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Procurement and RFQs

Supplier

A company that provides products, materials, equipment or services required by a buyer. In maritime procurement, the concept helps buyers and providers define, price, compare and authorize operational requirements.

What a supplier does

  • A supplier delivers goods. That physical delivery is what separates the term from service provider.
  • The classic maritime supplier is the ship chandler.
  • Supply is judged on whether the goods reached the vessel, not on whether they left the warehouse.

Supplier is a term used in maritime business and operations.

A company that provides products, materials, equipment or services required by a buyer.

In maritime procurement, the concept helps buyers and providers define, price, compare and authorize operational requirements. The exact meaning may vary with the contract, jurisdiction, port practice or workflow in which it is used.

What maritime suppliers supply

Category
Typical items
Provisions
Fresh, frozen and dry food, and drinking water.
Deck and engine stores
Ropes, paint, tools, consumables and cleaning materials.
Spares
Replacement parts for machinery, deck equipment and safety systems.
Safety equipment
Lifesaving appliances, firefighting gear, and items needed to satisfy inspection.
Bonded stores
Duty-free goods such as tobacco and alcohol, held and delivered under customs control.
Lubricants and chemicals
Oils, greases and treatment chemicals for machinery and tanks.

Supplying ashore compared with supplying a vessel

Ashore
To a vessel
The delivery address stays where it was when the order was placed.
The delivery point moves. The vessel may shift berth, anchor off, or sail.
A missed delivery is usually reattempted the next day.
A missed window means the next port, or nothing.
Access is routine.
Port access, gate passes and escorts may be needed to reach the berth.
Goods clear customs once, into the country.
Goods may move as ship’s stores or under bond, outside normal import.
Receipt is signed by whoever is there.
Receipt is signed on board, usually by the master or a senior officer.
Suppliers in PortzApp

Listed by products and ports served

In PortzApp a supplier’s listing carries the products it sells, the ports it serves and its delivery capability, so a buyer searching a port can see who is actually able to get goods to the vessel there.

See how PortzApp works for suppliers
FAQ

FAQ

The most common questions we get about Supplier.

What does Supplier mean?
A company that provides products, materials, equipment or services required by a buyer.
What is a ship chandler?
The traditional name for a maritime supplier, delivering provisions, stores and spares to vessels in port.
What are bonded stores?
Goods such as tobacco and alcohol held under customs control and delivered duty-free to the vessel, recorded separately from ordinary stores.