Certification timeline
Every stage, with dates and status updates.
From submission through assessor review, evidence review and scoring to the published decision — see exactly where a certification file stands and what happened when.
The eight stages
How a certification file progresses.
Each stage is recorded on the file as it completes, with the date and the outcome.
Typical pathway for certification completion is 3–5 weeks, depending on scope, evidence readiness and response times.
01 · Application
Submission received and the certification file opened.
- Duration
- 2 business days
- Cost
- No fee to apply. The applicant receives a written acknowledgement with the application reference.
- Requires
- Completed application form, authorised representative, proposed scope and work email.
02 · Eligibility
Scope, entity and eligibility confirmed by the certification desk.
- Duration
- 3 business days
- Cost
- A fee proposal is issued based on the organisation-size band, chosen package and number of scopes. Proposal valid for 15 calendar days.
- Requires
- Entity and scope documentation; confirmation that the scope is within WWEC's certification coverage.
03 · Evidence
Evidence uploaded by the organisation and reviewed by assessors.
- Duration
- 20 business days
- Cost
- 70% of the applicable fee is payable on execution of the commercial agreement before evidence review begins.
- Requires
- Signed commercial agreement; evidence submitted through the evidence portal against the agreed assessment plan.
04 · Assessment
Assigned assessors review the file against the eight dimensions.
- Duration
- 10 business days
- Cost
- Included in the agreed assessment fee. Remote assessment is included.
- Requires
- Complete evidence set; assessor access to documentation and, where required, virtual or on-site interviews.
05 · Scoring
Dimension scores recorded and submitted against the scoring guide.
- Duration
- 3 business days
- Cost
- Included in the agreed assessment fee.
- Requires
- Assessor review complete; scoring calibrated against the WWEC Scoring Guide.
06 · Decision
The Council records the controlled certification decision.
- Duration
- 3 business days
- Cost
- Included in the agreed assessment fee.
- Requires
- Scoring and evidence review finalised; decision panel review under published decision rules.
07 · Verification
Certificate and public directory record published and verifiable.
- Duration
- 3 business days
- Cost
- The remaining 30% is payable before release of the final certification documentation and certificate administration.
- Requires
- Certified decision recorded; scope statement and certificate prepared; public listing published if the organisation consents.
08 · Improvement
Improvement priorities agreed for the next certification cycle.
- Duration
- 5 business days
- Cost
- Renewal is a separate annual certification cycle at the then-current applicable rate.
- Requires
- Improvement plan agreed; surveillance or renewal scheduled before certificate expiry.
Your file
Look up a certification timeline.
Access is controlled by the application reference and the authorised representative's work email.
Timeline entries record process steps only. Progress through the stages does not imply or guarantee a certification outcome.
Upload supporting documents in the evidence portal.