Choosing a Certification Body when no Accredited Scheme Exists

There are many players in the ISO Certification market, offering a variety of services against a number of ISO Standards.  

It’s often recommended that you choose a certification provider who is accredited by a national body such as UKAS in the UK.

UKAS is in turn recognised by the international accreditation forum (IAF).

There are many benefits to using an accredited body.  Read more here: Why Choose a UKAS Certification Body

What if Accredited ISO Certification isn’t Available?

While common standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001 all have established UKAS Accreditation programmes in place, this is not the case for all ISO Standards.

It takes time, resources and expertise to establish an accreditation programme so standards with a low commercial appeal, or newly published, may not have a scheme in place.

In these cases you should choose your certification body carefully to ensure that you are getting an impartial audit that adds value to your certificate claim.

You can check the UKAS website to see the available scheme.

Why do you want ISO Certification?

If the standard you are interested in doesn’t already have an accredited certification scheme, you should think carefully about the benefits of the available schemes.

Here are some questions to ask:

  • Is the company offering ISO Certification Reputable?
  • Do they have separation of their certification activities from any consultancy offering?
  • Do they have expertise in the standard they are certifying?
  • Are they conducting impartial, evidence based audits?
  • Are they recognised by your industry?

Need Help Choosing an ISO Certification Body?

CertBodies.co.uk can guide you through the process of finding an ISO Certification Body for the standards you are interested in.  

We will help you understand the pros and cons of each offering and compare competitive quotes so that you can find the best fit for your organisation.

We are not a certification body ourselves, but as ISO Consultants with years of experience, we can help you compare quotations and prepare for an audit. 

Fill in our quote form to get started!

Robert Clements
Robert Clements
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