There are several ways to collaborate with Boots UK including traditional retail relationships, co-development and licensing.

Under each of these structures, we are dedicated to working with entrepreneurs to bring the very best new products to our millions of customers.

If you have a concept or product that you think would appeal to our customers, you can submit a short summary via our online submission process. The initial submission does not require any confidential information.

The submission process follows four key stages:

Stage 1—Initial evaluation

Our dedicated team evaluates submissions from a technical, commercial and regulatory perspective. We also review how closely each opportunity fits with our strategy and whether it offers something truly different and valuable for our customers. Whether or not the application’s successful we aim to give feedback within three months.

Stage 2—Feasibility

If the concept meets our criteria we will then engage our experts in that particular product category to assess feasibility of including the product in either our Boots brand portfolio, or a more general retail offer. We identify what additional information is needed and establish how the product would be sold and marketed to our customers.

Stage 3—Due diligence

If the category experts see a good future for your product at Boots, a partnership agreement will be entered into and due diligence work will be carried out. At this point we will identify the safety, legal and commercial requirements which the product must meet, and make sure any challenges can be overcome.

Stage 4—Development

All products need some development to comply with our specific retail requirements at Boots. This process varies depending on the type of product and where it fits in either health or beauty markets, as well as its existing stage of development. On occasion, products that look good on paper can fail in the development phase, however if the safety, legal and commercial criteria are met you should become a Boots supplier.

After the initial evaluation, the process can take from three to 36 months depending on the product type, the stage of your development, merchandising timetable and your needs as an entrepreneur.