Certification Body in Procurement Law 2026
Certification body: Accredited institution that issues certificates for quality, environmental or other standards and provides evidence recognised under procurement law.
Definition: A certification body is an independent institution recognised by a national accreditation authority that examines companies, products or processes for compliance with defined standards and, if the result is positive, issues a certificate that is recognised in procurement procedures as proof of suitability.
Last updated: January 2026 · Legal status: Directive 2014/24/EU Art. 62, Regulation (EC) No. 765/2008, BVergG 2018
What is a certification body?
A certification body – also called conformity assessment body – is an independent institution that examines according to defined procedures whether a company, a product or a management system meets the requirements of a particular standard or specification, and issues corresponding certificates. In public procurement law, certificates of recognised certification bodies are important means of evidence for the professional and technical suitability of bidders.
Certification bodies are themselves subject to a strict approval procedure: they must be accredited by a national accreditation authority. In Austria, this is Akkreditierung Austria (Federal Ministry of Labour and Economic Affairs); in Germany, the Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS).
Types of certification bodies
Depending on the subject of certification, different types of certification bodies are distinguished.
- Management system certification bodies: Examine and certify management systems under standards such as ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management) or ISO 45001 (occupational safety).
- Product certification bodies: Examine products for standard conformity (e.g. CE marking, quality marks).
- Person certification bodies: Certify persons on the basis of qualification evidence.
Significance in procurement law
Art. 62 of Directive 2014/24/EU expressly provides that contracting authorities may require and recognise certificates of independent bodies as evidence of quality assurance and environmental management systems.
What is decisive is that the certification body must be approved by a recognised national accreditation authority. Certificates from non-accredited bodies do not automatically enjoy procurement-law recognition.
The principle of equivalence also applies to certification bodies: contracting authorities must recognise certificates from certification bodies in other EU Member States in the same way as national certificates.
Practical advice for bidders
Bidders should ensure that their certificates are issued by accredited bodies and are valid at the time of submission.
Expiring certificates should be renewed in good time, as expired evidence can lead to exclusion in suitability checks. In cross-border procurement procedures, it should be checked whether one's own certification body is also recognised in the other Member State.
FAQ
Must certification bodies be state-owned? No. Certification bodies are generally organised under private law but must be accredited by a state accreditation authority.
What is the difference between accreditation and certification? Accreditation is the official state recognition of the competence of a certification body. Certification is the confirmation that such a body issues to a company for compliance with standards.
Last updated: January 2026 All information without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please contact a law firm specialising in procurement law.
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