Supplier onboarding checklist
Every step from approved request to first order: due diligence, contracts, system set-up and kick-off, with owners, due dates and evidence, so no supplier goes live without the checks your policy requires.
- Free Excel file, no sign-up
- 21 tasks in five phases
- Due dates from one start date
- Ready to close check
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Phase | Task | Owner | Due date | Status |
| 5 | Request | Approved intake request on file | Requester | 2026-11-02 | Done |
| 6 | Due diligence | Sanctions and adverse media screening | Compliance | 2026-11-07 | Not started |
| 7 | Contract | Quality agreement signed | Supplier quality | 2026-11-23 | Not started |
| 8 | Go live | First evaluation scheduled | Category manager | 2026-12-02 | Not started |
What is inside
2 sheets, ready to use.
Yellow cells are yours to fill in. Grey cells calculate. Every sheet has a worked example so you can see the expected format.
Read me
Purpose, steps, colour legend and assumptions.
Checklist
Supplier details, 21 tasks by phase with owner, scope, due date, status, evidence, overdue flag and progress.
How to use it
Four steps from download to a decision.
No macros, no add-ins. It works in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice.
01
Enter the supplier, segment and start date at the top.
02
Remove tasks that do not apply or mark them Not needed. Adjust owners and due days to your process.
03
Update the status as you go. Due dates and overdue flags are calculated.
04
The supplier is ready for its first order when Ready to close shows Yes.
Spreadsheet or platform
Start in Excel. Move when the volume or the stakes grow.
The template and the platform use the same structure, so nothing you set up here is wasted.
This spreadsheet is enough when
- You onboard a few suppliers a quarter
- The same person runs every onboarding
- Suppliers send documents by email
Move it into EvaluationsHub when you need to
- Guide suppliers through onboarding in InitiativesHub, with documents uploaded once
- Track certificates and expiry dates without chasing by email
- Run qualification surveys and score them as part of onboarding
- Start performance evaluation from the same supplier record on day one
Questions
Before you download
What are the main steps of supplier onboarding?
Due diligence (identity, financial health, sanctions, certificates), contracts and policies signed, supplier master data and bank details set up and verified, then a kick-off where performance expectations are agreed.
Is the template really free?
Yes. The file downloads directly, with no form and no email address.
When should we move this out of Excel?
When several people rate the same suppliers, when suppliers need to see their results, or when actions get lost between file versions. That is usually the point where a shared platform pays back. Signs you have outgrown the spreadsheet →
Related templates
Next steps in the supplier lifecycle.
Templates that pick up where this one ends.
Supplier intake request with approval routing
Request form that calculates sourcing route, risk class and required approvers.
View template →
Automotive supplier self-assessment aligned with IATF 16949
38 questions in 8 sections for automotive suppliers, scored automatically.
View template →
ESG and sustainability supplier questionnaire
19 ESG questions across governance, climate, human rights and ethics.
View template →
Run it live
Run this process with your suppliers, not just in a file.
Start a free sandbox and set it up yourself: send requests and surveys to real suppliers, collect answers and see scores in one place.
