UK Certification Scheme Operator

About NAS — National Assurance Standard

NAS operates the UK's independent, evidence-based certification scheme for contractors and SMEs — assessed by qualified independent assessors, aligned with ISO 17021 principles.

Who We Are

Built on Independence & Rigour.

NAS was established to fill a genuine gap in the UK market — a certification body that operates with integrity, without commercial bias, and with a commitment to the businesses it serves.

The National Assurance Standard assesses organisations against clearly defined criteria, ensuring every certification decision is grounded in documented, verifiable evidence.

Certification decisions separated from commercial interests
Independent assessors with declared conflict-of-interest policies
Aligned with ISO/IEC 17021 international principles
Working towards UKAS accreditation recognition
Professional certification meeting
ISO
17021 Aligned Framework
Technical White Paper

National Assurance Standard — White Paper

A detailed technical overview of the NAS framework — covering why it was created, what it assesses, certification tiers, and the benefits for contractors and procurement teams.

Author: Tony Jeeves, Director · 5 pages · PDF

Download White Paper (PDF)

What's Inside

  • Why NAS was created — the problem with legacy schemes
  • Full NAS assessment framework & criteria
  • Basic, Bronze, Silver & Gold certification tier breakdown
  • Included portal benefits: RAMS, Tender Flow, TradeLink
  • NAS Live View — real-time supply chain assurance
  • Benefits for contractors and procurement teams
Business mission
100%
Independent Assessment

Our Mission

Certification That Means Something.

Our mission is to provide transparent, impartial certification that enables UK businesses to demonstrate their commitment to compliance, governance, and operational excellence.

We operate independently so that certification decisions are based solely on objective evidence — not on who you know or what you've paid.

What We Do

Three Core Services.

The pillars that underpin the NAS certification scheme

Independent Assessment

Independent Assessment

Evidence-based evaluation against NAS criteria by qualified independent assessors

Certification Issuance

Certification Issuance

Certificates confirming organisations meet NAS requirements, with four achievement tiers

Public Register

Public Register

A publicly searchable register of certified organisations for buyer verification

Our Principles

Our Core Values.

The principles that guide every certification decision we make

Integrity

We operate to defined standards, not commercial pressure. All decisions are evidence-based and professionally justified.

Impartiality

Independence is safeguarded at every stage. Conflicts of interest are identified, declared, and actively managed.

Credibility

Trust is earned through rigour, not volume. Our schemes withstand scrutiny from buyers, regulators, and stakeholders.

Transparency

Our processes and criteria are clearly documented and open to scrutiny for all parties.

ISO 17021 Alignment

An International Standard, Applied Locally.

NAS certification is aligned with ISO/IEC 17021 — the international standard for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. This ensures our certification body operates with competence, consistency, and impartiality.

While working towards full UKAS accreditation, our processes and governance already reflect the requirements of recognised international certification standards.

ISO standards and certification

Ownership & Governance

Scheme Administration

National Assurance Standard (NAS) is operated and administered by BuiltRight Technologies Ltd.

BuiltRight Technologies Ltd is responsible for the administration of the certification scheme, maintenance of certification records, operation of the public register, management of appeals and complaints, and ongoing development of the National Assurance Standard.

Certification decisions are made in accordance with documented NAS certification procedures.

Get Started

Ready to Get Certified?

Join the growing number of UK businesses that hold NAS certification and demonstrate their commitment to compliance and quality.