Choose a certification body against 7 criteria: accreditation, Bulgarian auditors, speed, price versus quality, integrated systems, certificate format and certification logo. The most important is accreditation — without it, the certificate has no international recognition.
Start with accreditation — consider the price only after the first three criteria.
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Criterion 1 · Accreditation
An accredited body or a representative of one
Accreditation is the official recognition of a body’s competence by a national accreditation body — for example RENAR, ACCREDIA, BAS, DAkkS or UKAS. To obtain and maintain it, the body demonstrates competent personnel, methodology and its own management system. Many Bulgarian organizations are representatives of foreign accredited bodies.
Check: Look up the body in the register of an accreditation body and check whether that accreditation body is a member of IAF.
Foreign auditors mean additional costs for travel and accommodation. Bulgarian auditors know the legislation and regulations, point out weak spots and give guidance for improvement.
Check: Ask who will conduct the audit and in what language.
The time it takes to get a quote already shows how the body works. If you wait more than a day, the negotiation, the audit and the certificate are likely to drag on too — and in public procurement you have to act fast.
“Buy cheap, buy twice.” There are “certificates” that are not backed by a real audit and audit report. In public procurement, the evaluators may request documents from the management system. Certification is not possible without developed and implemented documentation, and consultancy is a separate, independent service — budget for it as well.
Check: Ask whether you will receive an audit report and whether the consultant is independent of the body.
Several standards are often needed. With an integrated system, a single certification audit is conducted against all the selected standards, instead of separate audits every two or three months — saving you time, money and effort.
Check: Request a quote for an integrated system covering all the standards you need.
An electronic certificate in at least two languages, in an international register
A certificate in your working languages saves the cost of a sworn translator. Registering the certificate on an international platform where it can be verified is also important. Some institutions in Bulgaria require a link to such a platform to check certificates.
Check: Look in the quote for the languages of the certificate and whether it will be registered on an international platform.
!A “one-day” certificateno implemented system and no on-site audit
!No audit reportthe certificate is not based on a real assessment
!No accreditationor the accreditation body is not an EA MLA signatory
!The body also offers consultancythe body that certifies cannot provide consultancy and training to the same company
!The certificate cannot be verifiedthere is no number, or the body does not confirm its status
Which standards go together
Combinations by sector — the combination of standards is chosen according to the specifics of each sector, and it is always more cost-effective to certify an integrated system covering several standards than to certify them separately.
One integrated audit against the four standards instead of four separate ones.
Questions and answers
Questions about choosing
Short answers about choosing a certification body.
What is the most important criterion when choosing a certification body?
Accreditation. The body must be accredited by a national accreditation body that is an EA MLA signatory, or be a representative of such a body. Otherwise the certificate has no international recognition.
How can I check whether a certification body is accredited?
Look it up in the accreditation body’s register and check whether the accreditation body is an EA MLA signatory. Issued certificates can often also be checked in IAF CertSearch. CERTIND’s accreditation.
What does “representative of an accredited body” mean?
A Bulgarian organization that works on behalf of a foreign accredited certification body, while the certificates are issued by the body itself. ESCERT is the exclusive representative of CERTIND S.A. for Bulgaria.
Can the certification body implement the system for me?
No. The body that certifies you cannot provide you with consultancy on the same system — this is an impartiality requirement under ISO/IEC 17021-1. Consultancy is a separate service.
Why is the cheapest quote not always the best choice?
Because there are “certificates” on the market without a real audit and audit report. In public procurement, the evaluators may request documents from the management system, and such a certificate will not hold up. How the price is determined.
What is an integrated management system?
A single management system that meets several standards at the same time — for example ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. It is certified in one joint audit.
Accreditation
Auditors
Speed
Price and quality
Integrated systems
Format
Logo
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