KENYA · GUIDE 0900 · EDITION 4.2
Handwritten card service in Kenya: Equipment and Supplies
Buy for the acceptance standard
The procurement decision starts with the result you must deliver: Readable correct message and right recipient
Have a second reader compare the finished card with the approved text, checking names, omitted lines, ink marks, envelope match, and overall legibility before sealing it.
A tool or material is suitable only when it can support this specification at the pilot scale. Use the following shortlist as a starting point, not a compulsory shopping package:
- cards
- archival-appropriate pens
- proof list
Write comparable requests for quotations
| Resource | Questions for the supplier |
|---|---|
| cards | Confirm the precise variant, usable quantity, compatibility, delivered cost, lead time, invoice and remedy for a mismatch. |
| archival-appropriate pens | Confirm the precise variant, usable quantity, compatibility, delivered cost, lead time, invoice and remedy for a mismatch. |
| proof list | Confirm the precise variant, usable quantity, compatibility, delivered cost, lead time, invoice and remedy for a mismatch. |
Ask for the exact unit or pack size, rather than accepting a price without a quantity. Where equipment is involved, check maintenance needs, safe operation, available support and whether you can obtain replacement consumables. Inspect a sample or demonstration where practical. A photograph and a low asking price do not prove suitability or available stock.
Connect procurement to the operating sequence
- Obtain approved wording, recipient names, card dimensions and handwriting style, clarifying whether envelopes and addressing are included.
- Write one proof for approval, copy final text carefully, and keep card and envelope pairings traceable during larger orders.
- Check every name and message against the source, remove smudged cards, and protect private text during packing and delivery.
At each step, identify the input whose absence would stop delivery. Arrange that input before accepting a deadline. Compare buying with suitable hire or a competent subcontractor, while keeping the responsibility for inspection and customer handover explicit.
Inspect before release to use
Retain the quote and check the delivered specification, quantity, condition and identifying details. Keep unsuitable items separate while you resolve the discrepancy. Record supplier identity and payment reference privately; do not post customer or supplier personal data in a public planning sheet.
Include text clarification, practice lettering, spoiled stationery, drying time, envelope preparation, and secure fulfilment rather than charging only for the number of words copied onto paper.
Limit the first purchase to the agreed scope: Offer handwritten cards with agreed message text, handwriting style, stationery, envelope addressing, and privacy handling, confirming whether the buyer wants literal transcription or approved editing. Expand the resource list only when actual orders and measured capacity justify it.
Exact procurement specifications for this offer
| Item | Specification to quote | Acceptance evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cards and envelopes | Twenty-five A6 cards and twenty-five actual-fit C6 envelopes: twenty sale pairs plus five planned spares. | Test the actual paper for feathering, bleed-through and fold clearance. |
| Writing system | Two same-colour suitable pens with a tested ink/paper combination and clean blotting support if appropriate. | Write a full sample and confirm drying under normal handling before committing the set. |
| Job records | Twenty numbered typed messages/address rows, five-item check trays and protective flat packing. | Store personal messages and addresses privately and define who may inspect them during production. |
A usable quotation states the exact variant, comparison unit, minimum order, delivered quantity, tax, delivery charge, payment dates, expiry and exclusions. Obtain written clarification of substitutions; compare only equivalent scopes. Match the delivered item against the same check before releasing it to use.
Supplier evidence and limits
No matched public listing observation was established for this exact offer. That is a quotation gap, not evidence that the item is unavailable.
Any listing above is an earlier observation, not a fresh quotation or confirmed stock. Reconfirm suitability and landed cost. The supplier comparison in the operating pack separates purchase quantity from usable requirement when a minimum order creates surplus.