Frequently asked questions

Taiwha is an independent business research and intelligence firm. We investigate market conditions, companies, potential suppliers and strategic decisions. Our aim is to help businesses understand the evidence, compare options and identify questions that should be verified before committing time or money.

Our four research areas are Market Research, Company Intelligence, Sourcing Intelligence and Strategic Research. You can commission a defined, one-off question or agree a continuing research partnership. A project may combine areas if the scope and fee are agreed beforehand.

Tell us your business context, the question you want answered, relevant countries or companies, and your preferred timing. We clarify the scope and send a written proposal showing the deliverables, fee, source boundaries and delivery plan. Work starts once the proposal is accepted and the agreed payment is confirmed.

No. A clear business decision or uncertainty is enough to start the conversation. We can help define a manageable research question before quoting. Please do not send confidential or sensitive files in the initial enquiry.

Each project is quoted according to its question, geography, number of entities or products, source access, verification requirements, depth and timing. We agree the fee before paid research begins. Ongoing partnerships are priced by the agreed period and workload; no fee increase or added work is automatic.

Timing depends on the agreed task and the availability of credible evidence. We confirm a target delivery date in writing before work starts. A short preliminary brief may be possible for a tightly defined question, but a complete bespoke research project is not guaranteed within 30 minutes.

Depending on your project, you may receive a written memo, sourced evidence tables, a company or supplier shortlist, comparative analysis, scenarios or a research report. The agreed proposal lists exact file formats and contents. Raw datasets, editable models or code are not automatically included.

We work with reasonable care and skill, identify significant source limitations and distinguish observed information from assumptions and analytical judgments. No responsible research provider can guarantee that every third-party record is complete, that market conditions will not change or that every future forecast will be correct. We correct material errors attributable to our work.

Yes. We use AI-assisted and technical research tools where appropriate to help organise information, analyse evidence and explore scenarios. AI-generated text or model output is not independent evidence of a fact. Our research approach is to retain meaningful source references, separate evidence from interpretation and identify unresolved questions. Any use of confidential Client material in external tools must be addressed through an agreed data-handling arrangement.

We can screen suppliers against agreed requirements and examine available company, product and commercial records. A desk-based screen is not a factory audit or performance guarantee. Direct contact, certification checks, physical inspections or sample testing must be expressly included if required. A supplier's inclusion in a shortlist does not mean every claim has been independently verified.

Only if the written project scope includes those activities. Otherwise, we can prepare candidate comparisons, open questions and a request-for-quotation framework that you can use with suppliers. We are not a purchasing agent or a party to your supply contract unless expressly agreed under a separate arrangement.

We can examine public records, documented inconsistencies and risk indicators within an agreed lawful research scope. We do not treat an information gap or unusual corporate structure as proof of wrongdoing. We do not provide legal findings or criminal investigations, and serious allegations require appropriate corroboration and qualified review.

They are conditional assessments. We specify the available evidence, key assumptions, sensitivities and circumstances that could change the conclusion. Scenario ranges are not necessarily statistical confidence intervals or probabilities. The goal is to support better decisions under uncertainty, not to promise a particular outcome.

Where a website exhibit is labelled illustrative or simulated, the underlying data and scenario are examples of an analytical method, not verified facts about a real customer or proof of a completed client project. We identify that distinction rather than imply otherwise.

Usually, but the change may affect the fee and delivery schedule. We will explain the difference and request your written approval before carrying out additional work. If you do not approve the change, we continue with the original agreed scope where feasible.

Yes. We recommend consolidating feedback within seven business days of delivery. Unless otherwise agreed, one round of in-scope clarification or editorial adjustment is included for requests made within that review period. Material errors attributable to our performance are corrected without an extra charge. These corrections do not use up the included editorial round. A new research question is separate work.

An evidence-supported negative conclusion can be a valid deliverable. We will explain the screening criteria, work performed and information gaps. If we failed to perform an agreed part of the research or made a material error, our correction and refund policies apply.

Yes, cancellation is possible. Before paid research starts, the prepaid service fee is refundable, subject only to any separately agreed and lawfully chargeable non-recoverable external cost. After research starts, we reconcile work reasonably performed and authorised unavoidable costs, then refund unused prepaid amounts. If the work is materially deficient, we will review corrective work or an appropriate refund. See our Refunds and Cancellation Policy.

Yes. Once the fees properly due for the relevant delivered work are paid, you may use the delivered report within your organisation and share it with professional advisers under suitable confidentiality arrangements. Public publication, resale, white-labelling or broad onward distribution requires separate written permission. Wider distribution rights can be discussed in the proposal.

We treat non-public project information as confidential under our Terms. We do not use a private Client engagement as a named public case study without written permission. If sensitive data or special restrictions are involved, tell us before providing files so we can agree the appropriate processing route and safeguards.

Yes. Ongoing partnerships define the priority topics, workload, monitoring frequency, deliverables and fee for each agreed period. New areas or additional work require a separate written agreement. We do not impose an automatic renewal unless it is expressly agreed in the relevant contract.

No. We provide research that supports judgment. Commercial outcomes depend on factors outside any research provider's control, including your decisions, execution, negotiations and changes in external conditions.

Your research contract is with TAIWHA GROUP LTD, not with an independent introducer. Only a Taiwha-approved written quotation or SOW and authorised payment instructions bind the company. An introducer cannot independently promise results, change the scope or approve refunds.

Use the email address and contact instructions at taiwha.com/contact. If you are an existing Client, include your company name and project or invoice reference so we can locate the agreement and respond accurately.