CALA

What CALA does

CALA (Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation Inc.) is a Canadian not-for-profit accreditation body founded in 1989 and headquartered in Ottawa. It provides formal accreditation services to testing and calibration laboratories against the ISO/IEC 17025 standard, with particular depth in environmental analytical testing and growing presence in cannabis, food, mineral/petroleum, calibration, and occupational hygiene testing. The organization also runs a training program (CALA Training, now delivered via Brightspace by D2L), an institutional and individual membership program, an annual CALA Connects conference, and a publicly searchable Directory of Accredited Laboratories.

CALA's core platform is operational rather than productized: it relies on a network of trained volunteer assessors, formal assessment methodologies and guidance documents, and a document management system to deliver accreditation decisions. It is internationally recognized through APAC and ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangements and conformed to ISO/IEC 17011:2017 as of April 2020. In 2020, it divested its proficiency testing activities into a separate entity, Proficiency Testing Canada Inc. (PTC), to satisfy ISO 17011 impartiality requirements.

CALA generates revenue through recurring accreditation fees (initial assessments, reassessments, scope extensions), membership subscriptions ($600/year institutional, $50/year individual), and training course fees (member and non-member tiers across virtual instructor-led, self-paced, and webinar formats). Its distribution is relationship-driven and sales-assisted, supplemented by the annual conference, the CALA website, the Directory, and an emerging e-commerce training portal. Recent strategic moves include an August 2025 strategic partnership with ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) for dual accreditation across North America, a 2023 calibration accreditation launch with NRC CLAS, and a January 2026 platform migration to Brightspace LMS.

Name

CALA

Legal name

Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation Inc.

Website

https://cala.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CALA is a Canadian not-for-profit accreditation body that provides ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, training, and membership services to testing and calibration laboratories across Canada and through international APAC/ILAC mutual recognition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Accreditation Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Coordination, Recognition & Meta-Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAH)

Keywords

• Laboratory accreditation services
• ISO 17025 certification
• Calibration laboratory assessment
• Accreditation body services
• Quality management training

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Fees: CALA charges laboratories fees for the accreditation process, including initial assessments, scope extensions, and reassessments. Revenue is generated through application and annual accreditation fees.
2. Membership Fees: Institutional membership is $600 per year and individual membership is $50 per year. Members receive preferred pricing on training and proficiency testing services.
3. Training Courses: CALA Training offers courses in virtual, in-person, and self-paced formats. Courses cover ISO/IEC 17025 requirements, auditing, risk management, method validation, and cause analysis. Training is available to both members and non-members at different rate tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CALA is a not-for-profit accreditation body that provides formal recognition of laboratory technical competence to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard through initial assessments, reassessments, surveillance visits, and scope extensions. It also delivers accredited training courses (virtual, in-person, self-paced) covering ISO/IEC 17025 requirements, auditing, risk management, method validation, and cause analysis, and offers institutional and individual membership programs with discounted rates and voting rights.

Product overview

CALA (Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation) is a not-for-profit accreditation body offering a portfolio of services centered on laboratory accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. The core offerings include Accreditation Services (formal recognition of laboratory competence), Training Services (accreditation-focused courses via Brightspace LMS), and Membership programs. Supporting services include the Directory of Accredited Laboratories (searchable database for finding accredited labs), CALA Connects Events (annual conferences), Volunteer Assessor Program (trained experts who conduct assessments), and John Lawrence Student Scholarships. CALA operates a new E-commerce platform integrated with Brightspace for training enrollment and a Directory Search tool at directory.cala.ca for locating accredited laboratories by scope, method, and location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Laboratories accredited by CALA are among the first in North America to achieve specific accreditation milestones, such as the first ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited Malt Lab.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2025CALA and ANAB signed a strategic partnership to offer laboratories collaborative accreditation. This collaboration supports laboratories in gaining broader market access, regulatory recognition, and increased trust from clients across North America. The program streamlines the assessment process, enabling laboratories to obtain accreditation by both organizations through a simplified, efficient, and cost-effective process.
• NRC CLAS (National Research Council - Calibration Laboratory Assessment Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023CALA launched its ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation program for calibration laboratories in collaboration with NRC CLAS. This initiative combines CALA's experience as a recognized accreditation body with the calibration laboratory assessment expertise of NRC CLAS, providing an additional Canadian accreditation pathway for calibration laboratories. Calibration laboratories undergo rigorous assessment by qualified experts, examining competence and adherence to best practices as outlined by NRC CLAS.
• Proficiency Testing Canada Inc. (PTC)coreOthersProficiency Testing Canada Inc. (PTC) was created as a separate corporate entity from CALA to meet the impartiality requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2017. PTC operates independently with its own management, branding, and board of directors, and offers proficiency testing services to CALA members at discounted rates.
• Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC)coreOthersCALA is a signatory to APAC's Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for Laboratory Accreditation. This international agreement provides mutual recognition between accreditation bodies in the Asia Pacific region, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.
• International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)coreOthersCALA is a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), enabling mutual recognition of accredited conformity assessment results internationally and supporting confidence in products and services.
• Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI)coreOthersGlobal ACI is the new unified international accreditation organization formed by the merger of ILAC and IAF on January 1, 2026. CALA is a proud member and remains fully committed to supporting testing laboratories through reliable accreditation, international recognition, and ongoing engagement with the global accreditation community.
• Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)minorOthersCALA programs are endorsed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, enjoying the support of federal and provincial governments.
• Standard Council of Canada (SCC)minorOthersCALA has an established partnership with the Standard Council of Canada, which was a significant milestone during the early leadership of Dr. Rick Wilson (Executive Director 1994-2007).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA): U.S.-based non-profit accreditation body providing ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation to testing and calibration laboratories. Directly comparable to CALA in mission, customer base (laboratories), and accreditation standards.
• International Accreditation Service (IAS): U.S.-based accreditation body offering ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation among other conformity assessment programs. Comparable to CALA in accrediting laboratories across multiple testing disciplines.
• ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB): U.S.-based accreditation body that recently signed a strategic collaborative accreditation partnership with CALA. Directly comparable as both accredit testing and calibration laboratories to ISO/IEC 17025 and operate within the ILAC/APAC MRA framework.
• Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA): U.S.-based private accreditation body providing ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation to testing and calibration laboratories. Comparable niche competitor with similar customer base and service model to CALA.
• National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP): U.S. NIST-administered program that provides laboratory accreditation including ISO/IEC 17025. Comparable to CALA in mission and scope, though government-run rather than member-driven.

Regional players

• Comité Français d'Accréditation (COFRAC): France's national accreditation body, ILAC MRA signatory providing ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation to laboratories. Comparable peer operating in a different European geography.
• United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS): U.K.'s national accreditation body, one of the largest globally, ILAC MRA signatory accrediting laboratories to ISO/IEC 17025. Comparable function but operates at much larger scale than CALA.
• National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA, Australia): Australia's national accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories, ILAC MRA signatory. Comparable to CALA in function and standards but serving the Australian market rather than Canada.
• Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS): Germany's national accreditation body, ILAC MRA signatory providing laboratory accreditation services. Comparable function and accreditation standards to CALA, operating in the German market.

Broad incumbents

• Standards Council of Canada (SCC): Canadian federal accreditation body that oversees CALA and coordinates Canada's national accreditation infrastructure. Comparable as part of the same accreditation ecosystem with broader regulatory authority than CALA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CALA