Place an order

Please note that this page only refers to orders for Biological Reference Materials including WHO International Standards, Influenza Reagents, and QCRU Reagents. To order CFAR reagents and CJD samples please go to the relevant pages.

All orders should be placed online, through this website.

If you have any problems ordering please contact us by emailing standards@nibsc.org. or telephoning +44(0) 1707 641467

New Customers

New customers will need to complete an online application for an account. Please note you will need to attach a signed statement to your application. Once you are registered on the NIBSC database and have been given a customer account code, we will be able to process your orders. The customer account code will be your username for placing orders through the website.

You will also need to provide us with your email address which will act as your password.

• You can have several users sharing one customer account code, each using their own e-mail address as password.
• You can also have a range of delivery addresses per customer though we need one invoicing address per account

Finding products to order

You can find the products available by using the site search box (top right of each page) to search for any relevant term. The results will include products, instructions for use, and general site pages containing your term. There are three filters available

All results        Instructions for use        Products

To select only ‘Instructions for use’ or ‘Products’, click on the appropriate link.

You may also find products by browsing the Biological Reference Materials online catalogue which is split into three product categories and over 40 sub-categories. A full product listing is also provided lower down that page.

You can also use the Product Search on the Biological Reference Materials page to search for a term in the product name or its product code.

To get more information on a product then please download the Instructions For Use from the Product Detail page or click on the Science tab at the top of the page.

Sending orders

All orders should be placed online, through this website.

We will confirm your order and send a Sales Acknowledgement once it is authorised, usually within 3 to 4 days.We aim to ship within 6 working days of receiving your order, subject to all permits and required information being provided. We would prefer to contact you by email.

NIBSC reserves the right not to supply biological reference materials to organisations which are not end users, cannot adequately satisfy us of their scientific remit, and/or do not intend an appropriate use of the requested materials, eg WHO International Standards should not be used in routine testing.

Prices and Costs of Shipping

NIBSC charges handling fees for reference materials which are reviewed annually and any increases applied on 1st April each year. The fee charged for a specific product is shown on the product detail page for that product, eg 00/464 Streptokinase

NIBSC adds the shipping costs to the invoice when items are sent by courier or air freight.

Current product prices and shipping costs are shown in the Price List.

Online order on this website

Online orders are usually processed on the working day of receipt.

Once you have found a product you are looking for:

• Click on the product to select it. This will open the Product Detail page.
• Click the ’Add to basket’ button.
• You will be asked to log into your account.
• Enter your customer number (in capital letters & numbers, eg X1234)
• For password enter your email address.
• Once you have successfully logged in, your selected product will be saved on your order form. From the order form you can change the quantities of the product you have selected or delete a product if you change your mind before confirming the order.
• Remember to save any changes you make by clicking the update button.
• If you wish to add other products to your order simply click the ’Select More Products’, and continue to browse in one of the ways described above.
• When you’ve added everything that you want to your order form, click on ‘Continue’.
• If you wish to cancel your order, click on the logout button.

• Select the correct delivery address and the email address for communication - if you need a new delivery address, please enter the details in the ’Courier Notes’ box.
• If you have any special courier or delivery requirements, enter them in the ’Courier notes’ box.
• If you want to order a product which is not on our catalogue or require more information, enter the details in the ’Extra products not listed in catalogue or information’ box.
• Please enter a purchase order number in the appropriate box. If you cannot provide a purchase order number then unfortunately we can’t accept an online order. Please contact standards@nibsc.org or use an order form.
• Only tick the box if you require a Pro-Forma Invoice apply for import permits (if the status of your account requires that payment be made in advance of shipping a Pro-Forma Invoice wil be issued automatically and the box does not need to be ticked).
• Please tick the box to indicate that you accept NIBSC terms and conditions of sale.
• Click on the ‘Next’ button to proceed

• The details of your order will be displayed. Please check them carefully and use the ’Return to previous step’ button if you need to make any corrections.
• You may print your order by clicking the ’Print order’ button
• When you have checked your order is correct, click on the ’Submit order’ button.
• Your order will be added to our sales system and an e-mail sent to our sales team.
• Within 60 minutes you will be sent an automated email confirming receipt of the order request and showing the order details and your Sales Order Number. Please use this in all future communication.

If you have any problems please contact our support team at standards@nibsc.org

Importing NIBSC products

Many countries are applying increasingly stringent conditions to the importation of biological materials. These countries typically require an import permit to accompany the goods, certifying that the items comply with the local regulations. This permit must be obtained from the national authorities by the importing organisation. NIBSC is using its best efforts through the World Health Organization (WHO) to obtain a dispensation for standards and related products to assist importation but a global resolution cannot be expected soon.

Importing NIBSC reagents [PDF] 

Importing NIBSC influenza reagents [PDF] 

Shipping & Service Costs - June 2023 [PDF]

Please see our FAQs sheet [PDF] for more information