What CQS (Certified Quality Systems) does

CQS (Certified Quality Systems) Ltd is a privately held UK certification body registered in England (Company No. 4001926) and headquartered in Malvern, Worcestershire. Founded in 2000, the company provides third-party assessment and certification services against international management system standards, with a core offering spanning ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety), and ISO/IEC 27001 (information security), alongside ISO 20000-1, ISO 13485, ISO 37001, ISO 22301, ISO 50001, and ISO 20121. CQS is accredited by the International Accreditation Board (IAB), a non-UKAS accreditation body, and reports having delivered nearly 8,500 certifications to clients over its 25-year operating history across sectors including manufacturing, engineering, IT services, healthcare, construction, government, and professional services. The business employs between 11 and 50 staff and serves both UK mainland and international clients.

CQS operates a service-only model with no underlying software or technology product. Its core delivery follows a documented six-stage process (client agreement, pre-assessment documentation, on-site assessment, action closure, certification audit, and ongoing annual surveillance), executed by in-house auditors. The revenue model blends one-time certification fees (range £995–£2,995 for core standards, higher for specialised standards), recurring annual surveillance audit fees (£500–£1,550), training (£450–£900+ per cohort), consultancy, certificate transfers (£750–£1,250), and internal audit services. Pricing is transparent and turnover-banded, with travel costs absorbed on UK mainland under normal circumstances.

The go-to-market is sales-led and direct: website enquiry forms, telephone, and email capture leads, with no disclosed resellers, distributors, or channel partners. The company also offers content-driven demand generation through its website, LinkedIn presence, case studies, and a downloadable certification brochure, and positions itself on simplicity, fixed pricing, and a 6–8 week typical certification timeline. Ownership is private with no disclosed parent, investor, or holding structure.

Name

CQS (Certified Quality Systems)

Legal name

CQS (Certified Quality Systems) Ltd

Website

https://cqsltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CQS (Certified Quality Systems) is a UK-based ISO certification body accredited by the International Accreditation Board, providing assessment and certification across ten management system standards, including ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, and 27001. The firm has delivered over 8,500 certifications to manufacturing, IT, government, and professional services clients since 2000.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ISO Management System Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Management System Certification (Food Safety + Quality/Environment/OHS) (AFALACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal, Governance, Privacy & Audit Certifications (EDAAANAN)

Keywords

• ISO certification services
• Management system audits
• Quality management certification
• Information security certification
• Compliance assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Malvern

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Services: CQS generates revenue primarily through certification fees for ISO management system standards. Clients pay initial certification costs based on their annual turnover (ranging from £995 to over £5 million for core standards), plus annual surveillance audit fees. Certification is valid for 3 years with annual surveillance audits required.
2. Annual Surveillance Audits: Recurring annual audit fees charged to certified clients to maintain their certification status. Fees range from £500 to £1,550 depending on turnover and standard type.
3. Training Services: CQS provides management system implementation training courses for all standards offered. Training is delivered on-site or remotely with pricing based on delegate count (£450-£900+).
4. ISO Consultancy: Consultancy services to help organisations establish and implement management systems, particularly for clients who may not wish to obtain certification or want implementation support before certification audits.
5. Certificate Transfer: Fees for transferring existing ISO certification from another certification body to CQS, ranging from £750-£1,800 depending on turnover and standard type.
6. Internal Audit Services: Internal audit services offered to certified clients to help maintain certification and demonstrate compliance. CQS notes they cannot offer this service if they currently certify the organisation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CQS is a UK-based certification body that provides assessment and certification services against international management system standards including ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety), and ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security), among others. The company also offers related consultancy, training, internal audit, and certificate transfer services to help organisations achieve and maintain ISO certification. Certification follows a six-stage process: client agreement, pre-assessment documentation, on-site assessment, completion of outstanding actions, certification audit, and ongoing annual surveillance audits.

Product overview

CQS (Certified Quality Systems) Ltd is a certification body offering a portfolio of ISO management system certification services and related consultancy and training. The core offering consists of multiple individual certification services (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 20000-1, ISO 13485, ISO 37001, ISO 22301, ISO 50001, ISO 20121) delivered as standalone or combined engagements. Supporting these are ancillary services including ISO 17025 consultancy (CQS guides organisations to accreditation but cannot certify against this standard itself), internal audit services, general ISO consultancy, training courses, and certificate transfer services. The company does not offer a unified software platform; each certification stream follows a standardised 6-stage process (Client Agreement, Pre-Assessment Documentation, Assessment, Completion of Outstanding Actions, Certification Audit, Annual Surveillance) with associated training courses specific to each standard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISO 9001 Certification (Quality Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Quality Management System against the ISO 9001:2015 standard, applicable to businesses of any size and industry and focused on risk and process management.
• ISO 14001 Certification (Environmental Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Environmental Management System against the ISO 14001:2015 standard, using the Plan, Do, Check, Act methodology to identify risks, compliance obligations, and environmental impact.
• ISO 45001 Certification (Occupational Health & Safety Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Occupational Health and Safety Management System against the ISO 45001:2018 standard, providing a framework for identifying hazards, assessing risks, and applying proactive monitoring to reduce accidents.
• ISO/IEC 27001 Certification (Information Security Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Information Security Management System against the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard, providing a framework of controls across organisational, people, physical, and technological functions to identify and manage information security risks.
• ISO 20000-1 Certification (IT Service Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's IT Service Management System against the ISO 20000-1 standard, covering the planning, design, transition, delivery, and improvement of IT services.
• ISO 13485 Certification (Medical Device Quality Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Medical Device Quality Management System against the ISO 13485 standard, covering design, development, production, storage, distribution, installation, servicing, and final disposal of medical devices.
• ISO 37001 Certification (Anti-Bribery Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Anti-Bribery Management System against the ISO 37001 standard, providing a framework for prohibiting, preventing, detecting, reporting and dealing with bribery risks.
• ISO 22301 Certification (Business Continuity Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Business Continuity Management System against the ISO 22301 standard, providing a framework for identifying and managing priority activities before, during and after disruptive events.
• ISO 50001 Certification (Energy Management System) Assessment and certification of an organisation's Energy Management System against the ISO 50001 standard, providing a framework for identifying energy uses and establishing a programme for continual monitoring and improvement.
• ISO 20121 Certification (Event Sustainability Management) Assessment and certification against the ISO 20121:2024 standard for sustainability in event management, incorporating socially and environmentally responsible decision making into event planning, organisation and implementation.
• Training Services Management system implementation training courses for all ISO standards offered, covering the concept of each standard, implementation principles, clause overview, and internal audit modules. Delivered on-site or remotely with pricing based on delegate count (£450-£900+).
• ISO Consultancy Services Consultancy services to help organisations establish and implement management systems for any of the standards CQS offers, assisting with the heavy lifting of implementation before certification audits.
• ISO 17025 Consultancy (Testing and Calibration Laboratories) ISO/IEC 17025 consultancy service to guide organisations through to accreditation by carrying out gap analysis against the standard and assisting with implementation of a compliant management system.
• Internal Audit Services Internal audit services conducted by external auditors with certification and surveillance audit experience, helping organisations maintain certification and demonstrate compliance.
• Certificate Transfer Services A three-stage process for transferring existing ISO certification to CQS, including desktop review of management system documentation and a site-based audit of procedures and working practices, with transfer fees from £750-£1,800.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,500+ clients certified over 25 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• QMS International: UK ISO certification body offering the same core management system certifications (9001, 14001, 45001, 27001) primarily to SMEs. Directly competes with CQS on price-sensitive UK mainland clients and consultancy-led certification journeys.
• NQA: UK-headquartered ISO certification body of comparable size, offering ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001 and other management system certifications to a similar mid-market and SME customer base. Directly competes with CQS on price, accreditation body (UKAS), and standard portfolio.
• Alcumus ISOQAR: UK-based ISO certification body delivering ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 27001 certifications to UK and international clients. Closely comparable in scope, customer segment focus, and mid-market positioning to CQS.

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: UK-headquartered global TIC provider offering ISO management system certifications alongside product testing and supply-chain assurance. Overlaps with CQS on quality, environmental, OHS and information security standards.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) giant with extensive ISO management system certification offerings. Overlaps with CQS on quality, environmental, OHS and information security certifications across all client sizes.
• DNV (Det Norske Veritas): Global certification and assurance body with deep maritime heritage, now a major ISO management system certification provider. Competes with CQS for mid-market and enterprise clients across all of CQS's core ISO standards.
• LRQA (Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance): Global certification body with strong UK heritage offering ISO management system certification plus broader assurance, cybersecurity and supply-chain services. Competes with CQS for enterprise and internationally operating clients.
• BSI Group: Global standards body and one of the original ISO certification bodies. Significantly larger than CQS with a much broader portfolio (training, standards publishing, certification) and dominant brand recognition among enterprise and multinational buyers.
• DEKRA: Global TIC and certification body offering ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001 and sector-specific certifications. Competes with CQS across multiple ISO management system standards, particularly in Europe.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC incumbent with broad ISO certification capabilities including 9001, 14001, 45001 and 27001. Competes with CQS for enterprise and international clients, with much larger geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cqs-certified-quality-systems-limited
• Xx.com/cqsltd

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CQS (Certified Quality Systems)