Turn a seed range idea into an internal buying brief

A broad seed-range idea becomes easier to approve when it is converted into a focused internal buying brief. The brief should show why each proposed variety is needed, what quantity is initially requested, and which commercial details must still be confirmed before an enquiry is sent.

Start with the retail need

Define the customer and occasion behind the range before choosing individual varieties. For example, separate kitchen-garden staples from specialist or microgreen selections, and distinguish vegetables, herbs, flowers and microgreens where they serve different customer needs. The catalogue provides coverage across these areas, including vegetable groups such as cabbage and kale or leafy greens, flower groups divided by annual, biennial and perennial types, herb categories, and microgreen references. Catalogue coverage is useful for identifying candidates, but it does not by itself prove that a variety fits your customers or that it is available.

Turn the range idea into candidate lines

Create one line for every variety that may enter the buying brief. Record the full catalogue reference, including botanical name and cultivar or named selection where available. Broad headings should not be used as orderable selections. For example, a request should distinguish a named Brassica oleracea variety from a general kale group, and a specific microgreen variety from the category label “microgreen seeds.” Retain leaf-type and cultivar qualifiers because related names can represent different retail products.

Explain why each variety belongs in the range

Attach a concise commercial rationale to each candidate. State the customer need it addresses, its role in the assortment, and why it should be included rather than merely listed. This creates a clear decision trail for an internal buying group. It also helps remove candidates that duplicate an existing selection without serving a distinct purpose. Leaf colour, growth habit or packaging suitability may guide the shortlist, but the comparison should begin with the precise species and variety record.

Set preliminary quantities and units

Give each selected variety a preliminary quantity and state the unit being requested. A price per kilogram and a price for a stated number of seeds are different commercial bases and should not be compared as if they were equivalent. If the intended retail pack is relevant, record the required pack size as a preliminary requirement. Mark quantities as planning assumptions rather than confirmed commitments, because availability and final quotations are checked separately.

Define destination and packaging requirements

Include the destination and any packaging requirements in the brief, even when these details are not yet confirmed. Packaging may affect which references are practical to include and what information the supplier needs in the quotation. Separate confirmed requirements from preferences or open questions so that the buying team can approve the commercial scope without assuming that unresolved details have already been agreed.

Identify unresolved catalogue questions

Add an open-questions section for references whose identity or intended use is not yet clear. Request clarification against the SKU when a botanical label is broad, and preserve the exact wording of the cultivar or leaf type. A category heading also does not establish that a seed lot is approved or cleared for a particular use such as direct consumption or sprouting. Ask for information relevant to the selected reference and destination instead of assuming suitability from catalogue placement.

Set the approval decision

End the brief with a clear recommendation: approve, revise, or defer each candidate or shortlist. The decision should be based on the customer rationale, variety precision, preliminary quantity, destination, packaging requirements and unresolved questions. This keeps the approval focused on what should be investigated through an enquiry rather than on final prices or terms that have not yet been confirmed.

Prepare the next enquiry step

Once approved, move the selected references into an enquiry request with the required quantity and unit for each item, along with business contact details, destination and packaging requirements. Catalogue records not shown in the selection can be raised as unlisted varieties by providing the species or variety name, quantity and destination. An enquiry remains non-binding; availability, prices and shipping conditions are reviewed before an offer is made, and supply terms are agreed separately.

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