Before You Apply

Conditions for applying

Before submitting an application, the applicant must be able to demonstrate the following:

1. The applicant is the legal entity responsible for the proposed certificate. See ORG-01, EDT-01 or PRD-01.
2. The applicant holds the licences, permissions and market authorizations required by the applicable law. See ORG-02 and, for products, PRD-07.
3. The application covers one eligible Certification object.
4. The proposed scope identifies the included sites, services, platforms, products, versions, delivery modes, jurisdictions and exclusions. See ORG-03, EDT-02 or PRD-02.
5. The applicant controls the activities and third parties included in the proposed scope. See ORG-05, EDT-03 or PRD-03.
6. The relevant management arrangements are in operation and can be supported by current documents and corresponding implementation records.
7. The applicant can provide access to the responsible people, systems, services, sites or products required for Evidence and conformity verification.
8. The applicant accepts publication of the certificate holder, certified object, scope, dates and status in the Public Certificate Register if certification is granted.

Requirements and application materials

Use the Foundation Conformity Requirements to check the applicable requirement, evidence and remediation criteria. Use the Certification Application Materials Guide to prepare the required evidence packages.

Readiness by certification object

New applicants, multiple sites and planned operations

A newly established applicant may apply, but it must satisfy the same published requirements and evidence standard. Plans, draft policies and blank templates do not establish implemented practice where an applicable requirement requires current operating records.

Multiple sites may be included where one accountable legal entity controls them and the variation across sites can be described and verified. A separate legal entity is not included merely because it shares a parent, brand, system or policy. Activities that have not begun may remain outside the proposed scope until sufficient implementation evidence exists.

Readiness outcome

Completing this review should lead to one of four defensible outcomes: proceed with one defined object and scope; revise the scope or exclusions before applying; obtain missing authority, access or implementation evidence; or prepare separate applications for different objects or legal entities. None of these outcomes is a conformity conclusion or a promise of certification.

When an application will not be accepted

ICEQC will not accept an application where:

• the responsible legal entity cannot be identified;
• a required licence, permission or market authorization is missing;
• the certification object or proposed scope cannot be determined;
• the applicant does not control the activities included in the proposed scope;
• only plans, draft documents or blank templates are available and there are no corresponding implementation records; or
• the applicant cannot provide the access required for evidence verification.

Before submitting