Certificate of conformity, certificate of conformance, or certificate of compliance are not different but substitutable names of the same document. This certificate is credited to the exporters or importers to certify that the products being purchased or sold match the required quality standards.
The certificate of conformity is issued by an authorized and credible organization to ensure the safety and quality of the products, related material usage, processes, and overall business practices.
When a company requests a certificate of conformity for its products, the issuing organization checks the company’s products and practices in a detailed manner and compares them against the standards and performance levels set by the authorized organization in its documents. If the products and processes are validated and approved, the certificate of conformity is issued which can be used for various purposes, such as:
- The certificate can help companies in gaining customers, sales, and projects, as it certifies product quality. This certificate holds credibility, as it has been issued by a trustworthy and authorized organization.
- Usually, the customs departments of various countries require this certificate while handling exports/imports. Being credited with this certificate would mean smooth customs processing.
- This certificate can be used for legal purposes as well e.g., getting the product registered, fighting a lawsuit filed by an unsatisfied customer, etc.
The authorized organization, usually, uses a template for preparing a certificate of conformity for different companies, rather than writing a new certificate from scratch, every time a company requests it.
This template may have been developed by the organization itself or it may use an already professionally developed template available from online sources or in the programs, such as Microsoft Word.
The organization keeps separate templates for different requests, for instance, product quality conformance, environment-friendly packaging, safe production processes, etc. Choosing the appropriate template as per the company’s request, the authority customizes the certificate template for the required details, which may vary. Likewise, the format used by the authority for such certificates may differ as well, from country to country or state to state.
For understanding a certificate of conformity, it can be said that the following general details are included in almost all the certificates:
- Date.
- Details of the company.
- Details of the authorized organization and its representative.
- The confirmation of the raw materials, products, processes, packaging, as requested, including their details.
- The confirmation of their quality, ethical standards, safety, and biodegradability, as applicable.
- The validity of the certificate and its conditions.
- Signature.
The certificate of conformity is often sought by companies, as this gives them a safety cushion and confidence to operate in the market and face any difficult scenarios. Although, it is, usually, requested from an authorized government organization, sometimes, even the manufacturer can issue it to the product seller as well. For instance, if a manufacturer is exporting its products to an international client who will sell them in its own country, the exporter may provide the certificate as well.
A sample certificate of conformity
It is to certify that the below-mentioned product has been thoroughly checked by our organization against the standards set in our updated manuals and catalogs. All the raw materials used in its production were free from any toxic or environmentally harmful chemicals. The direct processes involved in the production and indirect processes of the overall business practices have been tested, checked, verified, and approved by our Quality Assurance Department and Compliance Department.
The product met the quality standards and the required specifications. This included the raw materials, involved processes, and performance of the product. The packaging of the product also met the quality standards and contained a minimal and unavoidable quantity of chemicals. The packaging is recyclable and environment-friendly. The total concentration level of harmful chemicals is limited to XXX parts per million by weight.
No animal testing was involved in the development of the product. No child labor is employed. Safety conditions and precautions in the production facility are satisfactory. The product meets the ethical standards set by us.
No breach of law, rules, or regulations has been found. The organizational practices, raw materials, products, processes, and packaging have been verified and approved.
Company Name_________________________________
Company Address_______________________________
Product Details:
Name/Item/ID Description Average Quantity produced per month
Certifying Authority ____________
Certified by: _________________ _____________
Representative Name Signature
Date _________________________
This certificate of conformity is valid for five years only, provided there are no major changes in the top management, raw materials, processes, or employed production machinery/technology.
File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad
Size 41 KB
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