Product and pack format
Describe what is being packed and the required finished presentation.
Contract packing FAQs
Contract packing questions, answered clearly.
Understand the terms, information and practical factors behind a co-packing brief before you contact the Stockholm team.
A clear answer
What should you know before choosing a co-packer?
A useful contract packing conversation starts with the work itself: what the finished pack should be, what is available now, how many units are involved and when they need to be complete.
Prices, minimum quantities and lead times cannot be assessed from one number alone. Pack format, process steps, components, variants, stock condition and onward requirements all affect the production plan.
The answers below explain the main terms and decision factors. They are designed to help you prepare a stronger brief; Stockholm will still assess the actual requirement individually.
Project scope
The details that make an enquiry useful.
Even an early-stage brief becomes easier to assess when it covers these six areas. Unknowns can be clearly marked for discussion.
Approximate quantities
Provide the total volume, expected batch sizes and any different pack variants.
Component list
Identify products, packaging, inserts, labels and other supplied elements.
Process instructions
Share the approved sequence, placement details and finished-pack reference.
Current stock position
Explain what is ready, what is still being sourced and where the stock currently sits.
Target timing
State the required completion date and what must happen after the work is finished.
Every requirement is assessed individually. Contact Stockholm to confirm the practical fit for your product, pack and timing.
Plan the conversation
From first question to a defined scope.
The initial conversation is used to turn the available information into a clearer view of the work and the open decisions.
- 01
Send what you know
Use the enquiry form to share the essential pack, quantity, component and timing details.
- 02
Identify the unknowns
Be clear about decisions, components or dates that are still being confirmed.
- 03
Review practical fit
Stockholm considers the requirement and asks the questions needed to understand it.
- 04
Agree the next step
The project moves forward only when the scope and relevant responsibilities are clear.
Useful questions
Straight answers before you enquire.
Need to discuss a live requirement? Call 01494 623015.
What is contract packing?+
Contract packing is the outsourcing of packaging work to a specialist team. It can include hand packing, assembly, kitting, inserts, labelling, sleeving, multipacks, repacking, finishing and packaging rework, depending on the agreed brief.
What is a co-packer?+
A co-packer is a contract packing company. The term is short for contract packer or co-packing partner and describes a business that carries out agreed packaging operations for another organisation.
Why do businesses outsource contract packing?+
A business may outsource packing to gain additional production capacity, support a launch or seasonal requirement, handle a multi-part manual process, or complete repacking and rework without building a separate internal operation.
How much do contract packing services cost?+
Cost depends on the pack format, number of process steps, quantity, batch profile, variants, components, handling needs, timing and onward requirements. A clear project brief is needed before a relevant proposal can be prepared.
Is there a minimum order quantity for contract packing?+
Quantity is assessed alongside the work involved, pack format, components and timing. Send the approximate volume and batch profile to Stockholm so the team can assess whether the project is a practical fit.
What affects a contract packing lead time?+
Lead time can be affected by scope approval, stock and component availability, quantity, process complexity, variants, production planning and the required completion date. Share the real target window at the start of the conversation.
Who supplies the packaging materials and components?+
That responsibility should be agreed for each project. Tell Stockholm which products, labels, inserts and packaging materials are already sourced, when they will be available and which items remain to be confirmed.
Can Stockholm discuss one-off, seasonal or ongoing packing work?+
Yes. Tell the team whether the requirement is a one-off run, launch, seasonal project, overflow need or ongoing programme. Every brief is assessed individually before fit and next steps are confirmed.
Can Stockholm help with labelling, kitting or packaging rework?+
These are all relevant project conversations. The team will need the current stock position, finished-pack requirement, components, quantities, instructions and timing to determine the right next step.
What should I send with my first enquiry?+
Send the product and pack format, approximate quantity, variants, component list, instructions, current stock position, target date and onward destination. Photographs or a finished-pack reference can help when available.
Start a project conversation
What are you working on?
Share the pack format, approximate quantity, components and target timing. The Stockholm team can begin with the right questions.
Compare packing proposals with the same boundary of work
Describe what arrives and what leaves
Write the incoming state and outgoing state in plain terms. “Pack 1,000 kits” might include receiving loose products, making cartons, inserting literature, applying labels and case packing—or only one of those steps. List the actual operations so each proposal prices the same job and identifies any excluded activity.
State who owns each material decision
Separate customer-supplied components from items that still need sourcing or approval. Record who approves artwork, quantities and the finished reference, and whether a substitution can be considered. An assumed supply responsibility can delay an otherwise practical run; make open decisions visible in the quotation review.
Compare the batch pattern, not only total units
Ten small variants can involve more preparation and checking than one unchanged run of the same total size. Provide quantities by variant, expected repeats and the real completion window. Ask how the quote treats a revised recipe, a partial delivery or a changed quantity rather than assuming the original scope still applies.
Include the onward handover
State whether finished stock is supplied as loose units, inner packs, cases or palletised goods and identify the required labels or count records. Agree what happens to incomplete work and unused materials. Review contract packing services, manual assembly and rework support against this same scope.