Put clear supplier terms in writing

Emails and purchase orders often record only part of the arrangement. They may confirm price or quantities, but leave gaps around delays, defective supply, service levels, ownership of work product, confidentiality, liability caps, or how either side can end the relationship. A supplier agreement brings those issues into one document so the commercial position is clearer before problems arise. That is especially useful for ongoing supply arrangements, custom services, or higher-value engagements where informal records can leave too much open to argument.

Most supplier agreements deal with the goods or services being supplied, ordering and delivery mechanics, pricing, invoicing, payment timing, acceptance criteria, warranties, liability allocation, confidentiality, intellectual property, service levels, and termination rights. Some also include exclusivity, subcontracting limits, dispute procedures, or minimum purchase commitments. The right mix depends on the relationship. For example, a software or marketing supplier may need stronger IP and service level wording, while a product supplier may need more detailed delivery, defects, and replacement terms.

The key details usually include what is being supplied, whether supply is one-off or ongoing, how pricing works, whether there are service levels or delivery deadlines, and what happens if performance falls short. We also look at whether the supplier is creating material for you, accessing confidential information, or using subcontractors. If you already have a draft from the other side, we can review the wording and flag the clauses that may shift commercial risk onto you, such as broad indemnities or weak termination rights.

Off-the-shelf wording can help you see the usual structure, but it may not deal with the facts that make your arrangement different. However, it often stays too general for the real arrangement. Supplier relationships vary a lot between industries and business models. A generic form may not deal properly with recurring orders, service credits, acceptance testing, ownership of deliverables, or limits on liability that match the value of the deal. It can also contain clauses that do not fit New Zealand practice or your bargaining position. A tailored draft or review helps identify where a standard form leaves important commercial points unresolved.

Timing depends on the complexity of the arrangement and whether we are drafting from scratch or reviewing a document you already have. A straightforward agreement with settled commercial terms will usually move faster than one involving multiple services, detailed service levels, or negotiation points from the other party. Once you provide the relevant details or the existing draft, we can assess the likely turnaround. If further negotiation support is needed after the document is delivered, that can be discussed separately because ongoing representation is not included in this fixed-fee.

Just submit an enquiry via this page or click the 'get started' button on our website to submit an enquiry. After you've submitted an enquiry, one of our legal consultants will review your enquiry within 1 business day and get in touch to get a better idea of exactly what you are looking for.

Then your legal consultant will send through an email with a bit more information about the services you need, along with a fixed fee quote setting out costs, scope of the service and timing. Have a read through it, and if you're happy with the scope, you can accept and sign our engagement letter online - easy!

Once you've formally accepted, we'll connect you with a specialist lawyer and they will work with you to complete your project. They will contact you by email or phone if they need to get in touch.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Supplier Agreement service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We operate completely online, which means we can help you wherever you are in New Zealand. We have office spaces in Sydney, and in Melbourne, but our use of technology allows our team members to work remotely from around the world. Our legal team are mostly based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. We also have a London office for Sprintlaw UK.

Our legal team is made up of experienced lawyers, who are specialists in various areas of law and hold an Australian legal practising certificate. None of our Sprintlaw lawyers are New Zealand qualified lawyers and they do not currently hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

They provide legal services working remotely from Australia via our 'legal consultancy' model, through which (under section 6 and section 35 of the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006) our Australian legal team are permitted to provide legal services to New Zealand businesses provided they do not provide services in certain 'reserved' areas of law. You can read our FAQ page to learn a bit more about our 'legal consultancy' model.

Given the strong similarities between Australian and New Zealand law, and the areas of law in which we practice (being small business and startup law), we do not view the fact that our lawyers have not qualified in New Zealand as having any substantive impact on the quality of our service. We are committed to ensuring that we provide high quality, affordable legal services to all our New Zealand clients.

Our legal team have all trained at leading firms, but have left the traditional corporate law world to join us on our mission to create a new and better way of delivering legal services. They have specialist expertise in technology law, intellectual property law, contract drafting and review, corporate law and commercial law.