The right supplier, at the right price, under contract.
We don't hand you a list of factories found on a platform. We audit, compare, negotiate and sign — then we stay in the factory until shipment.
Sourcing is not a search. It is a binding purchasing decision.
On B2B platforms, 60% of "factories" are trading companies. They make nothing, control neither quality nor lead times, and vanish at the first dispute. A bad supplier choice costs you for years: delays, non-conformities, endless renegotiations.
NOVASEA secures that decision with a method proven since 2012 across more than 1,200 factories: every candidate supplier is visited, audited, compared on objective criteria and bound by a bilingual contract enforceable in China. You receive a complete decision file — not an email address.
How we select your suppliers.
Bilingual specification
Functions, materials, dimensions, tolerances, standards, packaging, target price, annual volumes and timeline: the reference document, drafted in French and Chinese, signed by both parties.
Mapping of manufacturing hubs
Every product has its region: Dongguan for furniture, Ningbo for plastics, Shaoxing for textiles, Shenzhen for electronics. We target where expertise and supplier density are highest.
Shortlisting & on-site audit
Out of 15 to 30 candidates, we visit 5: verification of license, machinery, export references, financial strength and certifications. Photo report and rating.
Line-by-line quote comparison
Every quote is broken down (material, labor, tooling, packaging, margin) to compare like for like and detect loss leaders.
Sampling & golden sample
Prototypes, adjustments, validation of a reference sample sealed at the factory and at your premises: this is the benchmark for all inspections.
Contract & terms
Price, Incoterm, lead times, late penalties, warranty, tooling ownership, NNN agreement: a contract under Chinese law drafted by our counsel, enforceable locally.
Negotiating means knowing the real cost.
Our buyers come from Chinese industry: they know the price of a kilo of ABS, the machine hour of a 500-ton press, the minute of sewing in Shaoxing. That knowledge transforms negotiation: we don't argue over a percentage, we rebuild the cost of goods and set a fair price — sustainable for you and for the factory. On average, our clients see 12 to 22% savings compared with their previous sourcing, at equal or better quality.
What a sourcing project NOVASEA includes.
Audit reports, photos, certifications, references, scoring on 20 criteria.
Line-by-line comparison, calculated landed cost in Europe (DDP), volume scenarios.
Coordination, express shipping, discrepancy report, golden sample approval.
Drafted and negotiated by NOVASEA in Chinese and English (or French), enforceable in China, with an NNN agreement.
Shared schedule, weekly check-ins, factory visits, alerts.
NOVASEA Bridge: order status, inspections with photos, shipments and vessels, documents, API to your ERP.
Our commitments on every sourcing project.
- Manufacturing factories only, physically visited by our teams
- No supplier commission: we are paid by you, and only by you
- Access to factory invoices and real prices — contractual transparency
- Ownership of molds, tooling, designs and brands guaranteed by contract
- A dedicated English-speaking project manager, reachable across European and Asian time zones
- Supplier replacement at our expense in the event of a qualified failure during the first year
Frequently asked questions about sourcing.
Can you source a product that doesn't exist yet?
Yes: our product development division (OEM/ODM) turns a sketch or a specification into an industrialized product, then sourcing takes over.
Do you work outside China?
China remains our core business, but we also operate in Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia for textiles, furniture and certain components — often alongside a Chinese base.
What is the average timeline for a full sourcing project?
Allow 6 to 10 weeks between the approved brief and the signed contract, samples included. Technical categories (molding, certified electronics) may require 12 to 16 weeks.
Can I keep my current supplier?
Of course. We can audit them, renegotiate your terms and take over production monitoring and quality control without changing factories.
A product to source? Get an initial costed analysis.
Describe your product and volumes: a project manager from your industry replies with feasibility, the relevant manufacturing hubs and an indicative landed cost.
- Reply within 2 business days
- NDA on request
- Dedicated project manager