Supplier Wait List Journey · From Application to Live Supplier

The Wait List Journey exists to protect two things · the quality of the supplier base buyers see, and your time as a supplier. We don't want to put you in front of buyers until we've verified that you can actually deliver, that there's matching demand for what you offer, and that you've signed off on how the commercial relationship works.

Most directory-style platforms list anyone who pays. We don't · we list anyone who passes a review, signs a contract, and completes onboarding. That's why it takes 28 days end to end · and why our buyers actually respond when you reach out.

Your journey moves through three distinct stages, each owned by a different team:

• Wait List (Days 0-15) · application review and qualification · owned by our Admin team
• Sales Process (Days 15-25) · commercial close · contract, invoice, payment, cohort booking · owned by our Sales team
• Onboarding (Days 25-28+) · profile setup, offerings published, go live · owned by our Customer Success team

You only move from one domain to the next once the previous one is fully complete · we never start onboarding someone who hasn't signed and paid, and we never invite anyone into the Sales Process who hasn't passed the Discovery Call.

When you submit the application at /supplier-wait-list, you land in our Wait List with status NEW. From here you'll be triaged through up to four active states before a decision is made.

Internally we capture · your business details, the supplier segment you fit (Manufacturer / Service Provider / Technology Provider / Consultant / Exporter / Sponsor / Strategic Partner), capacity, ideal client, references and any testimonials. The more complete this is, the faster your review.

Six statuses · four are active, two are terminal:

• NEW · application received · we acknowledge within 24 hours and triage within 5 working days.
• REVIEWED · internal evaluation complete · we've checked your website, LinkedIn, references and capability fit. Roughly 38% of applications proceed past this stage.
• SHORTLISTED · we want to know more · you'll be invited to a 30-minute Discovery Call.
• INVITED · you've passed Discovery and we want you in. Terminal · this is the handoff to the Sales Process.
• DECLINED · not a fit for the current cohort or scope. Terminal · we'll tell you why and whether to reapply later.
• ARCHIVED · administrative cleanup · stale or duplicate applications.

There are only two ways out of the Wait List · INVITED or DECLINED. Everything else is a step on the way.

You won't see status codes · you'll see emails. Here's what lands in your inbox at each stage:

• Day 0 (NEW) · "Application received · we'll be in touch within 5 working days." Confirms what you submitted, names your point of contact.
• Days 1-5 (NEW → REVIEWED) · usually silent · we're checking your website, LinkedIn and references in the background.
• Days 5-10 (REVIEWED → SHORTLISTED) · "We'd like to learn more · please book a Discovery Call." Includes a Calendly link and what to prepare.
• Days 10-15 (Discovery Call) · 30-minute call to confirm fit, delivery model and expectations.
• Day 15 (SHORTLISTED → INVITED) · formal invitation · "You're in. Tier placement · Vetted. Next step is our Sales Process."
• If declined · a polite, specific email naming the reason (out of scope · capacity · no current demand · integrity concern · other). We'll say whether to reapply.

Once invited, you transition out of the Wait List and into the Sales Process. This is where the commercial relationship is built · contract, invoice, payment, welcome, cohort booking. It runs 7-10 days and is owned by your assigned Sales contact (named in the invitation email).

You'll work through nine sequential gates. Each one must clear before the next can start. The two critical gates · contract signed (without it we can't invoice) and payment received (without it we can't schedule onboarding).

1. Proposal Sent (optional) · only for bespoke or strategic-partner agreements. Standard cohort suppliers skip this gate. If sent, expect a tracked PDF with a 7-day acceptance window.
2. Contract Signed · electronic Supplier Agreement via e-sign. Target · signed within 5 working days. Hard gate · nothing else moves until this clears.
3. Invoice Sent · raised against the signed contract. Standard terms 7 or 14 days. Includes contract reference + cohort code.
4. Payment Link Sent · Stripe card link or bank transfer details (or both). Pick whichever is easier for you.
5. Payment Received · funds reconciled · you receive an automatic receipt. Hard gate · welcome and cohort booking only happen after this.
6. Welcome Letter Issued · a personalised welcome from a real human · names your account manager, summarises your cohort and what happens next.
7. Onboarding Cohort Scheduled · you're booked into a specific onboarding session (live or virtual). You receive a calendar invite, pre-reads and a joining link.
8. Cohort Attended · attendance recorded. If you can't make it, we reschedule once · second no-show pauses the process.
9. Handed Over to Onboarding · terminal · the Sales Process is complete and the Customer Success team picks up.

From handover, you have 21 days to go live. The Customer Success team gives you a personal dashboard at /supplier-dashboard with the remaining tasks · profile setup, offerings published, payout details verified, readiness checks.

Your seven-step journey on the platform mirrors this · Apply (Day 0) · Qualification (Day 5) · Discovery Call (Day 10) · Acceptance (Day 15) · Onboarding (Day 21) · Go Live (Day 28) · Perform & Progress (ongoing). Each step has its own card on your account dashboard so you always know where you are.

Once you complete the onboarding checklist, your profile is published, you start receiving pre-qualified opportunities from Day 28 onwards, and you climb the tier ladder based on performance · Vetted → Trusted → Preferred → Flagship.

Every email you receive during the wait-list journey comes from a pre-written, reviewed template · so the language, expectations and next steps are consistent regardless of who on our team is handling your file. Your sales contact chooses which template to send at each stage and personalises it before it goes out.

Across all three domains, the only system-generated emails you should expect are:

• Application acknowledgement (Day 0)
• Discovery Call invitation (Days 5-10, if shortlisted)
• Formal invitation or decline notice (Day 15)
• Contract for signature (Days 15-17)
• Invoice (Days 17-19)
• Payment receipt (Days 19-22)
• Personalised welcome letter (Days 22-23)
• Cohort calendar invite (Days 23-25)
• Cohort session recording + onboarding kickoff (Days 25-28)

If you see anything outside this pattern · or if a week goes by with no contact during an active stage · ping your named contact directly. Every supplier has a named human from invitation onwards.

We decline roughly 60% of applications. Most of the time it's not because the supplier is poor quality · it's because of fit, timing or scope. The five reasons we log internally:

• Out of scope · B2C, regulated industries we don't serve, or services with no overlap with our buyer base.
• Capacity · you're at a stage where the operational load of new buyer relationships would overwhelm you. We may suggest reapplying in 6 months.
• Integrity concern · references didn't check out, claims couldn't be verified, or the public presence was inconsistent.
• No current demand · what you sell is excellent but our buyer pipeline isn't asking for it right now. Often a "reapply in 3-6 months" outcome.
• Other · everything else, named specifically in the email.

We commit to:

• Acknowledging within 24 hours of submission
• A first decision (proceed to Discovery or decline) within 10 working days
• A final invitation or decline within 15 working days

If any of those windows slip, email us at the address in your acknowledgement. We don't ghost applications · if we have, something has broken on our side and we want to fix it.

A few patterns we see in the strongest applications:

• Be specific about your ideal client. "Mid-market B2B SaaS in EMEA doing £5-30m revenue" beats "growing businesses".
• Quote actual project values you've delivered. Ranges are fine ("£15k-80k typical engagement") · vague isn't.
• Name two or three referenceable clients. Doesn't have to be logos · the contact's name and a one-line outcome is more useful than a brand wall.
• Match your supplier segment honestly. If you're a consultant who occasionally productises, pick Consultant · not Technology Provider. Wrong-segment applications get re-routed and slow down.
• Have a live, current website. Sounds obvious · we still see broken portfolio links weekly.

Going live ends the Wait List Journey · you're now a managed supplier in the community. From here:

• You start receiving pre-qualified buyer briefs at /supplier-dashboard/rfqs.
• You're matched to overlapping buyer demand without double-booking · we won't surface a fresh request from a buyer you're already in proposal with.
• Your tier climbs based on performance · response time, win rate, buyer feedback, on-time delivery. Tier ladder · Vetted → Trusted → Preferred → Flagship.
• Year-end review checks whether the engine tier you're paying for still matches your activity · we'll suggest upgrading or down-tiering as appropriate.

For the full post-go-live playbook · read the Supplier Journey · Complete How-To Guide.

Q · Is the 28-day journey guaranteed?
No · it's a target. The bottleneck is almost always something on your side · slow contract sign-off, payment delay, missed cohort. If everything moves on the day we ask for it, 28 days is realistic.

Q · Can I be fast-tracked?
Only for Strategic Partner applications with a named buyer demand. Everyone else goes through the same gates · this is what makes the directory credible.

Q · What's the joining fee?
Tier-dependent. Quoted in your formal invitation email · ranges from a Vetted-tier cohort fee up to bespoke commercial terms for Strategic Partners. There's no list price · it's matched to what the engine entitles you to.

Q · Can I reapply if declined?
Yes · if declined for "no current demand" or "capacity", we'll suggest a window. For "out of scope" or "integrity concern" · usually not.

Q · Where can I track my status?
Email is the primary surface. Once you're invited, your /supplier-dashboard dashboard shows your seven-step progress visually.