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Industrial subcontracting

Looking for a subcontractor to machine, cut, weld, mould or assemble your parts? Describe your requirement once: workshops reply, you compare their quotes and you choose.

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Industrial subcontracting means entrusting an outside company with the manufacture of parts, assemblies or a stage of production: machining, cutting, bending, welding, plastic injection moulding, surface treatment, wiring, inspection… For an SME, it is often the way to meet a deadline, to manufacture without investing in a machine, or to tap expertise the company does not have in-house. For a design office, a start-up or a craftsman designing a product, it is the natural route from drawing to part.

The hardest part is not making the parts: it is finding the right subcontractor. Incomplete directories, address books that do not cover every process, requests for quotes sent one by one, replies that cannot be compared… Finding a machining subcontractor or a contract manufacturing workshop takes days, while the need is often urgent.

Meaflow takes a deliberately simple approach. You post a request with your drawing, the material, the quantity, the lead time and an indicative budget. Workshops, machinists, sheet metal fabricators, plastics specialists and freelancers read your request, ask you their questions and send you a priced quote: price excl. VAT, lead time and a message. You compare them side by side, look at their profiles, talk through the messaging system and pick the one that suits you. Posting a request is free, replying to requests is free too, and no commission is charged at launch.

This page helps you see clearly: what subcontracting covers, how to choose a partner, what changes when you go through a request, and which good practices to adopt. Looking for a specific skill? Browse our pages by process, such as CNC machining subcontracting, sheet metal and cutting, welding and boilermaking, plastics processing or electronics. Prefer a workshop close to you? Explore what is on offer region by region.

All areas of expertise

Choose the trade you need: each page details the services, materials and advice for making your request a success.

3D printing

FDM, SLA, SLS, metal, prototypes and small runs

Electronics

PCBs, wiring, board assembly, electrical cabinets

Prototyping

Functional prototypes, pre-series, models

What is industrial subcontracting?

This term covers two very different situations. Knowing which one is yours helps you choose the right partner.

Capacity subcontracting

You know how to make the part, but you lack capacity: machines at full stretch, a peak in workload, a deadline that is too tight, a batch too large for your workshop. The subcontractor makes the part from your drawings and your specification, just as you would have done yourself. What matters then: price, lead time, consistent quality and reliable deliveries. Suppliers are partly interchangeable here, which makes competitive quoting particularly useful.

Specialist subcontracting

You call on expertise or equipment that you do not have and have no interest in acquiring: 5-axis machining, surface treatment, welding of demanding parts, 3D metrology, injection moulding of technical parts, assembly of electronic boards… The subcontractor brings technical skill, often its own manufacturing routing, and can advise you on design. Experience, references and inspection capabilities then weigh as much as price.

Many projects combine both. On top of that come upstream services: design at a design office and prototyping, which prepare for series production.

How do you find and choose a subcontractor?

Whichever channel you use — word of mouth, directory, trade fair, platform — the approach is the same.

  1. Define your requirement. Process, material, quantities, tolerances, finish, lead time, quality requirements. Our guide to the manufacturing specification details the information to gather.
  2. Search widely, then narrow down. A request that is too narrow deprives you of interesting options. Proximity makes communication and visits easier; for parts that ship well, a more distant workshop may be better equipped.
  3. Check capabilities and references. Machine park, materials mastered, any certifications, work similar to your part, feedback from previous customers.
  4. Compare like with like. Same scope, same assumptions: material supplied or not, finish, inspection, packaging, transport. The lowest price is not always the lowest cost once rework and delays are counted.
  5. Start small. A sample or a short first batch lets you validate quality before committing to a large volume.

To go further, read our guide to choosing an industrial subcontractor.

How does it work on Meaflow?

Meaflow is a marketplace for manufacturing and industrial subcontracting: the journey is that of a classified ad, adapted to the needs of professionals.

  1. You post a request: precise title, category, description, material, quantity, indicative budget in euros excl. VAT, deadline and location. You attach your drawings and documents, visible only to logged-in members, and you can require a non-disclosure agreement.
  2. Suppliers reply. They read the request, ask public questions if necessary and send a quote: price excl. VAT, lead time, a message and a detailed quote attached.
  3. You compare. Quotes and profiles (machine park, past work, reviews, “Verified company” badge) are shown side by side, and the messaging system lets you dig deeper.
  4. You choose. The request moves to the “Supplier selected” status and the other suppliers are informed. The quote, order and payment are then settled directly between you: Meaflow is not a party to the contract and does not collect any payment.

Each step is described in detail on the How it works page. You can also start by browsing the suppliers who have signed up.

Why post a request rather than contact workshops one by one?

Sending the same request to ten workshops, chasing them, rewording it, then trying to compare ten quotes built differently: the method works, but it costs time. A request changes several things.

  • You describe your requirement once. Drawings, material, quantity and lead time are gathered in one place, available to every interested supplier.
  • Workshops come to you. Those whose expertise and workload match your request come forward, including companies you would not have thought of approaching.
  • Quotes are comparable. Each one states a price excl. VAT, a lead time and a message, which makes comparison easier.
  • Questions benefit everyone. A clarification requested publicly by one workshop is visible to all: you answer once, and the request becomes clearer for everyone.
  • You stay in control. No exclusivity, no commitment: you choose, or you close the request.

Let us be clear: a request guarantees neither a number of replies nor a reply time. The more precise it is, the more relevant quotes it attracts. For a very specific need, you can complement your search by contacting a workshop directly from the suppliers directory.

Good practices for successful subcontracting

  • Clear, up-to-date drawings. Dimensions, tolerances, material, surface finishes, standards: anything not written down will be interpreted. A 3D file in STEP format speeds up costing; see the guide to CAD file formats.
  • Confidentiality. Keep sensitive information off the drawings and sign a non-disclosure agreement before going further: read our guide to drawing confidentiality and NDAs.
  • A written agreement. Accepted quote or purchase order: price, lead time, acceptance criteria, payment terms, ownership of specific tooling.
  • Inspection on receipt. Agree in advance on the critical dimensions to be checked and the report expected.
  • Time for the prototype. Moving from a single part to a series means validating the process; see from prototype to series production.

Keep your due diligence obligations in mind. In France, when you entrust work or a service worth at least €5,000 excl. VAT, the Code du travail (French Labour Code, articles L. 8222-1 et seq.) requires you to check that your contracting party is compliant, in particular by obtaining its attestation de vigilance (a certificate issued by URSSAF, the French social security contributions body), at signature and then every six months. Meaflow connects buyers and suppliers but does not replace these checks. If in doubt, consult your adviser.

Ready to launch your request? Post your request for free.

Latest guides

Pricing, specifications, choosing a subcontractor: our practical guides.

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Frequently asked questions

A question not answered here? Visit the help centre or write to us.

What is an industrial subcontractor?

An industrial subcontractor is a company (workshop, machinist, sheet metal fabricator, plastics processor, design office, etc.) to which a buyer entrusts the manufacture of parts, assemblies or a stage of production, according to its drawings and specification. Subcontracting can meet a lack of capacity or a need for specific expertise.

How do you find a machining or manufacturing subcontractor?

You can approach your networks, directories, trade associations, trade fairs or a platform. On Meaflow, you post a free request with your drawings, the material, the quantity and the lead time: interested workshops send you a priced quote that you compare before choosing.

How do you choose between several subcontractors?

Compare quotes on an identical scope: material, finish, inspection, transport. Then look at the machine park, references close to your part, relevant certifications, reviews and how responsive the exchanges are. Ideally start with a sample or a small batch before committing to a large volume.

Should you choose a subcontractor close to you?

Not necessarily. Proximity makes visits, communication and urgent jobs easier, but many parts ship without difficulty. On Meaflow, you give your location and say whether you accept suppliers from other regions: this widens your choice while still letting you favour local suppliers.

How much does Meaflow cost? Is there a commission?

Signing up, posting requests and sending quotes are free. At launch, Meaflow charges no commission on contracts concluded between buyers and suppliers. The platform is not involved in the contract or the payment: these are settled directly between you and the supplier.

Do my drawings stay confidential?

Drawings and documents attached to a request are accessible only to logged-in members of the platform and have no public address. You can state that a non-disclosure agreement is required. However, avoid writing highly sensitive information in the public description of the request.

A project to have manufactured?

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