Business Quality Assurance International

What Business Quality Assurance International does

Business Quality Assurance International (BQAI), founded in 2001 and headquartered in Galway, Ireland, is a privately-held certification body that provides ISO management system certifications, audits, and training to organizations primarily across Ireland and the United Kingdom. The firm has built its reputation in two core standards — ISO 27001 (information security management) and ISO 13485 (medical devices quality management) — and also delivers certification services against ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety), and ISO 50001 (energy management). Its ISO 13485 service is accredited by INAB (Irish National Accreditation Board), a regulatorily-issued authority that is a key differentiator in the Irish medical-device certification market.

BQAI operates as a B2B professional services firm with a consultative, relationship-led sales motion. Services are quote-priced with multi-year billing cadences typical of certification cycles, and the firm is horizontally segmented across use cases (information security, medical devices, general quality/environmental/H&S/energy) and geographically focused on the West of Ireland plus broader Ireland/UK markets. Customer segments identified in the data include the information security sector, medical device manufacturers, general business certification buyers, and West of Ireland businesses in technology, healthcare, and innovation. Marketing and distribution run through direct sales, a LinkedIn corporate presence, newsletters, and a content resource library.

On 2025-06-17, BQAI was acquired by Amtivo Group, an international certification group with operations in the UK, USA, Norway, Italy, China, and Japan. The deal represents Amtivo's third acquisition in the Republic of Ireland (following Certification Europe and EQA) and integrates BQAI's INAB-accredited ISO 13485 capability into Amtivo's broader Irish certification portfolio. Founder Declan O'Connor transitioned from leading the firm to a continuing auditing role post-acquisition, preserving technical expertise and client continuity, and BQAI's clients gained access to Amtivo's wider standard set and specialist training programmes.

Name

Business Quality Assurance International

Legal name

Business Quality Assurance International

Website

https://bqai.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Business Quality Assurance International is a Galway-based ISO certification body serving organizations in Ireland and the UK, specializing in ISO 27001 (information security) and INAB-accredited ISO 13485 (medical devices), now operating as part of Amtivo Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ISO Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• ISO certification services
• Management system audits
• Information security certification
• Medical device certification
• Quality management systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarinbridge

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Certification Services: Provides ISO certification and audit services for businesses. Revenue generated through certification assessments, audits, and related professional services for standards including ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, and ISO 50001.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Business Quality Assurance International (BQAI) is a Galway-based certification body that delivers ISO certification assessments, audits, and specialist training programmes. Its core offerings include ISO 27001 (information security management) and ISO 13485 (medical devices, INAB-accredited), with an extended portfolio covering ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 50001. Following its acquisition by Amtivo in June 2025, BQAI's services are delivered with local Irish expertise backed by an international certification group.

Product overview

Business Quality Assurance International (BQAI) is a certification body offering expert certification services primarily in information security (ISO 27001) and medical device certification (ISO 13485). BQAI joined Amtivo, gaining access to a wider portfolio including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 50001. BQAI Certification Services serve as the core offering, with Amtivo Specialist Training Programmes providing complementary educational support to embed best practices in certified organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISO 27001 Certification Information Security Management System certification that helps organizations protect against data breaches. Offered to businesses in Ireland and the UK seeking accredited ISMS certification.
• ISO 13485 Certification Medical Devices quality management certification covering QMS for medical device organizations. INAB-accredited certification delivered to medical device manufacturers and suppliers.
• ISO 9001 Certification Quality Management System certification supporting operational efficiency, delivered to organizations across sectors in Ireland and the UK.
• ISO 14001 Certification Environmental Management System certification meeting industry environmental standards, delivered to businesses seeking environmental compliance.
• ISO 45001 Certification Occupational Health and Safety certification reducing risk of workplace hazards, delivered to organizations across sectors.
• ISO 50001 Certification Energy Management System certification helping organizations reduce costs and environmental impact, delivered to energy-conscious businesses.
• Specialist Training Programmes Training programmes designed to help organisations embed best practice and achieve ongoing improvement across ISO standards including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, and ISO 50001. Available to BQAI clients post-acquisition.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmtivocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025BQAI (Business Quality Assurance International), founded by Declan O'Connor and based in Galway, Ireland, has officially joined Amtivo Group. This acquisition strengthens Amtivo's presence across the West of Ireland and brings BQAI's INAB accreditation for ISO 13485 into Amtivo's certification portfolio. Declan O'Connor continues in an auditing role to ensure client continuity.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BSI (British Standards Institution): UK-origin standards body and global certification provider covering the same ISO standards (9001, 13485, 14001, 27001, 45001) as BQAI. Overlaps directly on Irish/UK clients but operates at much greater scale and is a standard owner as well as a CB.
• DNV: International certification body with a strong ISO management systems portfolio (9001, 14001, 27001, 45001) and active presence in the UK and Ireland. Directly comparable service offering but at global scale.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) giant offering the full suite of ISO management system certifications BQAI provides. Competes with BQAI for large Irish/UK enterprise clients but as one of many services.
• TÜV SÜD: German-headquartered testing and certification organization active in ISO 9001, 13485, 27001 and other standards BQAI certifies. Overlaps with BQAI particularly in medical device (ISO 13485) and information security certification.
• SGS: World-leading testing, inspection and certification company. Provides ISO certifications across quality, environment, occupational health & safety and information security, competing with BQAI for multinational clients with Irish operations.
• Intertek: Global TIC provider with ISO management system certification services covering 9001, 13485, 14001 and 27001. Comparable in service mix and target segments, though much broader in scope and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Certification Europe: Irish ISO certification body that, like BQAI, is now part of the Amtivo Ireland group. Directly comparable in geography, service mix (ISO 9001/27001/14001 etc.), and target client base, making it the closest like-for-like peer.
• LRQA: Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, an ISO certification body with comparable service portfolio (9001, 14001, 27001, 45001) and similar position as a specialist CB rather than a general TIC conglomerate. Active in UK/Ireland market.
• EQA: European certification body also operating under the Amtivo Ireland umbrella. Comparable in offering ISO management system certification services (ISO 9001, 13485, 27001) to similar B2B clients across Europe.

Others

• NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland): Ireland's national standards body and accreditation counterpart to INAB. While NSAI issues standards rather than competing purely as a CB, it sits in the same Irish regulatory ecosystem for ISO certification and is a structural reference point for BQAI's accreditation-dependent business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bqai

Compliance7 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 Business Quality Assurance International