A supplier policy template for ISO 9001 that sets out how suppliers are selected, approved and monitored and what is expected of them, written to be shared with suppliers.
This policy template is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised and edited. The document uses pre-defined style formatting throughout, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
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Supplier Policy Template
A supplier policy setting out how suppliers, contractors, sub-contractors and service providers are selected, approved and monitored, and what is expected of them. It is written as an outward-facing policy to share with suppliers and to make available to customers and other interested parties on request.
ISO 9001:2026 clause 8.4 asks for criteria for the evaluation, selection, monitoring and re-evaluation of external providers, and for requirements to be communicated to them. The policy covers both in one document, and the IMS1 manual refers to it for supplier arrangements.
What the Supplier Policy Covers
- Selection and approval - key suppliers defined and approved before orders are placed, with the level of appraisal matched to what is supplied
- Orders - what each order sets out, including any approval and release requirements
- What we expect of our suppliers - covering areas such as delivery, competence, legal compliance, ethical conduct, fair treatment of workers, health and safety, the environment, information security, continuity of supply and counterfeit or suspect items
- Contractors and sub-contractors - appraisal before work is agreed, agreeing scope and site rules, inductions, what contractors are expected to do, checks on completed work, and labour-only sub-contractors
- Monitoring and review - ongoing monitoring of supplier performance, checks at the supplier's premises, and how issues are handled
- Approved By and Date Approved
Built for ISO 9001 Clause 8.4
- Criteria for the evaluation, selection, monitoring and re-evaluation of external providers (clause 8.4.1)
- Controls matched to the effect of what is supplied on your products and services (clause 8.4.2)
- Requirements communicated to suppliers and contractors, including competence, dealings with your customers, and checks at their premises (clause 8.4.3)
Who Needs a Supplier Policy?
Any organisation that buys in products, services or labour that affect what it delivers. It is particularly useful where contractors and labour-only sub-contractors work on your premises or your customers' premises, and when tenders and pre-qualification questionnaires ask for a supplier or procurement policy.
Included in the ISO 9001 Toolkit
This policy is part of the ISO 9001 Toolkit and every alphaZ ISO toolkit that covers ISO 9001.
Works with Supplier Appraisal and the Key Suppliers List
Key suppliers complete the F-Q9 Supplier Appraisal Form and are recorded on a key suppliers list, kept either on the F-IMS42 Key Suppliers Register in Word or the ER3 Key Supplier Contractor Register in Excel.
Sharing the Policy with Suppliers
Send the policy with the supplier appraisal, attach it to orders or contracts, or publish it on your website, so suppliers and contractors know what is expected of them before work starts. Customers and tender assessors can be given a copy on request. The policy is written for an outside reader, so the day to day detail of how suppliers are appraised and recorded stays in your management system, in the IMS1 manual or a procedure such as PP-1-09 Supplier Appraisal Policy Procedure.
Labour-Only Sub-Contractors
The policy covers labour-only sub-contractors who work under your direction, inducting, training and supervising them in the same way as your own workers, with right to work checks before they start and a requirement for sub-contractors to check everyone they engage on your work.
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