The guide offers an overview of the evidence needed to secure funding against invoices, as well as the SLAs governing the evidence review process at Sonovate. Please follow the instructions carefully when submitting your evidence.
Why This Information is Important
It's essential to understand the evidence requirements to ensure your documents are processed quickly and correctly. Uploading the correct evidence helps:
- Speed up processing and avoids delays.
- Ensure accurate billing and prevent errors.
- Minimise the risk of rejection and the need for re-submissions.
By following the guidelines, you help us provide a smoother, more efficient experience for you. Alternatively, if you have any questions about the evidence required or need assistance with your submission, please raise a support request via our platform. Our team is here to help you through the process.
The evidence requirements in this article relate to client approvals in support of invoice submissions. For an overview of the evidence process and requirements for manual timesheet evidence, please see the below link.
Manual / third party timesheets
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
To ensure a smooth and timely review of your evidence, please be aware of the following Service Level Agreement (SLA) details:
- There is a 4 working hour SLA on evidence submission reviews.
- Working hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
- Working examples:
- If evidence is submitted for review at 1pm, it will be reviewed by 5pm (close of business that day)
- If evidence is submitted for review at 3pm, it will be reviewed by 10:30am the next working day
- SLA Reset on Rejected Evidence: If evidence is rejected and you re-upload a new version, the review timeframe will reset. This means the SLA starts over with the new submission.
- New Uploads: Any new evidence upload will reset the SLA and create a fresh timeline for review.
This SLA relates to invoice, timesheet, timesheet authoriser, assignment, and supplier approvals.
Following these timeframes helps ensure faster review, clearer updates, and a smoother process for you. These SLAs are in place to help you plan better, avoid delays, and receive consistent, reliable service, all aimed at getting your evidence processed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Invoice Type: Temporary (Temp)
When submitting evidence for Temp invoices, you are required to upload:
- Invoice copy
- Client Approval Evidence
Accepted format of Client Approval Evidence:
- Manual timesheet signed by client
- Screenshot of third-party timesheet system showing approval by the client
- Client portal screenshot showing approval of the invoice/timesheet by the client
- Direct email from the client (not forwarded on, with Sonovate on copy via capital@sonovate.com or timesheets@sonovate.com) confirming approval of timesheet or hours/days worked
- Self-bill invoice from client
Key points:
- Timesheets and approving emails must show:
- Clear evidence of approval by the relevant client
- Candidates full name
- Hours/units per day as listed on the Sonovate timesheet
Invoice Type: Permanent (Perm)
When submitting evidence for Perm invoices, you are required to upload:
- Invoice
- Start Date Approval
You can provide Start Date Approval in one of these ways:
- Email from Client: Confirming the candidate’s employment start date (start date must be dated in the past), or.
- SonoPlatform Perm Client authorisation tool
Additional evidence requirements, based on Underwrite approval:
The structure above represents the standard acceptable evidence for Perm funding. However, underwriting may approve funding for customers based on the following two categories.
- Bill on Acceptance:
- Invoices raised at the point a candidate accepts the contract
- Evidence requirement is an Email from the Client confirming the candidate’s acceptance (with Sonovate on copy via capital@sonovate.com)
- Candidate email confirmation is not sufficient
- Retainer Billing Approved: For stage billing, please upload evidence for each stage as specified in the contract or Statement of Work (SoW):
- Stage 1: Signed Contract or SoW.
- Stage 2/3: Optional – evidence of a shortlist of candidates and client email confirmation sent direct to capital@sonovate.com
- Final Stage: Client confirmation that the candidate has accepted or commenced, with direct client email confirmation sent to capital@sonovate.com
Invoice Type: Project / SoW
When submitting evidence for Project invoices, you are required to upload:
- Invoice
- Client Approval
To meet the Client Approval requirement, you can provide one of the following:
- Timesheet: stating Client approval of time billed (please see Temp Invoice section for a breakdown of acceptable timesheet formats)
- Email from Client: direct client approval confirming approval of milestone deliverables sent to capital@sonovate.com
- Client Portal Screenshot: Showing approval of the invoice.
Additional evidence requirements, based on Underwrite approval:
The structure above represents the standard acceptable evidence for Project funding. However, underwriting may approve funding for customers based on the following two categories.
- Signed SoW: Upload the signed Statement of Work if applicable, including milestone deliverables and timelines.
- Work Orders or Schedules: These may be required to specify milestone stages by time and value.
Evidence document Tags:
It is important to use the correct tags when uploading your evidence. Failure to use the correct tags may result in the evidence being rejected.
Please make sure both documents are uploaded with the correct tags:
- ‘Invoice’ for invoice copies
- ‘Timesheet’ for Client approvals (Temp)
- ‘Other’ for Perm related client confirmation of commencement
- ‘Milestone sign off’ for Project based client approvals
If you upload evidence that includes both an invoice and a timesheet, make sure to select both the 'invoice' and 'timesheet' tags.