# Supplier Check API: UK Company, VAT, Sanctions & Website (KYB) (`tudorlane/supplier-check`) Actor

One-call supplier / KYB check: Companies House status, insolvency and overdue filings, Gazette notices, LEI, UK/EU VAT, sanctions screening of company, directors and owners (OFAC, UK, EU, UN) and website safety. Returns pass / review / fail with reasons.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tudorlane/supplier-check.md
- **Developed by:** [Tudor Lane](https://apify.com/tudorlane) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$150.00 / 1,000 supplier checks

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Supplier Check API: UK company, VAT, sanctions and website in one verdict (KYB)

### Use when…

- You must vet a UK supplier, customer or partner before paying, onboarding or signing.
- A procurement, finance or KYB agent needs one tool call that returns pass / review / fail with reasons.
- You want Companies House, VAT, LEI, sanctions (company + directors + owners) and website risk without wiring each source.

### Try this input

Copy-paste this JSON as the Actor input (it matches a successful run / the default schema):

```json
{
  "suppliers": [
    {
      "company_number": "00445790",
      "vat_number": "GB220430231",
      "website": "tesco.com"
    }
  ],
  "sanctionsThreshold": 88
}
```

### Sample output (real run 2026-10-27)

One dataset item, shortened:

```json
{
  "supplier": "TESCO PLC",
  "company_number": "00445790",
  "verdict": "pass",
  "fail_reasons": [],
  "review_reasons": [],
  "pass_reasons": [
    "company is active at Companies House",
    "LEI record found",
    "…"
  ],
  "checks_run": [
    "companies_house",
    "lei",
    "…"
  ],
  "checks_unavailable": [
    "gazette"
  ],
  "evidence": {
    "companies_house": {
      "status": "ok",
      "company_number": "00445790",
      "company_name": "TESCO PLC",
      "type": "plc",
      "…": "+12 more keys"
    },
    "lei": {
      "status": "ok",
      "records": [
        {
          "lei": "2138002P5RNKC5W2JZ46",
          "legal_name": "TESCO PLC",
          "jurisdiction": "GB",
          "entity_status": "ACTIVE",
          "…": "+3 more keys"
        }
      ]
    },
    "gazette": {
      "status": "error",
      "error": "Client error '403 Forbidden' for url 'https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice/data.json?text=%22TESCO+PLC%22&res…"
    },
    "vat": {
      "type": "uk_vat",
      "input": "GB220430231",
      "vat_number": "GB220430231",
      "check": "format-only",
      "…": "+2 more keys"
    },
    "…": "+2 more keys"
  },
  "error": null,
  "checked_at": "2026-10-27T19:40:36+00:00",
  "sources": {
    "Companies House": "OGL v3",
    "The Gazette": "OGL v3",
    "GLEIF": "CC0",
    "EU VIES / HMRC": "public service terms",
    "…": "+5 more keys"
  },
  "…": "+2 more keys"
}
```

Vet a supplier, customer or partner in **one call**. Each check returns **pass / review / fail** with plain reasons and the evidence behind them. It is built for AI agents, procurement and finance teams, onboarding flows and n8n / Make / Zapier automations.

### What it checks

- **Companies House** (UK): status, insolvency history, overdue accounts and confirmation statement, disputed or undeliverable office address, company age, active officers and persons with significant control.
- **The Gazette**: insolvency notices (winding-up, liquidation, administration) that mention the company.
- **GLEIF**: Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) record.
- **VAT**: EU VAT numbers live via VIES; UK VAT numbers by format and HMRC checksum.
- **Sanctions**: the company **plus its active directors and owners**, screened against US OFAC SDN, the UK Sanctions List, EU FSF and the UN Consolidated List (fuzzy matching).
- **Website**: domain age, DNS, SSL and brand-lookalike risk.

### Verdict rules

- **fail**: company not found or not active, insolvency history, or a strong sanctions match (score ≥ 95).
- **review**: overdue filings, recent incorporation (under 6 months), Gazette notices, an invalid VAT number, a possible sanctions match or a risky website.
- **pass**: none of the above.

**Tip:** company number gives the fullest check. With a name only, the register and officer checks are skipped.

### Quick start

Leave the default input (it is prefilled) and click **Start**:

```json
{"suppliers": [{"company_number": "00445790", "vat_number": "GB220430231", "website": "tesco.com"}], "sanctionsThreshold": 88}
```

### Sample output (real run, 26 Oct 2026, default input)

| supplier | company_number | verdict | pass_reasons | checks_unavailable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TESCO PLC | 00445790 | pass | company is active at Companies House; LEI record found; VAT number valid (format-only); no sanctions matches (12 names screened); website looks established | gazette |

Evidence from the same run: Companies House status active, incorporated 1947-11-27, no insolvency history, accounts next due 2027-08-26; LEI 2138002P5RNKC5W2JZ46 (ACTIVE); tesco.com registered 1994-12-20, risk low.

### Use cases

- Vet a new supplier before the first invoice is paid.
- Re-check existing suppliers monthly on a schedule.
- KYB step in customer or partner onboarding flows.
- Give a procurement or finance AI agent one tool call for supplier risk.

### Output (one row per supplier)

`verdict`, `fail_reasons[]`, `review_reasons[]`, `pass_reasons[]`, `evidence` (Companies House profile, officers, PSCs, Gazette notices, LEI, VAT result, sanctions hits, website signals), `sources`, `checks_run`, `checks_unavailable`, `checked_at`.

### Pricing

Pay per event: **$0.15 per supplier checked**. Invalid input rows are not charged. There is no subscription. Schedule it to re-check suppliers monthly.

### FAQ

**Do I need a Companies House key?** No, one is built in.

**Is a UK VAT number confirmed as registered?** No. UK VAT is checked by format and HMRC checksum only. EU VAT numbers are checked live with VIES.

**What if a check could not run?** It is listed in `checks_unavailable` and left out of `checks_run`, so you can see the verdict was made without it.

**Non-UK companies?** Register checks are UK only. LEI, EU VAT, sanctions and website checks work for any country.

### Limits & failure modes

- The Gazette often blocks Apify cloud servers (403), so the Gazette insolvency-notice check is usually unavailable and listed in `checks_unavailable`. Companies House insolvency history is still checked.
- With a company name only (no number), register, officer and owner checks are skipped.
- Sanctions use fuzzy name matching: expect occasional false positives, and a miss is possible for unusual spellings.
- UK VAT is format and checksum only, not a live HMRC registration check.
- **Verify before consequential decisions.** This is an automated aid built from public data, not legal, credit, fraud or compliance advice. Check the evidence (and any sanctions match against the official list) before refusing, onboarding, paying or reporting anyone.

**Last tested: 26 Oct 2026, run OK** (default input, Apify cloud).

### Sources and licences

Companies House, The Gazette and the UK Sanctions List (Open Government Licence v3); GLEIF (CC0); EU VIES; US OFAC (public domain); EU FSF (EU reuse policy); UN Security Council (public); public RDAP, DNS and TLS data.

**Disclaimer:** this is an automated due-diligence aid built from public official data. It is not legal, credit or compliance advice. Review the evidence, and confirm any sanctions match against the official list before acting.

### Use from AI agents (MCP)

Add it to any MCP client via `https://mcp.apify.com?actors=tudorlane/supplier-check`, or call the Apify API / run-sync endpoint.

# Actor input Schema

## `suppliers` (type: `array`):

Max 200. Each: {company_number, company_name, vat_number, website}. Company number (UK) is best.

## `sanctionsThreshold` (type: `integer`):

Fuzzy-match score (70-100). 95+ = strong match (fail); below = review.

## `companiesHouseApiKey` (type: `string`):

Optional free key from developer.company-information.service.gov.uk for high volumes. A shared key is used if empty.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "suppliers": [
    {
      "company_number": "00445790",
      "vat_number": "GB220430231",
      "website": "tesco.com"
    }
  ],
  "sanctionsThreshold": 88
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One item per request.

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "suppliers": [
        {
            "company_number": "00445790",
            "vat_number": "GB220430231",
            "website": "tesco.com"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tudorlane/supplier-check").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "suppliers": [{
            "company_number": "00445790",
            "vat_number": "GB220430231",
            "website": "tesco.com",
        }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tudorlane/supplier-check").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "suppliers": [
    {
      "company_number": "00445790",
      "vat_number": "GB220430231",
      "website": "tesco.com"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call tudorlane/supplier-check --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,tudorlane/supplier-check"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/rLiXd8PofJT55vHkz/builds/ZsgNSmSzB1OdcNHyh/openapi.json