Frequently asked questions
Last updated: 18 September 2026
How long does a branded pack take from enquiry to delivery?
A branded pack is typically ready around three weeks after you approve the final proofs. Before that point, the timeline is in your hands: building the pack, agreeing contents and signing off artwork can take days or weeks depending on how quickly decisions get made. Working to a fixed date, like a starter's first day or a Christmas deadline? Tell us up front and we'll confirm what's achievable; faster turnarounds are possible on request. Stocked standard items can be dispatched next day in the UK when ordered by 11am.
Is there a minimum order quantity for a branded pack?
The pack builder on this site starts at 10 packs, so 10 is the smallest order you can build here. Beyond that floor there is no single company-wide number, because the practical minimum varies by product and by how each item is branded: small runs are often very workable, particularly on stocked items, while some heavily customised products need larger quantities to make sense. Tell us roughly how many packs you need when you submit your enquiry. We will confirm what is possible at that volume and suggest swaps if a particular product does not work at your quantity. Nobody gets turned away for asking about a small order.
What is included in the price of a branded pack?
Your quote covers the products in your pack, the branding on each item, and the proofing process. You approve visual proofs before anything goes into production, so there are no surprises on artwork. Delivery is quoted alongside your enquiry, based on where the packs are going and how many addresses are involved, whether that's one office or hundreds of front doors. We don't publish flat per-person prices; a three-item pack and a ten-item pack are genuinely different jobs, so each is quoted on its actual contents and quantities. The enquiry itself is free and commits you to nothing.
How is carbon neutrality handled on every order?
Our whole company, including the emissions of every order we deliver, is certified carbon neutral to ISO 14068-1, independently verified by Control Union. Reduction comes first: we cut emissions where we can, then offset the remainder through verified credits via our Ecologi partnership. On top of that sits our Climate Pledge with 4ocean, which applies automatically to every order: for each £1,000 spent in a single order, 1 tonne of CO2e is offset and 4.5kg of ocean waste is removed. There's nothing to opt into and nothing extra to pay. It's built into how we operate.
What does being a certified B Corp actually mean for buyers?
B Corp certification is an independent assessment, run by B Lab, of a company's whole social and environmental performance (governance, workers, community, environment and customers), with a legal commitment to transparency and accountability. Certifying takes a score of at least 80 on the Impact Assessment; an ordinary business scores around 50.9. We've been certified since April 2022, and were recertified in 2025 with a score of 93.4, up from 82 first time round. For buyers, it means our sustainability claims are independently verified and published. Not self-declared.
How does logo artwork and proof approval work?
You upload your logo or artwork as part of your enquiry, and our team takes it from there. We check the files, advise on placement and branding method for each product, and prepare visual proofs showing exactly how every item will look. Nothing goes into production until you've approved those proofs; what arrives is what you signed off. If your artwork needs adjusting, say resizing, colour matching or reworking for a particular material, we flag it and handle it during proofing rather than leaving you to guess at print requirements.
Where do you deliver, and are duties and taxes included?
Across the UK, the EU and worldwide. We hold stock in both UK and EU warehouses, which keeps deliveries within each region fast and avoids needless cross-border shipping. For international orders, duties and taxes are pre-paid, so recipients are never chased for a customs charge on a gift. Packs can go to a single address or be sent individually to many, which is handy for remote teams and home-working starters. Stocked standard items ordered by 11am can be dispatched next day in the UK.
Can I get a free sample pack before I order?
Yes. We offer a free sample pack so you can judge quality, materials and branding first-hand before committing to anything. Tell us about your brief, we pick and pack a relevant selection, and it's dispatched to you, followed by a no-commitment conversation about what you thought. There's no obligation to order afterwards. A sample settles the questions a website can't: how a fabric feels, how a print finish looks, and whether a product is something your team would actually keep.
What materials and products do you refuse to stock, and why?
Anything that meets none of our nine product values, for a start. Beyond that, we exclude some materials that look green but don't hold up: cork, because its processing is energy-intensive and synthetic binders often prevent recycling; rHIPS, a petrochemical plastic marketed as biodegradable; and jute bags with synthetic linings or laminates (we stock PVA-starch-backed jute instead). We also say no to single-use items where a long-lasting sustainable alternative exists, and to low-quality giveaway merch made to be handed out rather than kept. The full list is in our published impact reporting.
What happens to products at the end of their life?
We publish end-of-life guidance (how to recycle, compost or otherwise responsibly dispose of a product) for 80% of our range, so recipients know what to do with an item when it's finally done. Because our values favour durable, reusable products, that day should be a long way off for most of them. And for branded stock that's no longer needed, after a rebrand say, our partnership with A Good Thing gives unwanted merchandise a second life by matching it with charities that can use it, rather than sending it to landfill.
Who is Project Merchandise not the right supplier for?
Three kinds of brief, and we would rather say so up front. First, buyers whose only criterion is the lowest possible unit price, with sustainability irrelevant to the decision. High volume is not the issue: sustainably made pens by the thousand are exactly what we do. It is price at any cost that we cannot win on. Second, anything needed in under about a week. Proofs plus roughly three weeks is our honest rhythm, and while faster is sometimes possible, we will not promise it. Third, anyone who wants a material we exclude, such as cork, rHIPS or jute with a synthetic lining. We will not source those on request.