Figures as read on 19 October 2026
What is published
| Source | What it says | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Citation ISO Certification (cost page) | Typical cost £2,000 to £8,000. Initial certification £1,300 to £5,000+ depending on size. Ongoing package £1,200 to £1,800 per year. | A provider that states ASCB accreditation on its page and does not mention UKAS. Includes consultancy and support in its figures. |
| Citation ISO Certification, by size | Micro (1 to 10 employees) £2,000 to £5,000+. Small (11 to 50) £3,500 to £8,000+. Medium (51 to 250) £6,000 to £15,000+. Larger or complex (250+) typically from £10,000+. | Described on the page as indicative UK ranges. |
| Centre for Assessment (page states UKAS-accredited, No. 0120) | An "estimated" ISO 9001 cost by staff numbers, table below. Initial audits "starting from as little as £1,125 + VAT". Fees depend on staff numbers and number of sites. | The page does not say what the figure covers (initial audit only, or the whole cycle) or whether it includes VAT. Ask. |
| CQS (Certified Quality Systems) | Fee table by annual turnover, one location, ex VAT. Up to £100,000 turnover: £995 certification plus £500 audit. £3 million to £5 million: £2,995 plus £950. Over £5 million: separate quotation. | We found no UKAS accreditation claim on its pages, and the page does not name its accreditor. Not listed in our directory. Does not say how often the audit cost recurs. |
| Amtivo / British Assessment Bureau, 2016 article | An organisation with 10 or fewer full-time employees could be certified to one ISO management standard "from £2,250". Surveillance audits typically cost less than 50% of initial certification. | Dated 17 October 2016. Ten years old; shown for context only. |
| Amtivo / British Assessment Bureau, FAQ | The cost depends on the size of the organisation and number of staff. States it always quotes a guaranteed fixed fee for certification. | No figures. |
| Intertek, ISO 9001 page | Certification "can range in price significantly based on a variety of factors" and quotes are by email. | No figures. |
One UKAS-accredited body that publishes by headcount
| Staff in scope | ISO 9001 estimated cost |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | £1,125 |
| 6 to 10 | £1,500 |
| 11 to 25 | £2,000 |
| 26 to 45 | £2,800 |
| 46 to 65 | £3,825 |
| 66 to 85 | £4,675 |
| 86 to 125 | £5,850 |
| 126 to 175 | £6,300 |
| 176 to 275 | £7,200 |
| 276 to 425 | £8,100 |
| 426 to 625 | £9,000 |
Source: Centre for Assessment, which describes itself as a UKAS-accredited body (No. 0120) and labels these figures estimates. The page does not say whether they cover the initial audit or the whole cycle, or whether VAT is included, so ask. Compare the supported-package ranges above: the two can differ because they may not be pricing the same thing.
What moves the number
- People in scope. Audit time is set from the effective number of personnel in the certification scope, including part-time and temporary staff and those on each shift.
- Risk of your product or service. The audit-time rules classify quality risk as high, medium or low. Food, medical and complex construction sit at the high end; office services, education and retail at the low end.
- Sites. More sites usually mean more audit time, though sampling rules can apply.
- Scope and readiness. A narrow scope and a system that already works need less audit time and less support.
- Support you buy. Consultancy is separate from the certification body fee. Citation names external support as a cost driver.
- Your choice of body. Day rates and fee structures differ, and some bodies bundle.
Why audit time is the number to ask for
The international rules for accredited bodies (IAF Mandatory Document MD 5) set audit time from tables based on the effective number of personnel, then adjust for risk and other factors. In the 2019 text, an audit day is normally eight hours, the audit itself should typically be at least 80% of the calculated time, and the reduction allowed from the table figure may not exceed 30%. So ask each body for the audit days it has calculated, not just the fee. Two quotes with different fees but the same days are comparable; different days need explaining.
What we could not find
No body we reviewed publishes a day rate for ISO 9001, and only one UKAS-accredited body publishes a table, as an estimate. We have not invented one. Treat any single headline number, including ours above, as a prompt for a quote request, not a budget.