Certification Institute for Research Quality

What Certification Institute for Research Quality does

CIRQ (Certification Institute for Research Quality) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit certification body and a subsidiary of the Insights Association, established in 2009 and headquartered in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The organization audits and certifies market research, insights, and data analytics firms against ISO 20252:2019 (Market, opinion and social research, including insights and data analytics), and has expanded its scope to ISO 27001:2022 (Information Security Management Systems), ISO 27701:2019 (Privacy Information Management), ISO 14298:2021 (Security Printing Management), and limited ISO 9001 services. CIRQ is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under ISO/IEC 17065:2012, ISO/IEC 17021:2015-1, and ISO/IEC 27006-1:2024, and operates within the territorial jurisdictions of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The organization is independently governed by an independent Board of Directors and an Impartiality Committee, with day-to-day management led by Managing Director of Certifications Juliana Wood.

CIRQ's service portfolio is delivered through a quote-based, sales-led direct engagement model. Prospective clients submit a Request for Quotation (ISO 20252) or Application (ISO 27001), receive a cost estimate scoped to certification scope, geographic coverage, and organizational complexity, and then proceed via Authorization to Proceed. The technical delivery consists of multi-stage audits (Stage 1 and Stage 2 for ISO 27001; initial certification, surveillance, and re-certification audits for ISO 20252), conducted onsite or remotely via ICT, with annual surveillance audits and triennial re-certification cycles. Underlying technology is procedural rather than software-based: CIRQ maintains a proprietary Quality Manual (rev 2.23_2026), a Client Self-Assessment GAP-analysis tool, and a public Registry of Certified Clients that today lists over 60 organizations including Ipsos US, NIQ (BASES), ICF, Toluna, Cint, Giesecke+Devrient ePayments Canada, and Verian Group UK Limited.

The business model is professional services revenue: clients pay audit and certification fees, with revenue contractually recurring via annual surveillance and 3-year re-certification cycles. Marketing and demand generation is industry-association-driven, anchored by the Insights Association affiliation and the #QualityForAll global advocacy initiative co-founded with Full Circle Research in April 2022, which is endorsed by CRIC, ESOMAR, GRBN, MRII, MRS, Quirk's Media, and TMRE. The organization does not pursue venture funding, M&A, or public capital; it is a non-profit operating entity within the broader Insights Association ecosystem.

Name

Certification Institute for Research Quality

Legal name

Certification Institute for Research Quality

Website

https://cirq.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CIRQ is a 501(c)(6) non-profit certification body, subsidiary of the Insights Association, that audits and certifies market research, insights, and data analytics firms to ISO 20252, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 14298. It serves over 60 global clients across the US, UK, and Australia via ANAB-accredited, quote-based audit and surveillance programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ISO Certification Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality Management & Regulatory Compliance (CLIA/CAP/ISO) for Labs (HLACAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Risk, Controls & Governance (GRC) Platforms (FSAFAOAG)

Keywords

• ISO certification services
• Market research certification
• Information security audits
• ISO 20252 compliance
• ISO 27001 certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

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. ISO 20252 Certification Services: Audit and certification fees for ISO 20252:2019 certification, including initial certification, surveillance audits (conducted at 12-month intervals), and re-certification audits (every 3 years). Pricing is quote-based and determined by scope of certification, geographic coverage, and organizational complexity.
2. ISO 27001 Certification Services: Audit and certification fees for ISO/IEC 27001:2022 information security management system certification, including Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, with annual surveillance and 3-year re-certification cycles.
3. ISO 9001 Certification Services: Limited ISO 9001 certification services available through Verian and select clients. Note: CIRQ is not accredited to certify to ISO 9001 as a primary standard.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CIRQ provides ANAB-accredited audit and certification services for market research, insights, and data analytics firms seeking ISO 20252:2019 (research process management) and ISO 27001:2022 (information security management) compliance. The organization also certifies to ISO 27701:2019 (privacy information management) and ISO 14298:2021 (security printing), delivering services through pre-assessments, onsite/remote audits, surveillance audits, and re-certification cycles.

Product overview

CIRQ (Certification Institute for Research Quality) operates as a certification body offering a suite of audit and certification services for market research, insights, and data analytics firms. The core offerings consist of ISO 20252:2019 certification for research process management systems and ISO 27001:2022 certification for information security management systems. These are supported by optional add-on certifications including ISO 27701:2019 (Privacy Information Management) and ISO 14298:2021 (Security Printing). The service portfolio also includes a Client Self-Assessment Tool for pre-audit GAP analysis and a public Registry platform for verifying certified companies. All services are delivered under ANAB accreditation for ISO/IEC 17065 and ISO/IEC 17021 standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• #QualityForAll: A global advocacy initiative that raises awareness and adoption of ISO 20252:2019—the international standard for market, opinion and social research, including insights and data analytics. Through a coalition of Ambassadors and Endorsers, #QualityForAll empowers researchers to prioritize data integrity, fraud prevention and transparent best practices.

Products and services

• ISO 20252:2019 Certification Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Studies show companies certified to ISO 20252 experience increased productivity and improved financial performance compared to uncertified companies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Full Circle ResearchflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2022Full Circle Research partnered with CIRQ to co-found the #QualityForAll initiative in April 2022. The initiative's mission is to raise awareness of ISO 20252:2019 certification as a pathway to increasing brand demand for data quality and consumer trust in the insights industry. Full Circle Research was the first and only US-based online consumer sample provider to earn ISO 26362 certification and is currently certified to ISO 20252. Alexandrine de Montera serves as CIRQ Board Chair.
• #QualityForAll Endorsing OrganizationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022The #QualityForAll initiative is supported by industry organizations including CRIC, ESOMAR, GRBN, Insights Association, ISO Audit Solutions, MRII, MRS, Quirk's Media, TMRE, MRweb, and Women In Research (WIRe). These organizations provide marketing support, advertising opportunities, and credibility for the ISO 20252 awareness campaign.
• Insights AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009CIRQ is a subsidiary of the Insights Association, established in 2009 to provide audit and certification services to market research, insights and data analytics firms. CIRQ operates independently under oversight from an independent Board of Directors and is managed by the Managing Director of Certifications who reports to the Insights Association Board. Insights Association membership and associated rules of use are separate from CIRQ certification.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS SA: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company with deep ISO management system certification offerings. Competes broadly for the same enterprise compliance budgets that CIRQ taps.
• Intertek: Global testing and certification provider with extensive ISO management system accreditation. Competes for the same mid-market and enterprise certification budgets as CIRQ.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant offering ISO certifications across industries. Represents the largest competitive threat if CIRQ's market research niche becomes attractive enough for generalist expansion.
• DNV: Global certification body offering ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and sector-specific certifications. Represents the broad incumbent category that could enter ISO 20252 if industry adoption accelerates.
• TÜV SÜD: German-origin global certification body offering ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and sector-specific accreditations. Comparable broad incumbent competing on international certifications.

Direct peers

• BSI Group: One of the original ISO standards bodies and a leading global certification provider offering ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and industry-specific certifications. BSI is the most direct competitor in delivering ANAB-equivalent accreditation across standards CIRQ certifies.
• Coalfire: US-based cybersecurity advisory and ISO 27001 certification body. Comparable mid-sized specialized certification positioning, overlapping directly on CIRQ's ISO 27001 service line.
• A-LIGN: A cybersecurity-focused compliance and certification body offering ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 audits among other frameworks. Similar mid-sized specialized certification positioning to CIRQ, with overlapping ISO 27001/27701 service lines.
• Schellman: A specialized US-based certification body focused on ISO 27001, SOC examinations, and privacy frameworks. Comparable in size and niche-focus approach to CIRQ, competing for the same ISO 27001 audit mandates.

Others

• ESOMAR: Global market research, insights, and data analytics industry association. Not a direct certification competitor but a key endorser of #QualityForAll and a thematic adjacent in promoting data quality standards within the same buyer community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/certification-institute-for-research-quality

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Certification Institute for Research Quality