As of 20 October 2026, there is no UK-wide Peppol Authority. OpenPeppol's official list has one UK entry: England, National Health Service, operated by Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL), with the formal legal agreement still held by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). For all other purposes, UK service providers contract with OpenPeppol itself, acting as the Peppol Coordinating Authority. Whether the UK will appoint a national authority for the 2029 mandate has not been announced.
What a Peppol Authority is
Peppol is governed through a set of agreements. OpenPeppol sits at the top as the Peppol Coordinating Authority. In its words, it "may delegate authority over the implementation and use of the Peppol Network" to national Peppol Authorities.
According to OpenPeppol:
- Peppol Authorities "are typically, but not exclusively, government institutions".
- They "ensure that Peppol Service Providers operate in accordance with the Peppol Service Provider Agreement".
- Service providers generally sign with the Peppol Authority in their home jurisdiction. Where there is none, they sign with OpenPeppol, which "also acts as the Peppol Authority in jurisdictions where no Peppol Authority exists".
- An authority can add national rules, called Peppol Authority Specific Requirements (PASR). These are incorporated into its agreement after formal approval by OpenPeppol's Managing Committee.
The UK position today
CONFIRMED (OpenPeppol):
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Listed UK entry | England, National Health Service: Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL) |
| Legal agreement | "continues between OpenPeppol and DHSC" |
| Day-to-day operation | "transferred from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL)" |
| UK service providers | "Legal agreements with UK-domiciled SPs are held by OpenPeppol as the Peppol Coordinating Authority" |
| Certified provider list | UK-resident providers show OpenPeppol as their Peppol Authority (list updated 19 October 2026) |
OpenPeppol's England NHS profile says it was written after "a period of uncertainty" about the authority for NHS England, to "clarify the current arrangements". It gives no date for the transfer to SCCL. SCCL owns and operates NHS Supply Chain, which, according to the same page, exchanges orders, despatch advice and invoices with suppliers over Peppol.
There are no separate entries for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland on the list.
How it started
- April 2014: the Department of Health's NHS eProcurement Strategy adopted GS1 coding and Peppol messaging across the NHS and its suppliers. It set out a four-corner model in which each NHS provider and each supplier picks its own Access Point. It also said "There are no fees payable between access points".
- 2015 to 2016 (REPORTED): trade press reported in April 2016 that "the Department of Health finalized last year the legal agreements to establish a PEPPOL Authority", taking responsibility for governing the network for NHS trusts.
- Later: day-to-day operation moved to SCCL, and the legal agreement stayed with DHSC (OpenPeppol, no date given).
So the UK's Peppol Authority has always been health-sector specific. It was never a national authority for B2B invoicing.
What other countries do
When a country uses Peppol for a tax mandate, the authority role often sits with a government body. OpenPeppol's list includes, for example:
| Country | Peppol Authority listed |
|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Tax Office (ATO) |
| Belgium | BOSA |
| France | Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFIP) |
| Germany | KoSIT |
| Ireland | Office of Government Procurement (OGP) |
| Singapore | IMDA |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Finance |
These are examples only. They do not tell us what the UK will do.
Why it matters for 2029
A UK Peppol Authority could:
- sign agreements with UK service providers and supervise them
- set UK-specific requirements (PASR), for example which identifier schemes to use, how VAT data must be validated, or reporting duties
- be the formal link between UK policy and OpenPeppol's rules
Without one, OpenPeppol remains the counterparty for UK providers, and UK-specific rules would have to come through legislation, HMRC guidance or a UK specification (CIUS) instead.
What is not settled
CONFIRMED: the government "has announced that the electronic procurement system Peppol will be the core interoperability network for e-invoicing in the UK" (Tax Update summary, 23 June 2026).
NOT YET CONFIRMED (as of 20 October 2026):
- whether the UK will establish a national Peppol Authority for the mandate
- which body would take the role (HMRC, the Department for Business and Trade or another body)
- what happens to the existing NHS arrangement
- whether there will be UK PASR
We found no official statement on any of these points. The implementation roadmap is due at Budget 2026 on 28 October 2026.
What to do now
- NHS suppliers: carry on as you are. Nothing announced so far changes the NHS Peppol arrangements.
- Everyone else: choose a provider from OpenPeppol's certified list. Today, UK providers' Peppol agreements sit with OpenPeppol.
- Watch the roadmap for any announcement of a UK Peppol Authority and UK-specific requirements. We will update this page.
Related: What is Peppol? and NHS Peppol e-invoicing for suppliers.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the UK Peppol Authority?
There is no UK-wide Peppol Authority as of 20 October 2026. OpenPeppol lists an England entry for the National Health Service, operated by Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL), while the formal agreement remains with the Department of Health and Social Care. For other UK service providers, OpenPeppol acts as the authority.
Is HMRC the Peppol Authority?
No, not as of 20 October 2026. The government has confirmed Peppol as the core network for UK e-invoicing but has not announced a UK Peppol Authority. HMRC is not on OpenPeppol's list of Peppol Authorities.
Who was the Peppol Authority for the NHS?
The Department of Health set up a Peppol Authority for the NHS following its 2014 eProcurement Strategy. OpenPeppol says day-to-day operation was later transferred from DHSC to SCCL, which owns and operates NHS Supply Chain.
What does a Peppol Authority do?
It makes sure Peppol service providers in its jurisdiction operate in line with the Peppol Service Provider Agreement, and it can add national requirements (PASR), which apply once approved by OpenPeppol's Managing Committee.
Spotted a mistake? Report an error. einvoices.uk is an independent publication and is not affiliated with HMRC. Details of the mandate may change; check the sources and official GOV.UK guidance before acting.