What is UKAS accredited certification and why do HPA recommend it?

Credibility & trust

It’s like the gold standard. A UKAS-accredited certificate proves you’ve been properly assessed by a competent, impartial, and reliable certification body.

International recognition

UKAS is part of global agreements (like the International Accreditation Forum), so your certification will be accepted worldwide. Perfect if you're working internationally.

Required for tenders & contracts

Many government contracts and large corporations require UKAS-accredited certification.
Non-accredited certificates often won’t be accepted.

Protection against 'cowboy' certifiers

There are lots of unaccredited bodies offering cheap, fast certificates—but they’re not always recognised, and the audits can be very superficial. UKAS ensures proper standards are followed.

Independent oversight

UKAS keeps tabs on its accredited certification bodies to ensure they’re doing their job properly—so you know you’re not getting a rubber-stamped certificate.

What if it's not UKAS accredited?

You might still get certified, but:

• It may not be accepted by clients or regulators.
• It could be seen as less credible or reliable.
• You may end up paying again for a "real" certificate later on.

So, a UKAS-accredited certification body is definitely the smart move—it’s the difference between having a certificate that just looks nice vs. one that actually means something.