How to vet a CMO without burning months in the process

Scaling bioproducts is hard enough, but finding the right CMO shouldn’t be the thing that slows you down. But let’s be honest, for most companies, the CMO search can often lead to dead end searches, “almost-right” partners, and wasted time on the search rather than scaling up your product. 

If you’ve ever thought, “there needs to be a better way” or want to find a better solution to searching for the right CMO, you’re not alone. We’ve been there. In fact, Match by Synonym was built because we were tired of watching great bioproduct companies burn months (and sometimes years) just trying to find the right manufacturing partners. 

Here’s our take on how to vet a CMO without losing your momentum and your sanity. 

Step 1: Define What You Need (and What You Don’t) 

At the commercial stage, starting with a generic wish list may be tempting, but ambiguity is your enemy. Your business may be juggling with global distribution, regulatory filings in multiple countries, and significant financial commitments. That means your CMO must be able to: 

• Handle seamless tech transfers, including specialized equipment and process parameters.

• Demonstrate a track record of regulatory compliance.

• Support global supply chain requirements, including raw materials sourcing, logistics and contingency planning for disruptions or tariffs.

• Have the right equipment and certifications necessary for your bioproducts

Get your internal teams like R&D, regulatory, supply chain, legal aligned on these priorities before you engage a single CMO. 

Step 2: Use a Targeted, Data-Driven Process (Or Use Match) 

If we’re going to be honest, Googling “best fermentation CMOs” is a recipe for wasted time. Commercial companies need a smarter approach. Using Match to cut through the noise and surface only those CMOs who are ready for your commercial bioproduct.

• Match connects you with CMOs who have proven experience with large commercial size projects.  

• We factor in your requirements for domestic vs international manufacturing and tariff exposure. 

• You get facility profiles, equipment lists, organism/product experience, and a Match score explaining why Synonym has identified each qualified CMO as a good potential partner. 

If you’ve ever lost months finding CMOs that sounded good on paper but couldn’t meet your expectations, you know why this is important.

Step 3: Ask Strategic, Commercial-Stage Questions Early

Questions are everything. Don’t just ask about batch size or equipment. Dig into the details that matter for global, regulated markets: 

• Can you share your most successful and problematic tech transfers for products at our scale and complexity? Why was that project set up for success? Inversely, what went wrong, and how did you fix it? 

• How do you ensure compliance with regulatory requirements? What certifications and regulatory approval has your facility obtained? 

• What’s your experience navigating tariffs, customers, and cross-border logistics? How do you handle supply chain disruptions or material shortages? Do you have a team or subject matter expert on staff to support us in this regard?

• Do you have domestic capacity if international routes are disrupted or tariffs spike? 

• What countries have you exported to? What countries have your sourced materials from? Do you have experience working globally?

Don’t make the mistake of assuming a CMO “must know this stuff”. You may find out, when it’s already too late, that they didn’t. Match can help you screen for these criteria, so you’re only talking to partners who’ve been there, and done that. 

The Bottom line: Commercial-Scale Vetting Demands Commercial Tools

Vetting a CMO at the commercial stage is a high-stakes, multi-dimensional process. You need partners who can support you with tech transfers, regulatory hurdles, and global supply chains while keeping you ahead of tariffs and compliance risks. 

Ready to shortcut the process? Take our Match survey and get matched with partners in our database of 290+ CMOs who are built for commercial complexity.