Procurement policy note 11/15: unstructured electronic invoices · first published 22 June 2015
This Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 11/15, published in June 2015, introduces a requirement for central government departments and their arm's-length bodies (ALBs) to accept unstructured e-invoices — that is, electronic invoices that are not in a fixed machine-readable format (such as a PDF or scanned image sent by email). If you supply to central government, you no longer need to post paper invoices or use a specific invoicing portal; you can submit invoices electronically in unstructured formats from 30 June 2015 onwards. This is a buyer-side obligation: it does not force suppliers to switch to e-invoicing, but it removes a barrier if you want to do so. The scope is central government departments and ALBs only — it does not automatically bind local councils, NHS trusts, or other public bodies, though wider adoption may follow.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
For small suppliers, this lowers the admin burden of billing central government — you can send a PDF invoice by email rather than posting paper, reducing cost and speeding up payment cycles. The obligation sits with the buyer, so there is no compliance risk for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises); the opportunity is purely practical. Small firms that haven't yet switched to e-invoicing with government buyers now have a clear green light to do so.
1. Switch to sending invoices electronically (e.g. PDF by email) instead of posting paper invoices — your buyer is now required to accept them.
SMEs supplying central government departments or ALBs — The PPN mandates that central government departments and ALBs accept unstructured e-invoices submitted on or after 30 June 2015, removing any previous barrier to doing so.
2. Check your existing contracts and invoice submission instructions — if a buyer is still insisting on paper-only invoicing, refer them to PPN 11/15 and their obligation to accept unstructured e-invoices.
SMEs supplying central government departments or ALBs — The buyer obligation has been in force since 30 June 2015; any buyer refusing electronic invoices is acting outside this policy.
3. Do not assume this rule applies to your buyer — it covers central government and ALBs only. Check your buyer's own invoicing requirements separately.
SMEs supplying local councils, NHS trusts, or other non-central-government bodies — The PPN explicitly scopes central government departments and their arm's-length bodies; wider public sector bodies are not bound by this specific note.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
Central government departments and their arm's-length bodies must accept unstructured e-invoices from suppliers. (Central government departments and arm's-length bodies, all values, all sectors)
“central government departments and their arm's length bodies to accept unstructured e-invoices”
The requirement applies to invoices submitted by suppliers on or after 30 June 2015. (Central government departments and arm's-length bodies)
“It applies to invoices submitted by suppliers on or after 30 June 2015.”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
Source document © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 via the GOV.UK Content API. enkii tracks every Procurement Policy Note and briefs changes the day they land — see all briefings.