FINAS-akkreditointipalvelu

What FINAS-akkreditointipalvelu does

FINAS-akkreditointipalvelu (Finnish Accreditation Service) is Finland's national accreditation body, operating as an independent unit within the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) under the direction of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Established under EU Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, which came into force on January 1, 2010, FINAS holds a statutory monopoly on issuing accreditations to conformity assessment bodies operating in Finland. Its core function is to assess the technical competence of laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, verifiers, proficiency test providers, notified bodies, and biobanks against international ISO standards (ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17021, ISO/IEC 17024, ISO/IEC 17029, ISO/IEC 17043, ISO/IEC 17065, and ISO 20387). The Accreditation Board, appointed by the Ministry, sets policy and approves accreditation decisions, while day-to-day operations are led by Director Luoma Katriina and two Heads of Unit covering Certification/Inspection (Hausalo Tiina) and Testing/Calibration (Kauppila Tiina).

The organization delivers its services through a standardized four-step process — application, preliminary visit, on-site assessment by a technical assessor team, and formal accreditation decision — followed by ongoing surveillance and re-accreditation on a four-year cycle. FINAS is a member of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and is a signatory to the EA Multilateral Agreement (MLA) across multiple accreditation fields; as of January 1, 2026 it is also a member of Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI), which has taken over ILAC and IAF tasks. The 47-person Helsinki-based team is supplemented by a network of external technical assessors and expert advisory groups (e.g., the VERA group for water, food/feed analysis and housing health research). FINAS issues the official FINAS accreditation symbol, which carries international recognition through EA MLA, ILAC MRA, and IAF MLA arrangements.

FINAS operates on a strict cost-recovery basis under the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State — pricing is published annually, invoiced based on real costs incurred, and explicitly not aimed at financial profit. Revenue comes from assessment fees for initial accreditation, surveillance visits, re-accreditation, extensions, and supplementary services such as technical assessor training and other assessment services (e.g., National Food Authority approvals, Traficom expert evaluations). No revenue figure is publicly disclosed, no external funding or private ownership exists, and the customer base is a fragmented long-tail of Finnish conformity assessment bodies whose participation is effectively mandated by EU regulation for regulated activities.

Name

FINAS-akkreditointipalvelu

Legal name

FINAS-Akkreditointipalvelu

Website

https://finas.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FINAS is Finland's national accreditation body and a unit of the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes), assessing and accrediting laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, verifiers, and biobanks against ISO standards under EU Regulation 765/2008 on a cost-recovery basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accreditation Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Public Administration (92)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies (BPAIAOAC), Accreditation & Oversight Bodies for Food Safety Certification (ABs/Scheme Owners) (AFALACAB)

Keywords

• Accreditation services
• Conformity assessment
• Laboratory accreditation
• Inspection body accreditation
• Certification body accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Assessment Services: FINAS charges fees for assessment services including initial accreditation assessments, surveillance visits, re-accreditation assessments, and extension assessments. The grounds for fees and valid rates are given in an annually published price list. Invoicing takes place according to real costs incurred. Additional costs may arise from assessment of non-conformities, requests for additional corrections, and related extra assessments. Accredited clients must pay fees to maintain accreditation. Operations do not aim for financial profit; pricing is aimed to cover costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FINAS is the Finnish national accreditation body that assesses and accredits conformity assessment bodies operating in Finland, including testing and calibration laboratories, clinical laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, verifiers, proficiency test providers, notified bodies, and biobanks. Accreditation is granted for a fixed four-year period with periodic surveillance, in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011 and EU Regulation 765/2008, and is internationally recognized through EA MLA, ILAC MRA, and IAF MLA arrangements. Complementary offerings include technical assessor training, non-accreditation assessment services, and issuance of the FINAS accreditation symbol.

Product overview

FINAS Finnish Accreditation Service operates as the national accreditation body of Finland under the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). The organization offers accreditation services across nine distinct accreditation areas: testing laboratories, clinical laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, verifiers, proficiency test providers, notified bodies, and biobanks. Each accreditation area follows specific ISO standards (ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, ISO 17020, ISO 17021, ISO 17024, ISO 17029, ISO 17043, ISO 17065, ISO 20387). The core offering consists of competence assessments conducted by trained assessors, culminating in accreditation decisions valid for four-year periods with ongoing surveillance. FINAS also provides supplementary services including training for technical assessors, other assessment services, and grants the official FINAS accreditation symbol to accredited organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accreditation Services for Testing Laboratories Accreditation assessment for testing laboratories based on ISO/IEC 17025, verifying technical competence and the quality management system supporting their testing activities.
• Accreditation Services for Clinical Laboratories Accreditation for medical and clinical laboratories based on ISO 15189 and ISO/IEC 17025, covering medical testing and diagnostic services.
• Accreditation Services for Calibration Laboratories Accreditation for calibration laboratories based on ISO/IEC 17025, establishing metrological traceability and supporting measurement uncertainty assessment.
• Accreditation Services for Inspection Bodies Accreditation for inspection bodies based on ISO/IEC 17020, covering conformity assessment for products, processes, and installations such as lifts, pressure equipment, measuring instruments, and fire safety equipment.
• Accreditation Services for Certification Bodies Accreditation for certification organizations based on ISO/IEC 17021, 17024, and 17065, covering management system certification, personnel certification, and product certification.
• Accreditation Services for Verifiers Accreditation for validation and verification bodies based on ISO/IEC 17029, including greenhouse gas verification, production subsidy verification, sustainability criteria verification, and EMAS verification.
• Accreditation Services for Proficiency Test Providers Accreditation for proficiency testing providers based on ISO/IEC 17043, ensuring reliable inter-laboratory comparison programs used in laboratory quality assurance.
• Accreditation Services for Notified Bodies Accreditation for notified bodies performing conformity assessment under EU regulations, covering testing, inspection, and certification modules relevant to products placed on the EU market.
• Accreditation Services for Biobanks Accreditation for biobanks based on ISO 20387, ensuring competence in the collection, storage, testing, and handling of biological materials of human, animal, or plant origin and related data.
• Technical Assessor Training Courses Training programs for experts interested in working as technical assessors for FINAS, including introductory courses, supplementary training for existing assessors, standard-introduction courses, and seminars.
• Other Assessment Services Non-accreditation assessment services for competence verification, such as assessments supporting National Food Authority approvals and approved expert evaluations for Traficom.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026FINAS is a member of Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI), which as of January 1, 2026 has taken over the tasks previously carried out by ILAC and IAF. Global ACI publishes both mandatory and guidance documents. FINAS has been a member of ILAC and IAF for many years and is now also a member of Global ACI. Certificates and reports issued under FINAS accreditation fall within the scope of ILAC MRA and IAF MLA arrangements.
• European co-operation for Accreditation (EA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFINAS is a member of European co-operation for Accreditation (EA), which has been designated by the European Commission to be responsible for the accreditation system in Europe. EA is responsible for liaison and agreements with the European Commission and evaluates the implementation of the EU Accreditation and Market Surveillance Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 765/2008) as part of peer evaluations. FINAS is a signatory to the EA MLA (Multilateral Agreement) in multiple fields including testing laboratories, medical laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, proficiency testing providers, and validation/verification bodies.
• VERA Technical Support Group (Water, Food and Feed Analysis and Housing Health Research)supportingOthersFINAS has technical support groups consisting of experts to support its operations. Currently active is the VERA group (Vesi-, elintarvike- ja rehuanalytiikan sekä asumisterveystutkimusten viranomaisyhteistyön tekninen tukiryhmä) which focuses on water, food and feed analysis, and housing health research. The groups act as advisory bodies, serving as information channels between FINAS and industry experts, and bringing forward views on the current state and future prospects of the industry.
• Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes)coreOthersFINAS is a unit of the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). FINAS operations are led by the Director of FINAS and the Accreditation Board. With regard to clients and interest groups, FINAS operates independently. Regulations verifying FINAS's independent position are included in legislation pertaining to Tukes. Operations are directed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories): India's national accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025), medical labs (ISO 15189), and other conformity assessment bodies. Comparable accreditation scope to FINAS, operating as a constituent board of the Quality Council of India.
• ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board): U.S. accreditation body for management system certification, product certification, and testing/calibration laboratories. Comparable in accreditation breadth to FINAS across multiple ISO standards.
• A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation): U.S.-based accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories, operating under ISO/IEC 17025. Comparable in scope discipline to FINAS's laboratory accreditation programs though operating under ILAC rather than EA MLA.
• SCC (Standards Council of Canada): Canada's national accreditation body, providing accreditation services for testing, calibration, inspection, certification bodies, and other conformity assessment entities. Comparable scope and policy functions to FINAS.

Direct peers

• DAkkS (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle): Germany's national accreditation body, providing accreditation across the same ISO/IEC standard families as FINAS. Largest European accreditation body and a core EA peer-evaluation partner.
• UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service): UK's national accreditation body, operating under similar EU-aligned (post-Brexit MRA) frameworks for accreditation of testing, calibration, inspection, and certification bodies. Direct counterpart to FINAS in scope and operating model.
• ENAC (Entidad Nacional de Acreditación): Spain's national accreditation body, operating across the same ISO/IEC 17000-series conformity assessment scopes as FINAS. Signatory to EA MLA and ILAC MRA arrangements.
• COFRAC (Comité français d'accréditation): France's national accreditation body, accreditng laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies under equivalent ISO standards. Direct functional counterpart to FINAS within the EA MLA network.
• SWEDAC (Styrelsen för ackreditering och teknisk kontroll): Sweden's national accreditation body, providing accreditation services to testing, calibration, inspection, and certification bodies under the same ISO/IEC frameworks as FINAS. Nordic regional peer.
• ACCREDIA: Italy's national accreditation body, providing accreditation services across testing, calibration, inspection, and certification under ISO/IEC standards. Direct peer in the EA multilateral agreement framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finas-akkreditointipalvelu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FINAS-akkreditointipalvelu