Apollo Future LabsCo-packing & contract manufacturing Request a Manufacturing Quote
Request a Manufacturing Quote
Resources

Know exactly what your project needs, before you commit.

The full manufacturing map, how minimums and pricing actually work, and the answers buyers ask most. Everything you need to walk into a quote informed.

The manufacturing map
Step 1 · Your idea

Idea, buyer & channel

We start with what your product needs to do commercially: who buys it, where it sells, and what the launch has to prove. That routes your project down the right path.

→ You bring: the goal. We handle: the plan.
What this step covers
Target buyerSales channelLaunch goalProduct promise
Step 2 · The product

Formula or benchmark

Whether you have a finished formula, a benchmark product to match, or just a direction, we confirm what needs development, sampling, or transfer before we quote production.

→ You bring: a formula, sample, or idea. We handle: R&D and matching.
What this step covers
Your formulaBenchmark matchFlavor & textureSample roundsRestrictions
Step 3 · Ingredients

What goes in

Every ingredient gets a source, documentation, storage plan, and an ownership decision: sourced by Apollo or supplied by you, with lead times and minimums on the table.

→ You bring: preferences. We handle: sourcing & docs.
What this step covers
ActivesFlavors & sweetenersCertificates of analysisAllergen reviewSupplier terms
Step 4 · Packaging

Bottle, cap & fill

Your primary packaging drives minimums, tooling, and how the product fills and seals. We match components to the line, or run yours through compatibility review first.

→ You bring: the look. We handle: line fit & sourcing.
What this step covers
Bottle or pouchClosure & sealFill volumeLine compatibilityComponent minimums
Step 5 · Labels

Artwork & claims

Labels connect your package to claims, directions, barcodes, and batch coding. We confirm the dieline, flag anything that needs counsel review, and freeze production artwork.

→ You bring: brand & artwork. We handle: production setup.
What this step covers
Label & dielineSupplement factsBarcode & codingClaims reviewRetail rules
Step 6 · Quality

Testing & documentation

We coordinate the supplier documents, third-party testing, and batch records your product and channel require, organized into a paper trail you can share with buyers and regulators.

→ You bring: requirements. We handle: coordination & records.
What this step covers
Third-party lab testingCertificates of analysisBatch recordsRelease documentsConfidentiality
Step 7 · Your quote

Cost & ownership, in the open

The quote turns the whole plan into clear scope: what Apollo sources, what you own, what's optional, and what has lead time. Finished run and components are priced separately, so there are no surprises.

→ You bring: approval. We handle: a quote you can actually read.
What this step covers
Run sizeMaterials & setupCustomer-owned itemsTesting feesTimeline
Step 8 · Production

Cleared to run, then shipped

Once materials are received, inspected, and approved, your project moves onto the schedule: manufactured, documented, packed, and handed off to your channel or fulfillment.

→ You bring: the go-ahead. We handle: making & shipping it.
What this step covers
Received & inspectedApproved artworkBatch packetPackoutFulfillment handoff
Full production-readiness map

Everything a finished product needs, at a glance.

Every product that ships from our Livermore, California facility moves through the same nine stages, from commercial intent to line-ready material, so you always know what is decided, what is open, and what unlocks the next step.

1 Commercial intent

Idea, buyer, and channel

We start with the commercial job the product has to do: who buys it, where it sells, and what the launch has to prove. That framing routes the entire project.
Items to define
  • Target buyer
  • Product promise
  • Sales channel
  • Launch goal
  • Decision owners
Decisions
  • Buyer path
  • Service path
  • Primary format
  • Claims direction
  • First-run or market-validation goal
We turn your intent into a written product brief, name the decisions still open, and assign technical, artwork, and billing owners.
Ready when: We can route the request into product brief, R&D, transfer review, packaging review, pilot review, or production quoting.
2 Product core

Formula, benchmark, or R&D path

Formula readiness sets the path: reviewing an existing spec, matching a sample, building from a benchmark, or scoping R&D. Each one changes how we quote.
Items to define
  • Formula or spec
  • Benchmark product
  • Serving size
  • Flavor or texture target
  • Restrictions and must-avoid list
Decisions
  • Use existing formula
  • Develop custom formula
  • Use white-label path
  • Match sample
  • Run R&D before production
We capture the formula notes, collect your samples and benchmarks, and set clear sample goals, revision boundaries, and the approval owner.
Ready when: Formula direction is stable enough for sample work, transfer review, quality review, or production scope.
3 Material list

Ingredients and actives

Ingredients and actives become production inputs once we know ownership, supplier source, documentation, storage, lead time, and compatibility. Nothing hits the line unconfirmed.
Items to define
  • Actives
  • Excipients
  • Flavors
  • Sweeteners
  • Colors
  • Customer-owned ingredients
Decisions
  • Apollo sources
  • Customer supplies
  • Preferred supplier
  • Backup supplier
  • Substitution allowed or not allowed
We pull specs and certificates of analysis, check allergens, storage, minimums, and lead times, and flag any stockout risk before it stalls a run.
Ready when: Each ingredient has a source, documentation path, quantity expectation, storage requirement, and use decision.
4 Primary packaging

Container, closure, and line fit

Primary packaging is what touches or holds the product. It drives MOQ, tooling, fill behavior, line speed, and label fit, so we lock it early.
Items to define
  • Bottle, pouch, jar, tube, packet, or tub
  • Cap or closure
  • Seal or liner
  • Scoop or accessory
  • Fill volume
Decisions
  • Stock or custom component
  • Apollo sourced or customer supplied
  • Package size
  • Closure fit
  • Tooling or fixture needed
We confirm line compatibility, review supplier minimums, settle excess-material ownership, and plan any component tests or samples.
Ready when: Packaging can be received, inspected, set up on the line, filled, closed, and documented.
5 Label package

Label, artwork, copy, and claims

Labels connect the physical package to claims, directions, warnings, barcodes, batch coding, and retail requirements. We keep claims and copy tied to the exact package.
Items to define
  • Label copy
  • Artwork
  • Dieline
  • Barcode
  • Supplement facts or directions
  • Lot and date coding area
Decisions
  • Draft or approved artwork
  • Claims to review
  • Warning or direction language
  • Barcode and product-code rules
  • Revision owner
We confirm the dieline, separate claims from restrictions, route counsel review when needed, verify code placement, and freeze production artwork.
Ready when: Artwork and copy are approved for the exact package, channel, and production coding needs.
6 Channel pack-out

Cartons, case packs, and distribution packaging

Distribution packaging decides how finished goods leave the facility, whether that is direct-to-consumer, Amazon, clinic, wholesale, retail, or third-party logistics. Each channel packs out differently.
Items to define
  • Inner carton
  • Master carton
  • Shipper
  • Case pack
  • Insert
  • Pallet or logistics requirement
Decisions
  • Sales channel
  • Product-code and barcode rules
  • Case quantity
  • Amazon prep needs
  • Storage and handoff
We capture your channel rules, confirm carton specs and case pack, plan the fulfillment handoff, and define the reorder trigger.
Ready when: Finished goods can be packed, labeled, stored, shipped, and handed off to the correct channel.
7 Quality package

Documents, testing, and release requirements

Quality requirements decide which supplier documents, tests, batch records, and release expectations belong in scope. As an FDA-registered facility with cGMP-compliant operations, we set that scope before scheduling.
Items to define
  • Supplier certificates of analysis
  • Specs or safety data sheets where applicable
  • Prior test results
  • Finished-product tests
  • Batch records
  • Customer document requests
Decisions
  • Testing required or optional
  • Document package needed
  • Claims or label review needed
  • Confidentiality review before sensitive files
  • Third-party lab coordination
We inventory existing files, flag anything needing confidentiality review, quote lab fees where needed, and track turnaround through to release handoff.
Ready when: Required documents, tests, approvals, and release expectations are known before production scheduling.
8 Quote scope

Cost, ownership, timing, and approval

The quote converts the bill of materials into accountable scope: what we source, what you own, what is optional, and what has lead time. Every line is tied to a decision.
Items to define
  • Production labor
  • Setup
  • Materials
  • Customer-owned excess
  • Testing fees
  • Storage or fulfillment
Decisions
  • Approved run size
  • Deposit or purchase order timing
  • Material purchase approval
  • Optional services
  • Timeline risk accepted
We break out each quote line, flag long-lead items, name the assumptions, confirm payment readiness, and set the next step for approval.
Ready when: Apollo and the customer agree on scope, ownership, payment, assumptions, and the next production or sample step.
9 Line-ready gate

Production line-ready material

Material is line-ready when it can run without stopping for missing approvals, wrong counts, incompatible packaging, or open quality questions. This is the gate to the schedule.
Items to define
  • Approved formula/spec
  • Received materials
  • Approved labels
  • Ready packaging
  • Batch instructions
  • Release plan
Decisions
  • All holds cleared
  • Substitution rules
  • Use or reject material
  • Production date
  • Final handoff
We receive and inspect material, verify counts and lots, stage everything, confirm the batch packet, and put the run on the schedule.
Ready when: The project can move onto the production schedule with known materials, approved documents, cleared holds, and a clear handoff.

What changes your scope

One answer can move cost, timing, and minimums. These are the connections we watch.

Idea and buyer → Formula path Defines whether the next step is R&D, white-label, transfer review, or production quote.
Formula → Packaging Formula behavior affects container choice, fill method, closure, stability, and line fit.
Ingredients → Quality Supplier docs, allergens, storage, and lot details shape document and testing needs.
Packaging → MOQ Custom components can create supplier minimums separate from the finished-unit target.
Label → Testing Claims, warnings, and channel rules can change testing, document, and counsel-review needs.
Sales channel → Pack-out Amazon, direct-to-consumer, clinics, retail, wholesale, and third-party logistics require different case packs and handoffs.
Customer-owned materials → Receiving Supplied items need tracking, counts, inspection, docs, storage, and use approval.
Quote approval → Line-ready Payment, material purchase approval, received components, and cleared holds unlock scheduling.

Readiness gates

The checkpoints we use to move your project forward with confidence.

Quote-ready

We have enough knowns and unknowns to route the project and quote the next responsible scope.

  • Buyer path
  • Product status
  • Format
  • Quantity range
  • Material path
  • Channel
Sample-ready

R&D or sample work has a clear goal, feedback owner, revision boundary, and approval trigger.

  • Formula goal
  • Benchmark
  • Restrictions
  • Sample criteria
  • Approval owner
Material-ready

Ingredients, components, labels, and cartons each have a source, count, lead time, document path, and ownership decision.

  • Supplier/source
  • Minimum order
  • ETA
  • Certificate/spec
  • Customer-owned status
Line-ready

Materials are received or approved for order, packaging fits the line, labels are approved, and quality holds are resolved.

  • Received/ordered
  • Inspection
  • Line fit
  • Artwork approval
  • Batch packet
Channel-ready

Finished goods can move into the chosen sales channel with the pack-out, records, storage, and handoff plan in place.

  • Case pack
  • Barcode/product code
  • Release documents
  • Storage
  • Fulfillment handoff
MOQ & pricing

Why your minimum is what it is.

We quote your finished run and your components separately, so you can see exactly what drives the number, and where a smaller run is realistic.

Path 1 · On-hand

Apollo's materials

When compatible bottles, caps, and components are already in our inventory, a small finished run is straightforward: no supplier minimum to clear first.

Path 2 · Custom

Materials for your brand

A unique bottle, label, or ingredient carries its supplier's minimum, which can be larger than your run. We quote the run separately and you own the extra materials (on the table before you order).

Path 3 · Supplied

Materials you supply

Bringing approved components yourself? They clear receiving, compatibility, and documentation review, then go straight into your run.

A pilot run and the components behind it are priced on separate lines, because the supplier minimum for a custom label or bottle can be larger than the run itself. Your quote shows the real split. For the two-numbers breakdown behind that split, read the full MOQ math →
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Quality & compliance

Documentation you can hand to a buyer, a marketplace, or a regulator.

We operate an FDA-registered facility with cGMP-compliant operations. Testing runs through vetted third-party labs, quoted before work starts.

Compliance support

Label and claims review support, testing plans, and documentation, with a clean boundary: we support, your counsel decides.

Testing & batch docs

Third-party lab coordination, certificates of analysis, and batch records tied to your project and channel.

Confidentiality

NDA-first handling for formulas and sensitive projects. Files move through a secure portal, not email threads.

FAQ

Answers buyers ask first.

What's your minimum order?

Finished-run minimums are quoted separately from component minimums, by format and materials path. Pilot runs can start well below a full production batch when compatible materials are on hand.

Can you match my current product?

That's what a benchmark sample is for: we sample against your existing product, then run spec and component review before you commit.

Do you protect my formula?

Yes. NDA-first for sensitive projects, and detailed files move only through the secure portal after fit review, never over email.

Can I see your facility documentation?

Facility documentation relevant to your project is available on request under NDA.

How fast can we start?

Fit review typically takes a few business days. From there, timeline depends on formulation status, components, and testing scope. Your quote states it plainly.

Do I own leftover custom materials?

Yes. If a custom component's supplier minimum is larger than your run, you own the extra materials, and we tell you that before you order, not after.

What do I need before requesting a quote?

Just what you have today: an idea, a formula, or a product already selling. The quote form takes a few minutes; we'll tell you what's still needed.

Where are you located, and can I visit?

Livermore, California. Facility visits are welcome by appointment.

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