Start a project

Project brief

Start a project

The job first, you second. About ninety seconds. Attach a spec instead of typing it.

Who replies
A named estimator
Rather call?
224.656.6730

The brief

Three steps: where it ends up, the job, the terms.

Nothing is required that we would not ask on a phone call. Answer what you know, attach what you have, and the estimator asks for the rest.

  1. 01 · Where it ends up
  2. 02 · The job
  3. 03 · Terms

Review build: the intake service is not connected yet. Submitting shows the confirmation page and sends nothing.

Where does this end up?
The job
What do you need done?
Food-grade or FDA-regulated handling?

Up to 25 MB in total.

Certifications or audits your program requires
Terms

Your files are held until the NDA is countersigned. Nobody at MGA can open them before then.

Have it handy

What we need to quote you

The four things that turn a brief into a number. The full intake checklist lists every item an estimator will ask for. You don’t need all of them to start.

  • The pack

    Format, components, a drawing or a photo of a prior run.

  • The numbers

    Run and annual volume, SKU count.

  • The date

    On-shelf, in-home or first-ship date.

  • The rules

    Retailer routing guide, USPS requirements, certifications.

Pre-scoped

The brief asks the questions your destination needs.

Choose where the product ends up in the first step and the second step adds that destination’s questions. Choose “More than one” and it asks all of them. Choose “Not sure” and the estimator works it out with you.

  • Retail shelf

    Retailer and routing guide, and the reset date. For co-packing, retail-ready packaging, displays and promotional kits.

  • Mailbox

    List size and mail format: letter, flat, or parcel and sample pack. For direct mail, sampling programs and lettershop work.

  • Consumer doorstep

    Orders per month and the cart or order system you run, for example Shopify, an EDI 940 feed or a CSV file. For subscription boxes, pick and pack, and storage.

Before you send it

Questions about the brief

General notes

  1. Who reads my brief?

    Every brief goes to Paty Vela, Director of Estimating and Purchasing. If you already run a program with us, Brittney Szymanski, Director of Client Services, picks it up rather than sales.

  2. What happens after I send it?

    A named estimator replies. The full path from brief to production has four steps:

    1. Estimator review, with clarifying questions on pack, volumes and dates.
    2. A line and material quote, with a stated validity window.
    3. A sample or first-article run, so you approve the pack before production.
    4. First production, on the pack you approved.

    How we work covers each step.

  3. Can you sign an NDA before you see my files?

    Yes. In the last step, tick “Send a mutual NDA before anyone at MGA opens my files.” Your files are held until the NDA is countersigned. Nobody at MGA can open them before then.

  4. What files can I attach?

    Specs, artwork, a bill of materials, a drawing or dieline, a retailer routing guide, or a phone photo of a previous run. Up to 25 MB in total.

  5. Why do you ask about food-grade handling?

    It tells the estimator how your product has to be handled. Certifications lists what we hold.

  6. I don’t have all the numbers yet. Should I wait?

    No. Send what you have. A format and a target date are enough to start the conversation, and the estimator will ask for what is missing.

  7. Can I see the plant before I commit?

    Yes. Capability visits and pre-award audits are booked directly with Eric Swanson, Director of Plant Operations.