The certification body you choose matters more than the logo it puts on your certificate. Use this checklist before you sign. None of it needs a sales call.
1. Check accreditation scope, not just the badge
GOV.UK says the UK national accreditation body is UKAS and that government only recognises UKAS accreditation of organisations operating in the UK. Look the body up on the UKAS website and confirm that the specific standard, and the sector of your work, are in its scope. We deliberately do not copy UKAS listings because they are UKAS’s own data.
2. Ask for audit days, not just a price
Audit time is set from tables by effective personnel, then adjusted for risk. Ask each body for the days it calculated and why. If one quote is much lower, find out whether it assumed fewer days.
3. Get the three-year schedule
Amtivo says it quotes a guaranteed fixed fee. Ask every body for the initial, surveillance and recertification fees. Amtivo’s older article says surveillance typically costs less than 50% of the initial fee; check that against the quotes you get.
4. Separate consultancy from certification
A body should not design your system and also certify it. Ask any body you consider whether it also sells consultancy to the same client, and how it keeps the two apart. A provider that bundles support into its certification price may still be accredited, but the price then mixes two things.
5. Ask about editions and transitions
ISO 9001:2026 and ISO 14001:2026 are published. Ask which edition will be audited and what the transition plan is. See the transition guide.
6. Check what is in the contract
- Travel and expenses.
- Cost of re-audit if you have major non-conformities.
- Notice and termination terms.
- Whether remote audits are accepted.
7. Compare in our directory
Browse the directory. Each entry shows the page on the body’s own site where it says it certifies to the standard. It is a starting list, not a recommendation or a complete register.