Office of the Small Business Commissioner

The Office of the Small Business Commissioner is an independent public body set up under the Enterprise Act 2016 to tackle late payments and unfavourable payment practices in the private sector.​

Its mission is to make life easier for small businesses by getting money moving through the economy and streamlining support. The Office does this by supporting small businesses to get paid quickly and on time, influencing larger businesses to accelerate their payment times to suppliers, and working with all businesses to improve the culture of payment practice across the UK. 

The Office has three core functions. First, the Fair Payment Code, which any business can apply to join, offers bronze, silver and gold recognition depending on an organisation’s payment terms and performance. Second, its casework team handles complaints from small firms experiencing late payment by larger companies. Third, its convening role brings public and private partners together — for example, building a coalition of major marketplaces, payment providers, banks and fintech companies exploring how open data can accelerate payments, and convening small firms so their views are heard at the centre of government.

Further reading

• Office of the Small Business Commissioner — Late Payments Research

• Office of the Small Business Commissioner — About OSBC

• British Business Bank — How to deal with late payments