accreditation body

An accreditation body is an independent organization that formally recognizes the competence of other conformity assessment bodies, such as certification bodies, testing laboratories, and inspection organizations. It evaluates whether these organizations operate according to defined standards and are technically competent to perform specific types of assessments.

In industrial and regulated manufacturing environments, accreditation bodies commonly oversee the organizations that issue certifications for quality management systems (for example, ISO 9001 or aerospace standards in the 9100 series), environmental management, testing and calibration, and other compliance areas. Their role is to assess and monitor whether these certification or testing bodies follow recognized rules, use appropriate methods, and maintain impartiality.

How an accreditation body operates

Accreditation bodies typically:

• Define and apply accreditation criteria aligned with international or national standards (for example, ISO/IEC standards for conformity assessment)
• Audit and assess certification bodies, laboratories, and inspection organizations against those criteria
• Grant, maintain, suspend, or withdraw accreditation status based on ongoing performance
• Maintain public lists or directories of accredited organizations and scopes of accreditation
• Participate in regional or international mutual recognition arrangements to support cross-border acceptance of certificates and test reports

For a manufacturer, the accreditation body usually sits one level above the certification body. The manufacturer interacts directly with the certification body (for example, for an AS9100 audit), while customers and regulators may look to see that this certification body is accredited by a recognized accreditation body.

Examples in manufacturing and aerospace

In practice, accreditation bodies may:

• Accredit certification bodies that issue aerospace quality management certifications aligned with IAQG 9100-series standards
• Accredit laboratories performing material, dimensional, or environmental testing used for production release or first article inspection evidence
• Accredit inspection bodies that perform third-party inspections for safety, pressure equipment, or welding qualifications

The acceptance of a certificate (for example, AS9100, EN9100, or JISQ9100) by a customer or regulatory authority may depend not only on the standard itself, but also on whether the issuing certification body is accredited by an accreditation body that the customer or industry recognizes.

What an accreditation body is not

• It is not the same as a certification body or registrar. Certification bodies assess and certify organizations such as manufacturers; accreditation bodies assess and recognize the certification bodies.
• It is not a regulator or government enforcement agency, although some accreditation bodies operate under government oversight or recognition.
• It is not a standards development organization. It uses existing standards as criteria, rather than writing those standards.

Common confusion

The terms “accreditation” and “certification” are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different levels of recognition:

• Certification typically refers to a decision that a specific organization, system, or product meets a standard (for example, a manufacturer being certified to AS9100).
• Accreditation typically refers to a decision that a conformity assessment body (for example, a certification body or laboratory) is competent to perform specific types of certification, testing, or inspection.

In a typical chain: an accreditation body accredits a certification body, and that certification body certifies a manufacturer or service provider.