We have purchased a batch of material directly from the manufacturer.
1) No discount was provided by the material manufacturer.
2) No discount was provided by the material's manufacturer.
Are both sentences acceptable?
2) is better but you could hear either
Sra
Both sentences are acceptable grammatically. However, there is a slight difference in meaning between the two.
In the first sentence, "No discount was provided by the material manufacturer," it implies that the manufacturer of the materials did not offer or provide any kind of discount.
In the second sentence, "No discount was provided by the material's manufacturer," it implies that the manufacturer specifically associated with the materials being referred to did not offer or provide any discount.
So, depending on the context and the specific meaning you want to convey, you can choose either sentence.