Assurance Services International

What Assurance Services International does

Assurance Services International (ASI) is a private for-profit German GmbH headquartered in Bonn, constituted in 2005 with the Forest Stewardship Council A.C. (FSC) as its sole shareholder and governed independently under a 2017 Control Transfer Agreement. ASI is an international accreditation body whose mission is to safeguard the credibility of sustainability initiatives by providing global assurance services to voluntary sustainability standards and their supply chains. It accredits and oversees 87+ Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) operating in 150+ countries, covering more than 64,737 certificates across forestry, palm oil, aquaculture, fisheries, jewellery, and conservation sectors — most prominently for FSC, RSPO, ASC, MSC, RJC, and IUCN. The company operates a 102-person team distributed across 30 countries with regional hubs in Bonn (Europe), Kuala Lumpur (Asia Pacific, established 2015), and Washington, DC (North America, established 2021).

ASI's service offering is organized around five pillars: Oversight (accreditation and independent assessment of CABs), Advisory (system development and improvement consulting), Integrity Risk Management (investigations, transaction verification loops, high conservation value assessments, business partner due diligence), Training (ISO/IEC 17065 interpretation, lead auditor training, e-learning via ASI Learning Academy on TalentLMS), and Dispute Resolution (complaints, appeals, whistleblower handling). Its proprietary Connect platform delivers real-time insights to scheme owners and CABs, complemented by geospatial/GIS auditing tools, drone-based assessments, and risk-based sampling methods. Two-Tier Assurance Program (TTAP) combines ISO 17011 accreditation with national accreditation body partners DAkkS, UKAS, and Accredia to serve EEA- and UK-based CABs.

Revenue is generated through enterprise-level accreditation and oversight contracts with scheme owners and CABs (subscription/recurring in nature), supplemented by training programs and advisory engagements priced via direct enterprise sales. ASI is ISEAL Alliance full member, operates an ISO/IEC 17011:2017 quality management system, and is positioned as the sole international accreditation body for the standards it serves, with explicit non-competition principles.

Name

Assurance Services International

Legal name

ASI Assurance Services International GmbH

Website

https://asi-assurance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Assurance Services International is a Bonn-based international accreditation body that accredits and oversees 87+ conformity assessment bodies across 150+ countries, safeguarding the credibility of voluntary sustainability standards including FSC, RSPO, ASC, MSC, RJC, and IUCN through accreditation, integrity risk management, training, and advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Accreditation Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainability accreditation services
• Conformity assessment oversight
• Voluntary sustainability standards
• Integrity risk management
• Certification body assurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Services: ASI provides accreditation services for conformity assessment bodies (CABs) certifying against voluntary sustainability standards. This is the core service model for the organization.
2. Training Programs: ASI offers training courses, workshops, and interactive e-learning programs for sustainability schemes, auditors, and professionals including ISO/IEC 17065 interpretation, lead auditor training, and social auditing courses.
3. Advisory Services: Advisory services including system appraisal, improvement, development of systems and tools, and social compliance consulting for sustainability standards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Assurance Services International (ASI) is an international accreditation body that provides oversight, accreditation, and integrity services to voluntary sustainability schemes. It accredits and monitors Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) that issue sustainability certificates under schemes such as FSC, RSPO, ASC, MSC, RJC, IUCN, SAI Platform, and SCP, spanning 150+ countries and 64,000+ certificates. ASI also delivers advisory, training, dispute resolution, and integrity risk management services to scheme owners and CABs.

Product overview

ASI provides a comprehensive suite of sustainability assurance services organized around five core pillars: Oversight (accreditation and independent assessment of conformity assessment bodies), Advisory (support for standards development and system improvement), Integrity Risk Management (investigations and incident handling), Training (professional development programs), and Dispute Resolution (complaints, appeals, and whistleblower channels). The flagship Connect platform enables real-time insights for scheme owners and certification bodies. ASI's Two-Tier Assurance Program integrates traditional ISO 17011 accreditation with partner national accreditation bodies. The organization maintains a public CAB directory, document library, and whistleblower channel as client-facing tools. ASI primarily serves sustainability standards including FSC, MSC, RSPO, ASC, RJC, and IUCN rather than offering consumer-facing software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oversight Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 64,737 certificates overseen globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSC is the sole shareholder of ASI. FSC established ASI in 2005 and appointed ASI as its assurance partner. ASI provides independent oversight of FSC certification systems worldwide. Despite FSC's 100% shareholding, FSC is not involved in ASI's governance or operations due to the 2017 Control Transfer Agreement.
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI serves as the accreditation body for RSPO certification bodies, providing oversight of RSPO P&C and RSPO SCC accredited CABs worldwide.
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI provides accreditation and oversight services for ASC-certified aquaculture operations, overseeing CABs that certify against ASC Farm and ASC Feed standards.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI provides accreditation for MSC certification bodies conducting sustainable fisheries and chain of custody certifications.
• Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI serves as RJC's assurance partner, overseeing CABs that certify against RJC COC, RJC COP, and RJC LGMS standards.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI supports IUCN's assurance system for the Green List of Protected Areas (GLPA), providing oversight of conservation certification.
• DAkkScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman accreditation body partner within the Two-Tier Assurance Program (TTAP) for EEA-based CABs, combining ISO 17011 accreditation with ASI's assurance approaches.
• UKAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK accreditation body partner within the Two-Tier Assurance Program (TTAP) for UK-based CABs.
• AccrediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian accreditation body partner within the Two-Tier Assurance Program (TTAP) for EEA-based CABs.
• ISEAL AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI is a peer-evaluated, full member of ISEAL Alliance and operates a quality management system based on ISO/IEC 17011:2017 requirements for accreditation bodies.
• SAI PlatformstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI partners with SAI Platform for Verification Body management and published ASI FSA Procedure as a system development partnership.
• Sustainable Coconut Partnership (SCP)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI partners with SCP to build resilience in the coconut sector through assurance services.
• ASI North AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for accreditation of CABs based outside the EEA and UK.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: SGS is the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification company, offering sustainability, agricultural, and forestry certification services. As a broad incumbent in the TIC sector, it competes with ASI's CAB ecosystem for scheme-level certification mandates and could potentially offer accreditation-adjacent services.
• DNV: DNV is a global assurance and risk management company that provides certification, verification, and assessment services across food, agriculture, aquaculture, and sustainability. It operates accredited CABs in overlapping sectors with ASI's oversight portfolio.
• NSF International: NSF International provides testing, inspection, and certification services for food, water, and consumer products. It overlaps with ASI's agricultural certification ecosystem and offers competing assurance programs in food and sustainability that compete with scheme owners ASI oversees.
• ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board): ANAB is the U.S. accreditation body that accredits certification bodies under ISO/IEC 17011. While ANAB operates in adjacent regulatory accreditation (management systems, product certification), it represents a comparable accreditation-body business model that could expand into ASI's sustainability scheme space.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC leader providing testing, inspection, and certification across multiple industries including agriculture, marine, and sustainability. It overlaps with ASI in fisheries (MSC), forestry, and palm oil certification markets and competes for CAB market share.

Emerging players

• GLOBALG.A.P. GLOBALG.A.P. operates voluntary sustainability/certification schemes for agriculture, aquaculture, and floriculture with its own integrity program and approved certification bodies. While it functions more as a scheme owner than a pure accreditation body, it overlaps with ASI's agricultural and aquaculture assurance work.
• Control Union: Control Union is a global certification and inspection company specializing in sustainability certifications for agriculture, forestry, textiles, and energy. It operates as a CAB under ASI oversight while also providing adjacent certification services in overlapping scheme domains.
• Preferred by Nature: Preferred by Nature is a non-profit sustainability organization that delivers certification, verification, and capacity-building services across forestry, agriculture, and land use. It directly overlaps with ASI's forest and agricultural certification ecosystem and competes for scheme-level oversight mandates.
• SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is a CAB that provides third-party certification across forestry, agriculture, and sustainability sectors. It is directly subject to ASI oversight (and has been suspended for FSC scopes in May 2026), illustrating the regulatory relationship ASI has with major CABs.

Direct peers

• IOAS (International Organic Accreditation Service): IOAS is an international accreditation body that assesses certification bodies operating in organic and sustainable agriculture. Like ASI, IOAS operates under ISO/IEC 17011 principles and accredits CABs against voluntary sustainability standards, making it the most directly comparable peer in the sustainability accreditation niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ASI-AssuranceServices
• Facebookfacebook.com/asi.assurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/assurance-services-international
• Xx.com/ASI_Assurance

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Assurance Services International