the strongest matches.

Yes. We source suppliers globally — US domestic, Mexico (USMCA-eligible), Canada, Europe, and Asia-Pacific including China, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

All international suppliers are OFAC-screened. Chinese suppliers are additionally checked against the US Commerce Department Entity List and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) restricted commodity list.

OFAC stands for the Office of Foreign Assets Control — a division of the US Treasury Department. OFAC maintains a Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list of individuals, companies, and organizations subject to US economic sanctions.

Doing business with a sanctioned entity can expose your company to significant legal liability. We screen every supplier against the current OFAC SDN list before they appear in any brief — this is mandatory and non-negotiable for every engagement.

We verify certifications through public registries — not supplier websites or marketing materials. For ISO certifications, we check the IAF CertSearch database. For AS9100 (aerospace), we use the OASIS database. For FDA registrations, we check the FDA's public establishment registration system.

Every certification in your brief is labeled as Verified (confirmed through registry), Self-Reported (stated by supplier, not independently confirmed), or Requires Verification (flagged for follow-up). We never present unverified information as confirmed.

If a supplier doesn't respond within 5 business days, we send one follow-up. If there is still no response after 7 total business days, we mark them as non-responsive and promote the next highest-scoring candidate from our research list.

Your brief will clearly note each supplier's status — Contacted & Confirmed, Contacted & No Response, or Not Contacted (database research only).

The success fee is a performance-based fee that applies when you place a first order with a supplier introduced through your ForgeSource engagement within 12 months of brief delivery.

The rate is 2% for orders under $100,000 and 3% for orders of $100,000 or more. This is calculated on the value of your first order only — not subsequent orders.

The success fee aligns ForgeSource's incentives directly with yours. We succeed when you place a successful order — so our motivation is to deliver suppliers that are genuinely capable of fulfilling your requirements, not just a list of names.

The upfront engagement fee covers our research and delivery costs. The success fee is our performance component — we only earn it when our sourcing work actually results in a transaction.

No success fee applies. The success fee only triggers if you place an order with a ForgeSource-introduced supplier within 12 months. If you use the brief for research and decide not to move forward, there is nothing additional owed.

Email contact@theforgesource.com within 5 business days of placing an order with a ForgeSource-introduced supplier. Include the supplier name, order date, and order value.

Early disclosure reward: Clients who voluntarily disclose within 5 business days receive a 10% discount on their next ForgeSource engagement. This is our way of rewarding transparency and building a long-term relationship.