How to offer your products to Alko’s selection

Alko in brief

Alko is an independent, totally government owned company. It is administered and controlled by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Alko’s functions and operations are defined in the Alcohol Act and in a related decree.

Alko’s operations and the sole right for the sales of beverages containing over 5.5 per cent alcohol by volume are based mainly on social and health political reasons. The sole right position also means that the company is required to treat all suppliers equally, in an impartial and non-discriminative manner. Impartiality is ensured with public instructions on product listing, in which the operating principles between Alko and its suppliers can be found.

Alko does not have own production, bottling or brands for alcoholic beverages. All alcoholic beverages that Alko sells are bought from domestic and foreign companies working in alcohol business.

In its activities, Alko has special obligation and good possibilities to take into account the different aspects of responsibility: social, economic and ecological.

In the field of responsible purchasing Alko works in collaboration with the other Nordic alcohol monopolies. Alko is a member of an international Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) organization called amfori. It is a non-profit organization, the aim of which is responsible trading worldwide. To ensure sufficient understanding of the effects of responsible purchasing in practice, Alko requires the seller to complete e-learning on responsible purchasing provided online by Alko in the Supplier Portal. If the seller has an authorized representative (an agent), the agent is also required to complete the e-learning.

Who can make offers?

Importers, other suppliers, producers, manufacturers of alcoholic beverages as well as authorized representatives are entitled to submit offers to Alko’s tenders. The offeror needs to have valid permits required for the respective activities.

How to offer products?

Alko has four different selections: general selection, specialties, seasonal selection and sale-to-order selection. The general selection is Alko’s main product selection and consists of a wide range of alcoholic beverages from around the world. The general selection products form the base of the shop selection. Tenders for general selection, specialties and seasonal selection must always be based on request for tenders published in Alko’s Selection Plan or as separate documents on the Alko website.

Offering products to tenders/product searches

Selection plan is published three times per year. It consists tender requests for the general selection, the larger specialties and seasonal selection. Possible additional tenders for Selection Plan as well as seasonal selection’s additional tenders are published separately on the website.

Offering products to sale-to-order selection

Domestic partners can offer products also to Alko’s sale-to-order selection. The products in the sale-to-order selection come from a variety of domestic importers and producers. Alko does not keep these products in stock. These products are available for customers in the Alko Online shop. Alko shops can order these products from the suppliers to the shop’s assortment according the demand. The sale-to-order products do not have a search procedure.

Making an offer

Offers of new products are submitted via Alko’s Partner Network. The software is free of charge to the users but for using the Partner Network, a written agreement must always be made with Alko. In addition to offers of new products, on the Partner Network can be managed information of products that are already in Alko’s selection.

Ways of delivery and offer forms

There are three different ways of delivery when offering products to Alko. Each way of delivery has own offer form to be used in the offer.

The ways of delivery are:

1. Deliveries from Finland to Alko's shops (delivery terms TOP Alko's shops, Finnterms 2001)

Offering products to Alko's shops requires the supplier (direct distribution) to have the valid licenses for the operations. A direct distributor must have such capabilities for entire message flow of an electronic order-delivery process that are tested and approved by Alko.

2. Deliveries from Finland to Alko's central warehouse (delivery terms TOP Alko's central warehouse, Finnterms 2001)

Offering products to Alko's tax-free central warehouse requires the supplier to have a duty-free warehouse in Finland and the valid permits required for the activities.

3. Deliveries by Alko's import service (delivery terms FCA, FOB or DAP, Incoterms 2010)

Alko's import service is a logistical service. This way of delivery can be used only when offering to Alko’s general selection, specialties and seasonal selection.

Please notice when filling in the form:

• The offer form must be completed fully and in specified form, otherwise the offer cannot proceed in Alko’s offer processing.
• The offered product must meet all criteria indicated in the search text.
• The party making the offer (= signer of the offer) must, when necessary, attach to the offer an authorization given by the producer or brand owner.

Timetable for delivering offers

The offer deadline is indicated in the tender request, and the offer must be at Alko on that day.

Due to Alko’s pricing cycle, the minimum validity of the offer is twelve (12) months from the end of the specific month of the tender request, if no other deadline is mentioned in the request for tenders.

Whom can you contact if you need help?

Product Managers and Purchasing coordinators will help when needed purchasinghelp@alko.fi.

Please read also step-by-step guide for making offers.