China Sourcing Support for DIY & Construction Tools | 15h Project

We are KLRStec (KLRS GmbH), a German tool brand. For several years, we have been successfully selling our own branded products across Germany and Europe, UK and USA. As we continue to grow our portfolio, we are now looking to strengthen our sourcing capabilities and build a reliable supplier base in China. For this purpose, we are looking for an experienced sourcing professional with a strong background in hand tools, DIY and construction-related products. This is a paid initial project with a maximum scope of 15 hours. Objective of this Project The goal of this project is to support us in identifying and commercially validating suitable manufacturers for selected products in: hand tools and DIY / construction accessories (e.g. manual application tools and related hardware products) Expected Deliverables Within the 15 hour scope, the expected outcome is: Identification of relevant manufacturers Initial supplier pre-qualification Structured comparison of supplier quotations Basic validation of price logic (materials vs manufacturing effort) Communication support with shortlisted suppliers The focus is not only on collecting quotes, but on understanding whether supplier pricing is commercially reasonable. Required Experience You should have: Experience sourcing hand tools or comparable metal/hardware products Understanding of the Chinese manufacturing landscape for tools and hardware (e.g. key production clusters such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu) Experience communicating and negotiating with factories Ability to identify key cost drivers in supplier pricing (raw materials, tooling, surface treatment, assembly) Basic familiarity with compliance requirements for tools sold in the EU (CE where applicable, product safety, REACH) is a plus. Payment & Collaboration This is a paid project conducted fully on Upwork. Hourly rate will be agreed on Upwork before project start. This initial engagement is designed as a first collaboration, with potential follow-up projects if the cooperation proves successful. Screening Question To help us understand your sourcing approach, please start your proposal with a short answer: When receiving a supplier quotation for a hand tool (e.g. a steel-based manual tool), what key cost components would you review to assess whether the price is reasonable? We look forward to working with a sourcing professional who combines industry knowledge with commercial awareness.