Peppol

Peppol, short for Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line, is an international framework designed to enable interoperable cross-border public procurement and e-invoicing. It provides a common network and a set of technical specifications that allow buyers and suppliers to exchange standardized electronic procurement documents across borders. The project originated under European guidance and is now governed by OpenPEPPOL, a non-profit organization that coordinates the framework and its ongoing development.

The Peppol architecture has three main components. The PEPPOL Transport Infrastructure offers a secure messaging backbone for electronic documents. PEPPOL Access Points, operated by private or public service providers, connect organizations to the network and route messages between participants. The PEPPOL Directory helps locate participants and their message endpoints. A standardized set of document formats, known as PEPPOL BIS (Business Interoperability Specifications), covers common procurement documents such as orders, order responses, despatch advices, and invoices. The messaging uses a standards-based transport layer (often involving AS4/AS2 protocols) to enable reliable, interoperable exchanges.

Governance and adoption: OpenPEPPOL coordinates the framework, maintains the BIS specifications, and aligns national e-procurement implementations with the Peppol model. The network is widely used across Europe to enable automated procurement workflows and cross-border invoicing in line with public procurement directives. While most activity is European, Peppol has attracted international participation and is employed by entities seeking standardized digitalProcurement and invoicing capabilities.