UK-ABCB operates as a third party assessor which is recognized around the world as the highest level of assessment, and UK-ABCB accreditation demonstrates to your customers and others that your conformity assessment services are meeting the highest levels of professionalism in the conformity assessment industry.

By meeting UK-ABCB's internationally recognized policies and procedures on a regular basis you validate your competence in performing conformity assessment activities i.e. external audits of the organizations who received certificate of registration by CABs.

UK-ABCB increases the easy access to overseas markets for companies using UK-ABCB accredited certification and inspection services which is the most important benefit.

For an effective assessment to occur the independence of the conformity assessment body is vital. UK-ABCB accreditation emphasizes the independence of the conformity assessment body in performing their assessments.

Regular assessments of CABs by UK-ABCB audit teams allow CABs to determine whether they are performing their assessment activities correctly and to appropriate standards.

Once you apply for Accreditations on our website, An Assessment Manager from UK-ABCB will be assigned to you and the your Assessment Manager will guide you through the pre-application process so we can assess your organization’s suitability and determine if we can actually accredit your organization.

A pre-assessment is an informal activity to determine how ready you are for accreditation. To do this, complete this Application Enquiry Form. You will then be sent an email from UK-ABCB where you will be asked to submit information regarding your application. An Assessment Manager from UK-ABCB Accreditation Management Office (AMO) will review the information provided, and indicate whether you will be able to proceed to the application stage.

If your organization succeeds in the pre-application process as informed by Assessment Manager of UK-ABCB, then you can then start the assessment procedure. To start a formal application, following activities has to be completed by Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) or Certification Body (CB):

• Sign the Accreditation Contract
• Share all Required Accreditation Documentation with UK-ABCB
• Pay the Application Fee

Note: You need to be confident that your organization can meet the conditions of accreditation and the criteria relating to the scope of application. All criteria is explained by theAssessment Manager from UK-ABCB.

Once all the requirements of application has finished, then Assessment Manager from UK-ABCB performs the following assessments with Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) or Certification Body (CB):

Assessment Manager from UK-ABCB examine CAB/CB documentation. CAB/CB need to invest time and effort in preparing system documentation since this stage is about you demonstrating to us that you are an acceptable system in place. This can be done remotely.

Assessment Manager from UK-ABCB conduct an office assessment and witness assessment. We do not accredit on documentation alone. CAB/CB need to demonstrate to us that you can put your systems into practice.

UK-ABCB present its findings to the Accreditation Review Committee for a decision to grant accreditation to Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) or Certification Body (CB) for the respective scope of accreditation. Decision can be:

If your application is approved, UK-ABCB issue a Certificate of Accreditation for the respective scope.

If your application is not approved then UK-ABCB will sent a letter by email outlining why. It could be that your application is not complete or contains errors. Or your application can be rejected on other grounds.

You are free to appeal our final decision or make a complaint following a set process.

If you are accredited, UK-ABCB will monitor your compliance throughout your three year accreditation term, this provides you with important feedback on maintaining your systems and performance.

This will include scheduled and unscheduled:

• Surveillance visits, involving a range of activities. Our assessors may, for example, visit your premises to assess how you work, witness your performance, conduct probity and validation tests.
• Surveillance assessments. Our assessors will do this in your offices and they will want to observe your auditors with your clients.

The number of scheduled checks may go up or down over time based on your performance.If all goes well your accreditation continues until the end of the three year term. If our surveillance highlights emerging problems, you will need to make changes and it could be that we will have to reduce the scope of your accreditation or terminate your accreditation. If this is the case you will be notified in writing of the reasons why and given the opportunity to appeal these decisions.