Supplier Onboarding for Indirect SAQ
Table of Contents
This article is intended for indirect suppliers who have been invited by an RBA member customer to participate in RBA due diligence activities, such as completing an Indirect Self‑Assessment Questionnaire (Indirect SAQ).
An indirect supplier may be a service provider (e.g., logistics, security, waste management, facilities, cleaning services, IT support) or another supplier not directly involved in manufacturing a finished product.
Register Your Company to RBA-Online
All indirect suppliers must be registered in RBA Online before completing an Indirect SAQ.
- If your customer has invited you, you may receive an email prompting you to register.
- If not, you can register directly at: https://www.rba-online.org
During the company registration process:
- Enter your legal company details.
- Create at least one user account (yourself).
- Submit the registration
See Guidance: How to Self-Register for RBA-Online
✅ Registration creates your company profile but does not automatically activate your RBA Online subscription.
Activate Your RBA Online Subscription
After registration, your company must have an active RBA Online subscription before surveys (including Indirect SAQs) can be completed.
If your subscription is sponsored by your customer
Many RBA members sponsor their indirect suppliers’ RBA Online subscriptions.
If this applies to you:
- Contact your customer to confirm they are sponsoring your subscription.
- Email the RBA Helpdesk at helpdesk@responsiblebusiness.org and include:
- Subject: “Requesting a pre-paid registration from [Customer Name]”
- Your company name
- Your customer’s name
- Confirmation that your subscription is customer‑sponsored
The Helpdesk will coordinate with your customer and activate your subscription once sponsorship is confirmed.
If your subscription is not sponsored
If your customer is not sponsoring the subscription, you will be prompted to pay for and activate it directly during or after registration. Follow the process to activate your RBA Online registration: How to Pay for Your Subscriptions
Register at Least One Facility (Required)
Before an Indirect SAQ can be completed, at least one facility must be registered in RBA Online. This is required even if your company does not own or operate physical facilities.
- The facility represents the location or operational entity associated with your company for due diligence purposes.
- A placeholder or administrative facility may be used when appropriate.
Guidance: How to Create Facilities in RBA-Online
⚠️ The Indirect SAQ cannot be launched or completed without a registered facility.
Establish a Trading Relationship With Your Customer
Once your company and facility are set up, you must establish a Trading Relationship (TR) with your RBA member customer in RBA Online.
- Trading Relationships allow secure data sharing between suppliers and customers.
- Your customer may initiate the trading relationship request, or you may be asked to approve it.
Only after a Trading Relationship is established will your customer be able to:
- Assign an Indirect SAQ to your facility
- View your completed SAQ and related information
Complete the Indirect SAQ
After the Trading Relationship is in place, your customer may assign you an Indirect SAQ in RBA Online or request that you complete an indirect SAQ
To complete it:
Log in to RBA Online
Open the Indirect SAQ assigned to your facility. If you do not see a task to complete the indirect SAQ, contact the RBA Helpdesk at helpdesk@responsiblebusiness.org to request support with deploying the indirect SAQ.
Answer all required questions and submit the survey
The Indirect SAQ assesses social, environmental, ethical, and management‑system risks relevant to indirect suppliers.
Guidance: How to Complete an Indirect SAQ