Questions buyers ask us

We're a sourcing-led procurement advisory. We find and vet suppliers across nine categories, in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East, and run the whole sourcing process: vetting, requests for quotation, evaluation, inspection and logistics coordination, and the decision record. We never buy, sell, negotiate or sign contracts for you. You stay in full control.

No. We're an independent advisory firm. We take no commission, rebate, referral fee or payment from suppliers. One fixed fee from you is the only way we're paid.

We're based in the UK and work with clients in the UK, Europe and further afield. We source domestically and from international markets, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Far East.

BetterAlta is newly established and founder-led. We deliberately run a small number of projects at once, so your work is handled by senior people who know your file. We do not yet have a public portfolio of named clients. We are happy to discuss our capacity for your requirement openly before you commit to anything.

Every project follows six stages: define the requirement, map the market, issue the request for quotation, manage the responses, evaluate and decide, and hand over. No stage starts until the one before it is signed off. See the stages in detail.

A complete pack: the requirements record, the supplier vetting register, the RFQ pack with all correspondence, the evaluation matrix, the signed decision log and a summary report. All of it belongs to you, permanently. We keep no ownership or access rights over your records.

All supplier contact goes through one traceable channel that we manage. Every question, answer and document is recorded. No contact takes place informally, and every supplier receives the same information.

A straightforward project, one category with three to five suppliers, usually takes two to four weeks. Complex enterprise or public sector processes can take six to twelve weeks. We agree the timeline at the start and report against it at each stage.

Yes. Our process is designed to work within your policy, not override it. If you don't have one, we can help you put a proportionate policy in place as part of the project.

Everything you share is treated as strictly confidential. We don't share your details, requirements, correspondence or budgets with anyone outside the agreed process. Confidentiality terms are set formally at the start.

We don't sign contracts, negotiate for you, handle payments, award contracts or take any commission from suppliers. Every agreement and every payment is directly between you and the supplier.

Where negotiation is needed, you lead it. We give you quotes set out like for like, with the evidence behind them, so you negotiate from a strong position.

Inspections are carried out by independent inspection partners, not by us. We source and vet those partners, coordinate sample and pre-shipment checks, and keep the results on your record. The inspection contract and payment sit between you and the inspector.

We don't move goods or act as a freight forwarder. We vet freight and logistics providers, coordinate the plan and keep the paperwork on record. The contract and payment sit between you and the provider.

We tell you, explain why each one failed, and agree the next step with you, such as widening the search or reviewing the specification. We won't put a supplier in front of you that didn't meet the standard you agreed.

By one fixed fee, agreed in writing before any work starts. It's the only way we're paid, so our advice isn't influenced by what you spend.

• SMEs, marketplace sellers and enterprise: a fixed project fee for each piece of work, or a monthly retainer for ongoing sourcing.
• Public sector: a day rate or a fixed project fee.

The fee reflects the work involved and how regulated the category is, not the size of your order. If your order doubles, the fee doesn't.

Commission hidden in a supplier's price, a share of savings, any fee for handling or passing on bank details, access to the Approved Supplier Register, or anything added after the fact.

Every project is priced differently, based on the work involved and how regulated the category is. We work with businesses making a single purchase and with organisations that need ongoing support. You'll have the full figure, including any minimum fee, in writing before any work starts.

Yes. We're currently offering reduced terms on a first project to a limited number of new clients while we build our engagement history. Ask us about this when you get in touch.

Construction materials, white-label products, Amazon and marketplace products, industrial components, facilities and hospitality supplies, government goods, packaging and PPE, IT equipment, and office supplies. We also vet inspection partners and freight, logistics and warehousing providers. See what we source.

Yes, on every marketplace. We vet factories, manage quotes, check samples, arrange independent pre-shipment inspection, and build your marketplace's packaging and labelling rules into the factory specification. More for sellers.

Yes, as supplementary advisory only. We help with process design, evidence review, supplier engagement controls, evaluation facilitation and audit trails. All decisions, approvals and legal obligations stay with the authority. More for the public sector.

The principles are the same. For SMEs the process is lighter and focused on the decisions that matter most at growth stage. For enterprises it's more detailed, aligned to your policy and run across parallel workstreams.

Yes. We work with suppliers in the UK, Europe, Asia and the Far East, the Middle East and Africa. The same vetting standard applies wherever a supplier is based.

Our register of suppliers and service partners who have already passed our assessment. When a client requirement matches a member's category and capability, they can enter that client's RFQ straight away. It isn't a marketplace, directory or lead-generation service. About the Register.

No. Inclusion means you've been assessed against our published criteria and can be considered for relevant RFQs. The client alone decides who wins the work.

Nothing. There's no charge to apply, be assessed or be listed, and no commission on any work that follows.

An initial review within five working days of a complete application, then usually three to five working days for document checks. You get a written outcome with reasons, and can appeal within ten working days.

At least once a year, and whenever there's a material change. We contact members before any re-assessment.

Send us an enquiry through the contact page. We'll arrange a confidential, no-obligation conversation. If there's a fit, we propose a written scope for your review. No work starts until that scope is agreed and signed.