Choosing a new supplier — whether for software, services, equipment or professional support — comes down to asking the right questions and writing down the answers. The problem is that in the middle of a sales conversation, it is easy to forget the things that matter most once the honeymoon period ends.
The checklist below covers nine areas. Print it out, fill in the supplier name at the top, and tick each box as you go. If a supplier cannot or will not answer a question, that itself is an answer.
Company & background
Establish who you are dealing with and whether they are stable.
- How long has the company been trading?
- Are they registered at Companies House? (get the number)
- Who owns the business — and who is your main contact?
- Can they provide two references from customers your size?
- Do they hold professional or trade-body memberships?
- What is their public liability / professional indemnity insurance cover?
Terms & conditions
The small print can cost more than the price.
- What is the minimum contract length?
- What is the notice period to cancel?
- Does the contract auto-renew? Can it be switched off?
- What are the price-increase terms — is there a cap?
- Are there any early-termination or exit fees?
- Who owns your data, and what format can you export it in?
- Is there a cooling-off or trial period before you commit?
Pricing & payments
Make sure every cost is on the table.
- Is pricing fully itemised (setup, licence, support, extras)?
- Are there hidden costs — modules, users, API calls, storage?
- What payment terms do they offer (monthly, annual, upfront)?
- Are there setup or onboarding fees, and what do they cover?
- What happens to pricing if you add users or scale up?
- Are there discounts for annual payment or multi-year?
Deliveries & logistics
Know what arrives, when, and what happens if it doesn't.
- What are the standard delivery / turnaround times?
- Are delivery or call-out charges included or extra?
- Do they provide tracking or status updates?
- What is the returns / refund / rework policy?
- How are delays or missed deliveries handled?
- Is there a service-level agreement (SLA) on response times?
Location & coverage
Make sure they can actually reach you.
- What geographic area do they cover?
- Do they have local staff or contractors in your region?
- Can they support remote, hybrid or on-site work as needed?
- Are there travel or mileage charges for site visits?
- Do they operate UK-based support, or is it offshore?
Social media & online presence
A supplier's online behaviour is a window onto how they treat customers.
- Which social media platforms are they active on?
- How quickly do they respond to messages or reviews online?
- Are there public reviews on Google, Trustpilot or similar?
- How do they handle complaints publicly — can you see examples?
- Is their website up to date and professional?
- Do they publish case studies or testimonials you can verify?
Support & service
The support you get after signing is what you actually live with.
- What are the support hours — 9–5, extended, or 24/7?
- How do you contact support — phone, email, portal, chat?
- What are the guaranteed response and resolution times?
- Is there a named account manager or dedicated contact?
- What training and onboarding is included, and for how many staff?
- Is there a self-service knowledge base or help centre?
- What happens out of hours or in an emergency?
Quality & guarantees
What happens when things go wrong.
- What warranties or guarantees come with the product or service?
- Do they hold certifications — ISO, Cyber Essentials, etc.?
- What is their process for handling faults or defects?
- Is there a satisfaction guarantee or money-back period?
- How often do they release updates or improvements?
- Can you see examples of similar work or deployments?
Security & data protection
If they touch your data, this section is non-negotiable.
- Are they UK GDPR compliant — and will they sign a data processing agreement?
- Where is your data stored — UK, EU, or elsewhere?
- Have they had any data breaches? If so, what happened?
- What security certifications do they hold (Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001)?
- How is access to your data controlled and audited?
- What is their data retention and deletion policy?
- Do they back up your data, and how often?
How to use this checklist
Send the checklist to each shortlisted supplier before your call and ask them to come prepared with answers. You will learn a lot from which questions they answer confidently and which they dodge. Compare the answers side by side, and pair the checklist with our guide on how to compare supplier quotes for a full evaluation framework.
When you are ready to find vetted suppliers, you can request matched quotes through Business Match AI or browse our other buyer guides.