Evaluating suppliers can feel overwhelming, especially when juggling several other tasks.

But getting it right is essential.

After all, the quality, efficiency, and reputation of your supply chain depend on partnering with reliable suppliers.

At the core of a good evaluation is clear and professional communication.

And that’s where email templates come in handy.

They save you time, keep communication consistent, and ensure you ask the right questions.

Today, we’ll walk you through them and share some examples to simplify your supplier assessments.

What is a Supplier Evaluation Email?

Supplier evaluation emails help you gather information, address concerns, or review performance in a way that’s both structured and straightforward.

You might send one during:

• Onboarding new suppliers to confirm they meet your standards.
• Periodic reviews to track supplier performance.
• Resolving issues by addressing specific concerns and requesting actions.
• Requesting additional information like certifications and compliance data.

Done right, these emails avoid misunderstandings, set clear expectations, and build a foundation for productive, long-term partnerships.

Tips for Writing Effective Supplier Evaluation Emails

Here are three things to include in an email to get a thoughtful and timely response from suppliers.

Outline the Purpose of the Email

Be transparent about why you’re conducting the evaluation.

Whether it’s a routine review, a compliance check, or addressing performance concerns, your supplier needs to understand the reason behind the email—and the assessment.

Equally important, let them know the outcomes you’re working towards, such as:

• Renewing contracts
• Improving processes
• Ensuring quality standards are met.

This is especially important knowing that many suppliers see evaluation surveys and questionnaires as time-wasters.

Hence, the response rates are low.

As Jennifer Kirley, Supplier Quality Lead Engineer at GE Healthcare, puts it:

Illustration: Veridion / Quote: Elsmar

Your job is to break through that mindset by showing the value of their response.

So, make it clear how their input will drive better outcomes for both sides.

For example, you might say that the evaluation will help you continue to deliver exceptional value to your customers through supplier partnerships.

When suppliers see how their input directly impacts success, they’re much more willing to contribute.

Define Clear Evaluation Criteria

To get meaningful responses from suppliers, your evaluation needs to be clear and focused.

Break down the assessment areas into measurable categories, like quality, cost, compliance, and cybersecurity, and for each, ask for the information you need.

This could, for instance, include:

Quality	Ask about the KPIs they use to measure product quality or certifications they hold.
Costs	Request a breakdown of shipping, packaging, handling, and any hidden fees.
Compliance	Ask about certifications, sustainable practices, and ethical standards.
Cybersecurity	Ask about data protection measures and protocols.

Honda is a great example with its detailed supplier report cards divided into six sections: 

• quality,
• delivery,
• quantity delivered,
• performance history,
• incident report
• and comments.

For each category, they ask for specific information, some of which you can see below:

Source: Honda

Honda sends out these cards to suppliers every month to continuously monitor and assess supplier performance.

However, you can’t cram all these supplier evaluation questions into the body of an email—it’ll overwhelm the recipient and lower response rates.

Instead, attach a checklist, questionnaire, or a structured report card in the email, as Honda does.

It will keep the email concise while giving suppliers a straightforward format to provide the details you need.

Set Deadlines

The last thing you have to include in your email is a deadline.

Without a clear deadline, your request might end up at the bottom of your supplier’s to-do list.

And if you don’t get a response in time, the evaluation may lose its value entirely.

For instance, if you’re conducting a quarterly review, delays in responses could postpone improvements or disrupt supply chain performance.

That’s why it’s important to specify when you need the information and explain why the timeline matters.

Here’s an example of how to phrase it:

“We kindly request you to submit the completed form by [date], as this evaluation is essential for our upcoming quarterly review.”

Adding context will encourage suppliers to prioritize your request and send that form back to you in time.

Example Supplier Evaluation Email Templates

The right email for supplier evaluations is as important as the evaluation process itself.

Below are templates for common supplier evaluation scenarios to streamline your process, foster collaboration, and gather the information you need quickly and efficiently.

Plus, we added some meaningful insights to give you more context on why to send different evaluation emails.

Template 1: General Supplier Evaluation Request

To initiate the supplier evaluation process, you can start with an email like this:

Template 2: Supplier Evaluation Request Reminder

If you remember from earlier, not every supplier believes in the value of these emails and evaluations.

Rather, they find it time-consuming. Or, they simply have too much other work.

So, it may happen that they won’t reply.

This email is basically a gentle nudge for those who have not yet responded to the initial evaluation request:

Template 3: Request for Additional Documentation

You can use this template when a supplier needs to provide supplementary documents or information.

It should outline what is needed, why it’s needed, and the deadline for submission.

Here is a more specific example, but feel free to replace the information with your needs:

Template 4: Notification of Supplier Evaluation Results

What’s the purpose of evaluating suppliers if you don’t share feedback with them?

But rather than being vague, the feedback should be specific and clearly say what a supplier did well, and where there is room for improvement.

Vinay Sanil, Deputy Manager of Buying & Merchandising at Skechers South Asia, attests to this approach to giving feedback:

Illustration: Veridion / Quote: Linkedin

Here’s a specific template you can use to notify suppliers about the evaluation results. It will encourage them to take action:

Template 5: Request for Supplier Feedback

It’s just as important to gather feedback from your suppliers as it is to provide it.

This is especially true when you consider the concerning insights from the latest Voice of the Supplier survey:

Illustration: Veridion / Data: HICX

The last statistic is the most concerning in the context of our topic, as it suggests that your evaluation process could also be placing an excessive administrative burden on your suppliers.

To assess how your evaluation process is perceived from the supplier’s perspective, you should ask if the criteria were clear and if the questions were relevant to them.

Additionally, you can ask suppliers to suggest how the process can be improved to make it less time-consuming for them.

You can gather the feedback by sending a brief email and attaching a survey:

Conclusion

Supplier evaluations don’t have to be overwhelming or complicated, as long as you have an easy and streamlined communication channel in place.

And an email is just that.

A well-written email with purpose, structure, and the right questions can simplify the evaluation process, save time, and strengthen supplier relationships.

Put our email templates to work and reap these benefits for yourself.