Lately, there has been an increasingly larger focus on the drivers, triggers, and the decision-making process in manufacturing relocation decision-making research. However, as of today, there is still a gap in knowledge on how firms can initially decide if there is a potential for relocating manufacturing activities. Currently, there is a lack of conceptual frameworks to guide researchers and practitioners regarding the initial decision phase. Thus, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework for the initial decision phase based on the existing knowledge of manufacturing relocation decision-making processes. The conceptual framework is developed using the existing literature, where the literature stands as a basis for the conceptual model. As the literature on the topic is scant, literature from other connected topics was used to develop the conceptual framework. The conceptual framework was later demonstrated using a fictive case. Both researchers and practitioners could benefit from the framework, as it provides a fundamental idea for how firms can assess whether it is potentially beneficial to relocate their manufacturing activities.