Project: Peppol

The PEPPOL project has contributed to the development of a pan-European, standards-based IT infrastructure. PEPPOL has not replaced, but built upon, the existing strengths of national eProcurement systems by using information and communication technologies to enable them to connect with each other. PEPPOL enables access to its standards-based IT transport infrastructure through Access Points, and provides services for eProcurement with standardised electronic document formats. PEPPOL will make electronic communication between companies and government bodies possible for all procurement processes in the EU. PEPPOL developed the Business Interoperability Specifications (BIS) for common eProcurement processes such as eCatalogue, eOrders, and eInvoices to standardize electronic documents exchanged and validated through an open and secure network, between sending and receiving Access Points for public sector buyers and their suppliers across Europe. A Virtual Company Dossier was developed for suppliers to submit company information in a standardized ‘re‐usable’ format, an eCatalogue for use in the tendering process, and a pan‐European e‐signature validation service.