Quality Certification Services
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersGainesville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Quality Certification Services does
Quality Certification Services (QCS) is the third-party certification program of Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers Inc. (FOG), a nonprofit founded in 1989 and USDA-accredited since 2001. QCS certifies organic, food safety, and ethical compliance for farms, processors, handlers, importers, exporters, and distributors across 39 U.S. states and 20 countries, with wholly-owned regional offices in Gainesville (Florida), Quito (Ecuador), and Mao (Dominican Republic). The portfolio spans USDA National Organic Program certification, EU Regulation 2018/848, the Canada Organic Regime, GLOBAL G.A.P., Regenerative Organic Certified, Organic Plus Trust Grass-Fed, GRASP, and other food-safety/social-practice add-ons, plus a Specific Trade Practices program that certifies up to six custom claims (e.g., living wages, solar energy usage) per operation.
QCS generates revenue through annual certification fees tiered to each client's gross organic sales, usage-based inspection costs scaled to operation complexity, and specific trade practices fees billed at $50/hour for the first four hours and $40/hour thereafter, with expedited review available at additional cost. The company operates a proprietary Ecert Client Portal for real-time certificate, inspection report, and Organic System Plan access, integrates with the USDA Organic Integrity Database for NOP Import Certificates, and partners with Quick Organics for a digital-first application and audit workflow. GTM is sales-led (free 15-minute discovery calls, certification project coordinators) with a hybrid channel via Quick Organics, multilingual staff supporting Latin American and Caribbean growth, and thought leadership through industry participation, webinars, and educational video resources.
Quality Certification Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quality Certification Services
- Legal name
- Quality Certification Services (QCS) / Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers Inc. (FOG)
- Website
- https://qcsinfo.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quality Certification Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Organic and Food Safety Certification Services
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF) (AFALAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs) (AFALAMAI), Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing Certification Services (AFALAMAD)
Keywords
Where Quality Certification Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gainesville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Quality Certification Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Certification Fees: Annual certification fees based on the annual gross sales of organic products for the operation. For new operations, projections for first year sales are accepted. This is a recurring annual revenue stream that scales with client business size.
- Inspection Costs: Inspection costs based on the relative simplicity to complexity of the operation, essentially equating to the amount of time the inspector will spend on the inspection. Additional fees may apply for on-farm processing, international verifications, and expedited services.
- Specific Trade Practices Certification: QCS Specific Trade Practices Fee at $50.00/hour for first four hours of review, with subsequent review billed at $40.00/hr plus inspection costs. Covers certification of up to 6 specific trade practices per operation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual certification fee based on operation's gross organic product sales |
| Usage-based | Annual | Inspection costs based on operation complexity |
| Usage-based | Annual | Specific Trade Practices certification review |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Expedited certification service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Quality Certification Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quality Certification Services (QCS) is a third-party certification body providing organic, food safety, and ethical certification services to producers, processors, handlers, importers, exporters, and distributors. QCS issues certifications against multiple standards including USDA Organic (NOP), EU Regulation 2018/848, Canada Organic Regime, Regenerative Organic Certified, Organic Plus Trust Grass-Fed, and GLOBALG.A.P., supported by multilingual staff across offices in Florida, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.
Product overview
Quality Certification Services (QCS) operates as a one-stop-shop certification body offering a comprehensive suite of organic, food safety, and ethical certification programs. The core offering centers on multi-jurisdiction organic certifications (USDA Organic, EU Organic, Canada Organic Regime) with add-on specialty certifications including Regenerative Organic Certified, Organic Plus Trust Grass-Fed, and GLOBAL G.A.P. The product portfolio includes self-service digital tools (Client Portal, Document Library, Video Resources), regulatory compliance services (NOP Import Certificates, EU Certificates of Inspection), and supporting resources (consultant referrals, training materials). QCS also maintains a partnership with Quick Organics for digital application management. All services are supported by multilingual staff across offices in Florida, Ecuador, and Dominican Republic.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- USDA Organic Certification Third-party certification service for USDA National Organic Program compliance, enabling producers, processors, and handlers to use the USDA Organic seal on their products.
- EU Organic Regulation 2018/848 Certification Certification according to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 for operations in third countries seeking access to EU organic markets, with compliance options for Switzerland and Bio Suisse standards.
- Canada Organic Regime (COR) Certification Certification under the Canada Organic Regime for products labeled organic according to Canadian Organic Standards, including US-Canada Equivalency Arrangement options.
- Regenerative Organic Certified Add-on certification building upon organic standards with focus on soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness, available as Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels.
- GLOBALG.A.P. Certification Food safety certification enabling producers to demonstrate safe production and traceable marketing of food, including IFA Fruit and Vegetables, Chain of Custody, and Harmonized Produce Safety Standard.
- Organic Plus Trust Grass-Fed Certification Third-party certification for grass-fed organic dairy and meat production, establishing the first national standard with requirements including 60% dry matter intake from pasture and 150 days on pasture.
- GRASP (GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice) Voluntary farm-level social and labor management tool for global supply chains, used in combination with Integrated Farm Assurance certification.
- Specific Trade Practices Program Certification program for up to 6 specific trade practices such as pesticide-free employee exposure, living wages, or solar energy usage, verified during regular organic audits.
- Consultant Referral Network Maintained list of vetted organic and food safety consultants available to assist operations with certification preparation, organized by specialty categories.
Companies that use Quality Certification Services
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Quality Certification Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Quality Certification Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Quick OrganicscoreQCS has partnered with Quick Organics to make organic certification more accessible through a digital platform. The partnership combines QCS's certification expertise with Quick Organics' digital-first approach, allowing producers to manage applications, documentation, and audits online with intuitive tools and real-time support. Certification is still issued directly by QCS.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Quality Certification Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SGS: SGS is the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification company, offering organic and food safety certification as part of its broader TIC portfolio. It is a broad incumbent competing with QCS for enterprise-scale organic certification contracts.
- Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC services provider offering agricultural and food certification services including organic and sustainability schemes. As a broad incumbent, it competes with QCS for multinational food and beverage clients seeking integrated certification services.
Direct peers
- Quality Assurance International (QAI): QAI is a leading USDA-accredited organic certification body serving food producers, processors, and retailers globally. It is a direct competitor to QCS, offering overlapping organic, non-GMO, and food safety certification programs.
- BCS Öko-Garantie: BCS Öko-Garantie is a Germany-based organic certification body offering USDA NOP, EU, and international organic certifications globally. It competes directly with QCS for clients seeking access to European organic markets.
- Ecocert: Ecocert is a France-based global certification body specializing in organic, ecological, and fair-trade certifications across agriculture, food, and cosmetics. It is a direct competitor to QCS in international organic certification, particularly for EU and global market access.
- Control Union Certifications: Control Union is a global certification body operating in organic, textile, and agricultural commodities across 70+ countries. It competes with QCS for international organic certifications, particularly for large enterprise and import/export clients.
- Mayacert: Mayacert is a Latin America-focused organic and fair-trade certification body headquartered in Guatemala. It directly competes with QCS's Ecuador and Caribbean offices for organic certification clients in Central and South America.
- CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers): CCOF is one of the largest US-based organic certification bodies, offering USDA NOP certification to growers, processors, and handlers. It is directly comparable to QCS as a competing third-party organic certifier with similar US-domestic focus and nonprofit heritage.
- Oregon Tilth Certified Organic: Oregon Tilth is a nonprofit organic certification body accredited by USDA, serving farms and processors primarily in the Pacific Northwest. It competes directly with QCS in the US organic certification market with similar service offerings including NOP, EU, and COR certifications.
Regional players
- Primus Auditing Operations: Primus Auditing Operations specializes in food safety audits and certification (GFSI schemes, PrimusGFS) primarily serving North American produce operations. It is comparable to QCS as a peer in the food safety certification space, though more regional in focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Quality Certification Services social profiles
Digital presenceQuality Certification Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quality Certification Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Quality Certification Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Quality Certification Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quality Certification Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Quality Certification Services
What does Quality Certification Services do?
Quality Certification Services (QCS) is a third-party certification body providing organic, food safety, and ethical certification services to producers, processors, handlers, importers, exporters, and distributors. QCS issues certifications against multiple standards including USDA Organic (NOP), EU Regulation 2018/848, Canada Organic Regime, Regenerative Organic Certified, Organic Plus Trust Grass-Fed, and GLOBALG.A.P., supported by multilingual staff across offices in Florida, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.
Is Quality Certification Services a public or private company?
Quality Certification Services is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Quality Certification Services founded?
Quality Certification Services was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Quality Certification Services based?
Quality Certification Services is headquartered in Gainesville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Quality Certification Services make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Certification Fees are the primary driver. The others are inspection Costs and specific Trade Practices Certification.
Who are Quality Certification Services's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SGS and Bureau Veritas. Direct peers are Quality Assurance International (QAI), BCS Öko-Garantie, Ecocert, Control Union Certifications, Mayacert, CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) and Oregon Tilth Certified Organic. Primus Auditing Operations is listed as a regional player.
Does Quality Certification Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quality Certification Services.
What industry is Quality Certification Services in?
Quality Certification Services's product category is Organic and Food Safety Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALAAAC, Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF), with a secondary code of AFALAMAI, Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs). Its SIC code is 8734.