If your company holds or is applying for an NHP site licence, the way you send submissions to Health Canada has changed. As of March 30, 2026, Health Canada officially began transitioning all NHP site licence submission activity to a new file-sharing platform called LiquidFiles. For regulatory teams managing active applications, pending amendments, or upcoming renewals, this change affects your immediate workflow and any submissions currently in progress.
The shift was driven by ongoing performance issues with the ePost Connect platform. Health Canada has moved to LiquidFiles to improve processing reliability and reduce the delays that came with those known issues. The change applies specifically to site licensing. Understanding how the new platform works, and when the old one stops being accepted, is what will keep your submissions on track.
The Timeline You Need to Know
Health Canada issued this update in the Natural Health Products Site Licensing and Good Manufacturing Practices Inspection Bulletin No. 11, dated March 30, 2026. The transition follows a defined, two-phase schedule.
A one-month transition period runs from March 30, 2026 to April 30, 2026. During this window, site licence submissions will be accepted through either ePost Connect or LiquidFiles. That overlap exists to give companies time to adjust, but it is not a grace period to delay action. If you have submissions planned for April, moving them to LiquidFiles now avoids any last-minute risk.
As of May 1, 2026, Health Canada will stop accepting any site licence submissions and new correspondence through ePost Connect. Only submissions received in LiquidFiles will be processed. Submissions sent through other means will be rejected. That is a firm cutover with no ambiguity. After May 1, there is no workaround.
What Moves to LiquidFiles
The scope of this transition is broad. It covers more than new applications. Health Canada will use LiquidFiles to receive all site licence submissions, including new applications, amendments, notifications, relinquishments, and renewals. It will also be used to send and receive all submission-related correspondence, including Clarimails and Information Request Notices, and to issue regulatory decisions including site licences, issuance letters, and notices of refusal.
In practical terms, your full back-and-forth with Health Canada on site licensing now runs through LiquidFiles. Every document that comes to you and every response you send will go through this platform. That is worth communicating internally, especially to team members who handle IRN responses or who track regulatory correspondence.
How to Submit Through LiquidFiles
All site licence submissions must be sent through the Site Licence Submission Gateway at the LiquidFiles portal. You do not need a LiquidFiles account to use it. Each time you submit, you will go through an email authentication step where you click an “Authenticate” button to receive a login token. The account-free access is a practical design choice that reduces onboarding friction.
Formatting your submission correctly matters. Health Canada specifies a required subject line structure to avoid processing delays. Follow this format exactly:
- Subject line format: [Company Code] – [Company Name] – SL [Submission Type]
- Accepted submission types: New Application, Amendment, Renewal, Notification, Relinquishment
- File size limit: Packages must be under 10 GB; compressed (zip) files are accepted
Getting the subject line right is one of the simplest ways to avoid a processing delay. Submissions that arrive without the correct format may require back-and-forth to clarify before Health Canada can log them.
When Health Canada sends you a message through LiquidFiles, you will receive an email notification with options to download files or reply. You do not need a LiquidFiles account to download or reply to a secure message. However, you will need to authenticate your email each time you access those messages.
One Important Exception for Open ePost Connect Requests
Not everything shifts immediately. If you have an open Clarimail, Information Request Notice, or Product Information Form that was sent to you through ePost Connect, you must respond to that request through ePost Connect, as instructed in that document. After your response, any additional requests will then be sent via LiquidFiles.
This is a meaningful distinction. Do not route an active ePost Connect IRN response through LiquidFiles under the assumption that the new platform is now the default for everything. Follow the instructions on each specific document until that thread closes.
New Companies: Get Your Company Code First
If you are a new company applying for a site licence, you will need a company code before submitting through LiquidFiles. You can request one by emailing Health Canada at hpcd.nhp.sl-dcps.psn.le@hc-sc.gc.ca with “New Company Registration” as the subject line, along with your company name, address, and senior official’s contact information.
Existing licence holders can find their company code on past issuance letters, notices of refusal, IRNs, or Clarimails. If you are unsure where to locate it, reviewing those documents is the fastest path.
Trading Partner Agreements Are No Longer Required for Site Licensing
This transition also brought a related change worth noting. As of March 30, 2026, companies no longer need to apply for a Trading Partner Agreement before applying for a new site licence. That removes a step that previously added time and complexity to new site licence applications.
This change does not apply to NHP product licences. A Trading Partner Agreement is still required to submit product licence applications to the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate. The distinction matters. Site licensing and product licensing operate on different submission pathways, and this update only affects the site licensing side.
For companies supporting both tracks simultaneously, it is worth confirming internally which pathway each submission belongs to before routing it. Mixing up the two is a common source of confusion during transition periods like this one.
Key Takeaways
- LiquidFiles replaces ePost Connect for all NHP site licence submissions as of March 30, 2026.
- The dual-acceptance transition period ends April 30, 2026. After May 1, 2026, ePost Connect submissions will be rejected.
- All submission types are affected: new applications, amendments, renewals, notifications, and relinquishments.
- No LiquidFiles account is required; email authentication is used for each session.
- Use the required subject line format to avoid processing delays.
- Open IRN and Clarimail threads in ePost Connect must still be responded to through ePost Connect until closed.
- Trading Partner Agreements are no longer required for site licence applications, but remain required for product licence applications.
FAQs About the LiquidFiles Transition
Does this change affect my NHP product licence applications?
No, and this is a common point of confusion. The transition to LiquidFiles applies only to site licence submissions. Product licence applications continue to follow the existing process through the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate. If you submit both types, make sure your team knows which portal applies to which submission type before routing anything.
What happens if I accidentally send a site licence submission through ePost Connect after May 1, 2026?
Unfortunately, Health Canada has been explicit on this point: submissions sent through ePost Connect after May 1, 2026 will be rejected and will not be processed. That means your application clock does not start, and you will need to resubmit through LiquidFiles. The safest approach is to transition all site licence activity to LiquidFiles before the April 30 deadline, not on it.
Do I need to create a LiquidFiles account to submit or respond to Health Canada?
No account is required, which is one of the more practical aspects of this change. LiquidFiles uses email-based authentication instead. Each time you access the portal to submit or respond, you will receive a login token by email. The same applies when Health Canada sends you correspondence; you authenticate your email to download files or reply, with no account setup needed.
What This Means for Your Upcoming Submissions
A platform change mid-application cycle is manageable when you know exactly what to do. The submission process itself has not changed in terms of documentation requirements or Health Canada review timelines. What has changed is where you send everything and how Health Canada communicates back to you. Getting that right before May 1 protects your timelines.
Quality Smart Solutions’ team monitors Health Canada regulatory updates as they are issued and applies them directly to client work. If you have an active site licence application, a renewal coming up, or a new application in preparation, Quality Smart Solutions’ NHP site licence services are designed to keep your submission on track through changes exactly like this one. To speak with one of our regulatory specialists about your current situation, contact the Quality Smart Solutions team directly.
