Minimum order by format
A standard production run is 500 bottles per product for capsules and tablets, and production takes 4 to 8 weeks from the moment the formula and the artwork are approved. Every other format is counted in its own unit — the table below gives each one.
A first run can be smaller — we have made them from 100 units. A first batch is not a production decision, it is a commercial one: a brand that has never sold this product yet should not be buying a year of stock to find out whether it sells. Tell us what you are testing and how many you need, and we will tell you what is possible rather than quoting you a wall.
We publish this because almost nobody does. The first question in every enquiry we receive is how small the first run can be, and the usual answer on a manufacturer's website is a contact form. That costs both sides a week to find out something that could have been read in ten seconds.
The table
| Format | Standard run | Counted in | Production time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capsules | from 500 bottles | bottles | 4–8 weeks |
| Tablets | from 500 bottles | bottles | 4–8 weeks |
| Softgels ready-made formula | from 500 pcs | pieces | 4–8 weeks |
| Softgels your own formula | from 1,000,000 capsules | capsules | quoted per project |
| Powders | from 300 kg | kilograms of finished blend | 4–8 weeks |
| Effervescent tablets | from 100 kg | kilograms of finished blend | from 4 weeks |
| Sachets | from 100 kg | kilograms of finished blend | from 4 weeks |
| Sports nutrition | from 100 kg | kilograms of finished blend | from 4 weeks |
| Syrups | from 100 L | litres | 4–8 weeks |
| Oils with vitamins | from 20 L | litres | 4–8 weeks |
The minimum applies per product. Three flavours of the same protein are three products, and each one carries its own minimum. First runs have been produced from 100 units, decided case by case on the format and the pack.
What the minimum is actually counted in
A minimum order is not one number, and the confusion between the three is where most quotes go wrong.
- Packs. The finished units the customer buys — bottles, tubes, jars. This is how our minimum is expressed.
- SKUs. A flavour, a size or a strength is a separate product to produce, even when the blend is the same. Our minimum applies per product, not per order — three flavours of the same protein are three products, each with its own minimum, because each flavour is blended separately.
- Kilograms or units of bulk. Some formats are quoted on the weight of the blend rather than the number of finished packs, and a quote in kilograms cannot be compared with a quote in packs without knowing the pack size.
What moves the minimum up
A custom formula
A recipe that has to be developed, trialled and documented carries a larger first run than one already in production.
A rare raw material
Some ingredients are bought in supplier minimums that are larger than a small first batch needs.
Custom packaging
Stock bottles and stock tubes are available in small quantities. A printed carton, a custom colour or a bespoke component is ordered from a supplier with its own minimum, and that minimum lands on top of ours.
Several flavours at once
Several flavours or strengths ordered together — each one is its own production run.
What does not move it
The formula being simple does not lower it, and a large order does not shorten production — a bigger batch runs on the same line for roughly the same number of weeks. What a larger order changes is the unit price, which is the reason to ask for both quotes at once.
Ready-made or your own formula
Ready-made
We hold finished formulas in capsules, tablets, softgels and effervescent tablets — compositions that already exist and have already been produced. You choose the product, the pack and the label. This is the shortest route to a first order and the one most first-time brands take.
Your own formula
We work from your specification or develop one with you. The product is yours and nobody else sells it. It costs the development time before the first pack exists.
Samples
Yes, we send samples. A buyer can hold the capsule, the tube or the jar and see the label before committing to a batch — which is the point of a sample and the reason it exists. Tell us which of the ready-made formulas you are looking at and where you are, and we will arrange it.
The catalogue of ready-made formulas is on the format pages: capsules, tablets, softgels, effervescent tablets.
What a first order involves besides the minimum
The minimum is the production side. Before a product can be sold in the EU, the company whose name is on the label notifies it to the national authority — supplements are notified, not approved. In Spain that authority is AESAN. We supply the composition and documentation for the filing; the filing is made by the brand owner, who is the food business operator responsible for the product.
That is worth knowing before the first batch is ordered rather than after it arrives.
About minimum orders
What is your minimum order?
A standard run is 500 bottles per product for capsules and tablets, with production taking 4 to 8 weeks from approval of the formula and the artwork. Effervescent tablets, sachets and sports nutrition are quoted by the weight of the finished blend, from 100 kg. First runs have been produced from 100 units — ask, because the answer depends on the format and the pack rather than on a rule.
Is that per product or for the whole order?
Per product. A minimum applies to each product separately: three flavours of the same protein are three products, and each one carries its own minimum. This is the question worth asking every manufacturer you compare us with, because most of them do not answer it until the quote arrives.
Does the minimum change between formats?
Yes, and the unit changes with it. Tablets and capsules are counted in bottles, and 500 is the standard run. Powders start at 300 kg of finished blend. Effervescent tablets, sachets and sports nutrition are quoted from 100 kg, with production from 4 weeks. Syrups start at 100 L and oils with vitamins at 20 L.
Can I order less than the standard run to test the market?
Often yes. We have produced first runs from 100 units. It depends on the format, the pack and the raw materials — a stock bottle and an existing formula are easier to run small than a custom carton and a new blend. Ask before assuming the answer is no.
Does a bigger order get produced faster?
No. A larger batch runs on the same line and takes about the same time. What it changes is the unit price, so it is worth asking for two quantities in the same quote.
How long does my own formula take compared with a ready-made one?
A ready-made formula skips development entirely, because the composition, the excipients and the process already exist. A developed formula adds the development and trial time before production starts.
What do I need to send you to get a quote?
The format, the active and its dose, how many units you want in the first run, and the pack you have in mind. That is enough for a real number rather than a range.
Get a quote for your quantity
Tell us the format, the active, the dose and how many units you need for the first run. You will get a price for that quantity and for a larger one, so you can see where the unit cost goes.
- Phone
- +34 637 48 95 63
- Office
- Calle Nuestra Señora de Gracia 7, Planta 2, puerta C
Marbella, Málaga, Spain - Production
- “Kargo k-1”, Mārupe, LV-2167, Latvia