Important information for suppliers to NHS England (NHSE), Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), Commissioning Support Units (CSUs) and the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB)
As part of a major programme to provide a next-generation integrated single financial environment for the NHS with a faster and smarter service, we’re improving the invoicing and payments process for NHS England, ICBs and CSUs and their suppliers.
This page contains important information for suppliers and will be updated regularly – why not bookmark it?
Please note that, at present, the information below only applies to organisations which supply goods and/or services to NHSE, ICBs and CSUs. There are currently no changes to invoicing for other organisations, including Trusts and Community Interest Companies.
Need help?
This page contains useful information, but if you have a specific question or concern (including accounts payable and invoicing queries) please contact us and one of our friendly agents will be able to help.
Email: sbs.suppliers@nhs.net
Telephone: 0303 123 1144 option 1
Webform – click here.
From 20 October, we will be rolling out a new, interactive portal, making it easier for suppliers to do business with NHS England and their partner organisations.
Through this new portal, most* suppliers will be able to:
- Track the status of their invoices and credit notes
- Raise and track support requests and get indicative resolution dates
- Keep their details, including name, address, and bank account up-to-date
Note that suppliers will not use the portal to submit invoices. You should continue to submit invoices the way you currently do – either electronically (by Tradeshift), by email, or by post.
The portal, called SBS one, is intuitive and user-friendly, and will make the invoicing and payment process swifter and more efficient.
For security reasons, only suppliers who have verified their details will be able to register to use the portal.
* Please note that although we eventually aim for all suppliers to have access to the SBS one portal, the following groups of suppliers are currently out of scope:
- NHS organisations
- Primary Care Networks
- GP practices
- Ophthalmic and optometrist suppliers
- Individuals, including those funded by a Personal Health Budget (PHB)
- Tax authorities (eg HMRC)
- Overseas companies (ie those where payments are made to a non-UK bank account)
- Factoring companies
- Franchises and organisations with multiple bank accounts
If you represent one of the supplier groups above, and have not received an invitation to verify yourself in order to register for the portal, there is no need to contact us.
If you believe you should have received an invitation to validate your company’s details, but have not, please contact 0303 123 1177, option 1.
If you’ve verified your organisation’s details, you’ll soon be receiving an invitation to register for the supplier portal. This will require Multi-Factor Authentication. For more information about this, and step-by-step instructions, click here.
Verify Your Details
Tradeshift connections. Suppliers who currently submit invoices manually via the Tradeshift web portal should have received a connection request to link their Tradeshift account to the new system. Suppliers must accept this connection request in their Task List in order to continue to submit invoices via Tradeshift.
Tradeshift integrations. Suppliers who submit their invoices through the Tradeshift integrated solution need to ensure their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is updated with the new identifier attributes, including the new Organisation ID codes (see organisation codes, below).
As well as the new supplier portal, from October there will be other permanent changes to our systems and processes. These are summarised below. For more details, please view our FAQs or call our Customer Support Centre on 0303 123 1177 option 1.
- Communicating with NHS SBS. Our email address for supplier enquiries has changed, and is now sbs.suppliers@nhs.net. Other contact methods remain the same – telephone 0303 123 1177, option 1. You can also use our webform.
- Organisation codes. NHS England (currently X24) is now CBA033. All other organisations now have 000 at the end of their previous three-character code. Our systems will still accept and process invoices containing the old codes during the transitional period.
- XX rules. If you submit invoices with a contact name instead of a Purchase Order, the format of those names (known as the “XX rules”) will change. Please contact the organisation you are trading with to confirm the new format.
- Suppliers using Tradeshift e-invoicing need to take some specific actions to reconnect their Tradeshift accounts to ensure they can continue to submit invoices. A summary is above, and detailed information is at Welcome to NHS SBS’s Tradeshift Network
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security process that requires users to verify their identity using more than one type of authentication. With Microsoft MFA, this means entering your password plus a code that you will receive from the Microsoft authenticator app. That ensures that even if someone has your email address and password, they won’t be able to log in to your account.
Multi-Factor Authentication is needed in order for you to register for the new supplier portal, and every time you subsequently log in.
If MFA is new to you, there’s more information on the links below to help you.
Supplier Portal FAQ
When will the portal go live?
From 20 October 2025. We are expecting high volumes of calls/webforms over the first few days, so please be patient.
What is the new supplier portal?
The new supplier portal, called SBS One, is an easy and intuitive interactive platform that makes it simple for you to do important tasks, including:
– Checking status of your invoices and credit notes
– Raising queries and getting indicative resolution dates for them
– Keeping your details, including name, address and bank account, up to date (administrators only)
What is the new supplier portal for?
Once you have registered on the portal, you will be able to:
- Track the status of your invoices and credit notes
- Manage your supplier record
- Raise and track queries
What is multi-factor authentication?
Multi-factor authentication is a security measure that requires you to verify your details in two different ways. For the new supplier portal, you will need to log in using a password on your computer and a code sent to your mobile device. You will need to use multi-factor authentication to register for the portal and each time you subsequently log on.
Is this new portal replacing Tradeshift?
No.
You should continue to submit invoices via Tradeshift (if that is your preferred method).
Once your invoice has been submitted, you will be able to track its progress via the new supplier portal.
Note that you may need to accept a connection request in your Tradeshift account in order to be able to continue to submit invoices via Tradeshift. Instructions for how to do this are here.
Once you have reconnected your Tradeshift account, you will then be able to track the progress of your invoices via the new supplier portal.
When will I get the link to register for the new supplier portal?
We are rolling the supplier portal out in waves. If you have not received a link by the first week of November – and you believe you should have done – please contact us on sbs.suppliers@nhs.net.
How do I know if I’m elegible to use the new portal?
Eventually, we hope that all suppliers will be able to use the portal. However, for technical reasons, we are currently restricting access to companies and organisations (not individuals) that meet all the following criteria:
– submit invoices to NHS England, and/or Commisioning Support Units and/or Integrated Care Boards
– are not themselves part of the NHS
– receive payment into a UK bank account
Which suppliers are not yet able to use the new portal?
The following groups of suppliers are not yet able to use the portal:
– NHS organisations
– GP practices
– Opthalmic/optomotrist suppliers
– Individuals (ie not registered with Companies House), including those funded via a Personal Health Budget
– Tax authorities (including HMRC)
– Factoring Companies
– Franchises and organisations with multiple bank accounts on our system
– Suppliers who are paid into a non-UK bank account
I’m a local authority – will I be able to use the portal?
Yes
I’m a charity – will I be able to use the portal?
Yes
I’m a Community Interest Company (CIC) – will I be able to use the portal?
Yes
I’m a sole trader – will I be able to use the portal?
Yes, provided you are registered with Companies House.
I supply both NHS England/ICBs/CSUs and other organisations, including hospital trusts. Can I use the portal?
Yes, but for the time being you will only be able to see and query invoices and credit notes relating to NHSE, ICBs,CSUs and HSSIB. You will also only be able to keep your details up to date for these accounts. To update your details for other accounts (such as NHS trusts) please contact sbs.providersupplieramendment@nhs.net
I supply care services – will I be able to use the portal?
Yes, provided you are not a franchise, and you don’t have multiple bank accounts. A full list of organisations that are not currently able to use the portal is here.
I have received an email inviting me to validate my details. What does that mean?
For security reasons, before suppliers are able to access the new portal, we will email them asking them to validate their details. It’s a similar process to that used by banks. If you’ve received an email, when you click on the link you will be asked a short series of security questions. The first of these asks if you are the correct contact within your organisation to validate your details. If you are not, you’ll be able to give us the name of the correct contact person, and we will send them a validation link (you don’t need to forward the email to them). Once the validation questions have been successfully answered and submitted, the person who has done this becomes an admin user for your organisation, and will receive an invitation to register for the portal once it goes live, and is able to set up other contacts within their organisation with portal accounts. In order to successfully answer the security questions, you will need to have access to a recent invoice sent to NHS England, an Integrated Care Board or a Commissioning Support Unit only.
I have received an email inviting me to validate my details. Is it genuine, or is it fraud/spam?
It’s likely to be genuine. The email should come from NHS SBS (no-reply@comms.sbs.nhs.uk). If you are still uncertain, please contact us on sbs.nhs.uk/supplier-information
Why have I haven’t received an email inviting me to validate my details?
We have sent suppliers who are eligible to use the portal an invitation to validate their details. If you have not received this, it could be because your organisation is not eligible at this time, or it could be because the email has gone to a different email address within your organisation. Please check the list of in-scope suppliers; if you still believe you should have been invited, please contact our Customer Support Centre on sbs.nhs.uk/supplier-information
How can I find out who at my organisation has received an email invitating them to validate as an adminstrator?
Please contact our Customer Support Centre on sbs.nhs.uk/supplier-information
I keep failing the validation questions. What am I doing wrong?
Make sure your answers all relate to the same invoice.
Make sure your answers relate to an invoice sent to NHS England, a CSU an ICB or HSSIB – not any other NHS organisation like a hospital or Trust.
If you repeatedly fail the validation questions, your case will be automatically referred to NHS SBS, and we’ll be in touch to help – there’s no need to contact us.
I’ve received an invitation to validate, but I don’t think I’m the right person to do this. Can I forward the invitation to a colleague?
The link in the invitation email is unique, so it shouldn’t be forwarded. However, if you click on the link, you will be given the option of telling us that you’re not the right person, and supplying the details of a more appropriate colleague. This will then generate a validation link which will automatically be emailed to that colleague.
I believe the validation email has been sent to the email address of someone who no longer works for my organisation. What should I do?
Please contact our Customer Support Centre on sbs.nhs.uk/supplier-information
I’ve successfully validated. How do I access the portal?
If you’ve successfully validated, you’ll receive an email confirming this. Then, once the portal goes live, you’ll receive a link to it and be invited to register.
How do I register for the portal?
If you’ve successfully validated, you’ll receive an email when the portal goes live inviting you to register. Click on that – you’ll be asked to set up a username and password, go through a multi-factor authentication and you’ll need to accept the conditions of use. Then you’ll have access to the portal.
I need to remove a colleague’s portal adminstrator privileges. How do I do that?
Please contact our Customer Support Centre on sbs.nhs.uk/supplier-information
Lots of people in my organisation need access to the portal – how can this be arranged?
At the moment, we are validating system administrators who will have the authority to do things like amend their organisation’s details. Once the administrator has registered, they will be able to give access to as many of their colleagues as they wish. These colleagues will be able to view the progress of invoices/credit notes and raise requests.
Can my organisation have more than one portal administrator?
Yes. If more than one person at your organisation has received an invitation to validate, you can validate more than one administrator. If only one person at your organisation has received an invitation to validate themselves, then you can currently have only one administrator.
How do I use the portal? Is there any training?
The portal is very intuitive and user-friendly, and you probably won’t need training. However, there will be how-to guides available in the portal for you to access if needed.
Can I used a shared mailbox when registering for the portal?
No. Portal accounts must be registered to an individual to allow auditable changes to your data to be made.
Do I submit invoices via the new portal?
No. Please continue to submit invoices the way you currently do – via Tradeshift, email or post.
Will there be any changes to the way I submit invoices for NHS England, Integrated Care Boards and Commissioning Support Units?
The route you use to submit invoices will remain the same – either Tradeshift, email or paper (or, for certain organisations, via a third party such as PCSE or NHS Business Services Authority). However, some of the things you need to put on your invoice will be slightly different, including the organisation code – see below.
Will there be any changes to the way I submit invoices to other NHS organisations, such as NHS trusts?
Not at present. This will change eventually, but for the time being the only changes are for NHS England, Integrated Care Boards and Commisisoning Support Units and HSSIB.
What will happen to supplier data changes as the new system goes live?
Once the new finance system has gone live, suppliers will be able to change their own details on the supplier portal (assuming they have validated their details and registered for the portal).
Tradeshift is online, but I can’t submit invoices – why not?
Suppliers must accept a new connection request (in their Task List) in order to continue to submit invoices via Tradeshift. For more details, click here.
My organisation has a Tradeshift integration which isn’t working. What’s the matter?
Suppliers who submit invoices via Tradeshift’s integrated solution will need to ensure their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is updated with new organisation codes (see below)
How are organisation codes changing?
NHS England, which previously had an organisation code of X24, now has the new organisation code CBA003. ICBs and CSUs now have 000 at the end of their previous 3 character code.
If I am having problems with Tradeshift, can I submit invoices another way?
Yes. You can submit invoices by email and post. Full instructions are available here.
However, Tradeshift is the most efficient form of invoicing, and we would encourage you to use it whenever possible.
You will be able to track the progress of your invoices in the new supplier portal regardless of how your invoice is submitted.
I’m expecting a payment but I haven’t received it.
Please contact our Customer Support Centre on 0303 123 1177, option 1, or email sbs.suppliers@nhs.net. You can also use our webform. Please supply all relevant information, including the invoice number(s) and date of submission.
If your cashflow is being affected, please let the agent handling your call know this. If emailing, please use the word “CASHFLOW” in your email header.