International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation

What International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation does

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) is a non-profit international organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Newtown, Australia, that coordinates the global network of accreditation bodies through its Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). ILAC does not perform accreditation directly; instead, it peer-evaluates national accreditation bodies against ISO/IEC 17011 and operates the MRA that enables international recognition of accredited conformity assessment bodies, including calibration laboratories, testing laboratories, medical testing laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, reference material producers, and biobanking facilities. The framework underpins international trade by eliminating duplicative testing and reinspection across borders and is formally recognized by the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. The arrangement currently covers more than 81,000 laboratories, 12,000 inspection bodies, 560 PTPs, and 200 RMPs accredited worldwide, and serves 159 member organizations plus six Regional Cooperation Bodies.

ILAC's product portfolio centers on the ILAC MRA, the Signatory Search database, a newly launched Signatory Detail API for programmatic access to signatory data, and a comprehensive publications suite spanning Guidance, Policy, Rules, and Joint ILAC-IAF document series. Supporting assets include the registered ILAC MRA Mark, ILAC Logo and Tagline, and the annual World Accreditation Day awareness initiative. The organization distributes through a network of Full Member accreditation bodies and Regional Cooperation Bodies, reaching economies across APAC, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and Africa. Revenue is generated exclusively through membership fees paid by accreditation bodies, regional cooperation bodies, and stakeholder members; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

ILAC is currently transitioning through a strategic merger with the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) into the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, a new entity registered in New Zealand and scheduled to launch on 1 January 2026 with a single consolidated mutual recognition arrangement. The organization maintains strategic partnerships with BIPM, ISO, IEC, WHO, WADA, WTO, ITU, OIML, UNIDO, the World Bank, OECD, the European Commission, and others. Operating structure is sales-led and membership-driven, with a small secretariat of 11–50 employees coordinating committees on policy, technical issues, promotion, marketing, and development support for new accreditation systems.

Name

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation

Legal name

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation

Website

https://ilac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) is a non-profit international organization that coordinates a global Mutual Recognition Arrangement among accreditation bodies, enabling cross-border acceptance of accredited testing, calibration, medical, and inspection results across 159 member organizations and over 81,000 laboratories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG), Regulatory Harmonization & Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) (BPADANAC), Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies (BPAIAOAC), Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• Laboratory accreditation
• Mutual recognition arrangement
• Inspection body accreditation
• Conformity assessment bodies
• Accreditation cooperation

Headquarters

HQ city

Newtown

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

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. Membership Fees: ILAC operates as a membership-based organization with accreditation bodies, regional cooperation bodies, and stakeholder members paying membership fees. ILAC does not directly accredit laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers or reference material producers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ILAC coordinates the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), through which peer-evaluated accreditation bodies mutually recognize the competence of accredited calibration laboratories, testing laboratories, medical laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers. It does not perform accreditation itself but enables international recognition of accredited conformity assessment results across 159 member organizations worldwide, supported by the Signatory Search directory, Signatory Detail API, publications, and the ILAC MRA Mark.

Product overview

ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) operates as an international organization for accreditation bodies, offering a portfolio of services centered on its Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). The core product is the ILAC MRA, which provides international recognition for accredited laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers. Supporting products include the Signatory Search tool and Signatory Detail API for finding and verifying accredited conformity assessment bodies, a comprehensive publications suite (guidance documents, policy documents, rules documents, and promotional brochures), the ILAC MRA Mark for authorized use by signatories, and the annual World Accreditation Day initiative. The organization also maintains an accredited CABs directory and provides resources for regulators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) The ILAC MRA is the core arrangement providing international recognition for accreditation bodies and their accredited conformity assessment bodies — calibration laboratories, testing laboratories, medical testing laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers. It is for accreditation bodies worldwide that wish to have their accredited CABs' results mutually recognized.
• Signatory Search Online search tool enabling users to find ILAC MRA signatories and their accredited conformity assessment bodies by organization name, acronym, economy, and accreditation scope. It is for regulators, manufacturers, exporters, and laboratories needing to verify or find accredited facilities.
• Signatory Detail API Programmatic API providing access to ILAC MRA signatory data including contact details and accreditation scope information, for developers and systems integrating accreditation verification into trade, compliance, or laboratory management workflows.
• ILAC MRA Mark Trademark and associated usage rights (licensed under ILAC R7-F1 Agreement) that ILAC MRA signatories and their accredited conformity assessment bodies may display to indicate that results have international recognition under the ILAC MRA.
• Accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies Directory Online directory listing accredited conformity assessment bodies including calibration labs, testing labs, medical labs, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers. Used by regulators, exporters, manufacturers, and laboratories to find accredited facilities.
• Certificates & Reports Verification Service Resources and guidance for verifying certificates and reports issued by accredited conformity assessment bodies under the ILAC MRA, for regulators, importers, and buyers of testing/calibration/inspection services.
• ILAC Promotional Brochures Series of promotional publications covering the ILAC MRA, the benefits of accreditation across sectors such as food safety, healthcare, energy, and construction, and guidance on specifying accreditation in procurement.
• ILAC Guidance Documents (G-Series) Technical guidance documents providing best practices and procedures for accreditation bodies and conformity assessment bodies, including documents such as ILAC G8:09/2019 Guidelines on Decision Rules and Statements of Conformity and ILAC G24:2022 Guidelines for recalibration intervals.
• ILAC Policy Documents (P-Series) Policy documents establishing official ILAC positions on metrological traceability, decision rules, and other accreditation-related matters, including documents such as ILAC P10:07/2020 ILAC Policy on Metrological Traceability of Measurement Results.
• ILAC Rules Documents (R-Series) Rules documents governing the use of the ILAC logo, tagline, and MRA mark by members and accredited bodies, including licensing and brand usage procedures.
• Joint ILAC-IAF Documents (A-Series) Joint publications developed collaboratively by ILAC and IAF for the accreditation community, covering topics such as conformity assessment policy and practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 81,000 laboratories accredited under ILAC MRA globally
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• International Accreditation Forum (IAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAF is the international organisation for accreditation bodies involved in the accreditation of certification bodies. ILAC and IAF have a longstanding partnership and are merging into the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated. Joint committees, joint publications (A-Series), and joint annual meetings are conducted.
• Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC and BIPM have a MoU reaffirmed for cooperation. Joint BIPM/ILAC Documents are published. BIPM-IFCC-ILAC Declaration of Cooperation exists. BIPM partnership focuses on metrological traceability and measurement standards.
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC maintains liaisons with ISO on conformity assessment matters. ISO publishes standards that ILAC members adopt including ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17043, ISO 17034, ISO 20387.
• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC and IEC have an established partnership. Joint ILAC-IAF-IEC CAB Cooperation is maintained. IEC standards form part of the technical framework for ILAC accreditation activities.
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC and WADA have a Memorandum of Understanding and cooperate on anti-doping activities. ILAC-WADA cooperation includes joint webinars and publications. ILAC Chair attended WADA 25th Anniversary Symposium.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC maintains an informal partnership with WHO. ILAC supports regulatory cooperation and public health through accredited laboratory services.
• World Trade Organization (WTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC has an informal partnership/liaison with WTO. The WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade recognizes the ILAC MRA. ILAC Chair participates in WTO TBT Side events.
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC, IAF and ITU have a MoU re-signed for cooperation. Joint work on ITU Testing Laboratories Recognition Procedure exists. ILAC Assessment Procedure in the field of Telecommunications has been developed.
• International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC, IAF and OIML have renewed their tripartite MoU. Joint ILAC-OIML Assessment Procedure in the Field of Legal Metrology has been developed and revised. OIML activities on digitalisation are coordinated.
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC, IAF and UNIDO MoU has been reaffirmed. UNIDO, ILAC and IAF cooperate to support sustainable development and industrial development through quality infrastructure.
• International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC and IFCC have an MoU and cooperate on medical laboratory accreditation. Joint IFCC/ILAC webinars are conducted. BIPM-IFCC-ILAC Declaration of Cooperation exists. ISO 15189 medical laboratory accreditation is a key shared area.
• Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC participates in JCGM activities. JCGM Guide to uncertainty in measurement (GUM-6) is published with ILAC input. JCGM develops guides on metrology and measurement uncertainty.
• Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC cooperates with JCTLM on traceability in laboratory medicine. JCTLM workshops are conducted. ILAC MRA now includes Reference Material Producers (RMPs) supporting JCTLM objectives.
• International Network for Quality Infrastructure (INetQI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC participates in INetQI activities including the Walbrook AI Accord initiative for ethical AI standards in quality infrastructure. International organisations renew commitment to promote quality through INetQI.
• Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC and Gafta have signed an MoU. Gafta is a stakeholder in international grain and feed trade. ILAC-Gafta partnership supports quality assurance in agricultural trade.
• International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC and IFHA have signed an MoU. IFHA focuses on horseracing integrity and safety standards. ILAC-IFHA cooperation supports accreditation in related testing and inspection services.
• World BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC has a partnership with the World Bank. The World Bank supports quality infrastructure development in developing economies, which includes accreditation systems aligned with ILAC MRA.
• OECDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC maintains an informal partnership with OECD. OECD publishes compendiums on international organisations' practices related to quality infrastructure and conformity assessment.
• European Commission (EC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC maintains an informal partnership with the European Commission. EC recognizes accreditation's role in the EU Single Market for goods, particularly for Notified Bodies.
• CITAC (Cooperation on International Traceability in Analytical Chemistry)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC maintains an informal partnership with CITAC. Joint Eurachem/CITAC guides are published. CITAC focuses on traceability and proficiency testing in analytical chemistry.
• APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILAC has an informal partnership with APEC. ILAC-APEC relationship supports trade facilitation and quality infrastructure development in the APEC region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ILAC_Official
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IAFandILAC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ilac-accreditation

Compliance7 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

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Frequently asked questions about International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation