Important: ISO 26000 cannot be certified
ISO 26000 is a guidance document, not a management-system standard. There is no such thing as accredited "ISO 26000 certification" — be cautious of any provider that offers it. You can still assess your organisation against it and use the implementation cost calculator to budget that work.
What is ISO 26000?
ISO 26000 provides guidance on social responsibility. Unlike most standards on this site, it is a guidance document, not a management-system standard, and it is therefore NOT designed for third-party certification.
Published in 2010, it helps organisations of all types understand and address their social responsibilities across seven core subjects: organisational governance, human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development.
Because it cannot be certified, any claim of "ISO 26000 certification" should be treated with caution. UK organisations instead use it to shape policy and to inform credible reporting frameworks, and may pursue certifiable standards (such as ISO 14001, ISO 45001 or ISO 37001) for the areas they want independently assured.
How to get ISO 26000 certified
Because ISO 26000 cannot be certified, the steps below are about adopting and benefiting from the guidance rather than achieving a certificate:
- Treat ISO 26000 as guidance: use it to benchmark and improve, not to certify.
- Assess your organisation against the seven core subjects.
- Integrate relevant principles into governance, policy and stakeholder engagement.
- Where you need independent assurance, pursue certifiable standards in the relevant area.
- Report progress transparently using recognised reporting frameworks.
- Beware any provider claiming to "certify" ISO 26000 — it is not certifiable.
Choosing a certification body
For a certificate to carry weight, choose a body accredited by UKAS, the UK's national accreditation body. Accredited certification is recognised by customers and procurement teams; unaccredited certificates often are not. Get quotes from at least three bodies, as fees vary.
How much does ISO 26000 certification cost?
There is no single price — total cost depends on your organisation's size, how much you already have in place, the number of sites, and whether you use a consultant. Broadly, the cost splits into three parts: implementation (building the system), the certification audit (paid to the certification body), and ongoing costs (annual surveillance and a three-yearly re-certification).
- There is no certification audit fee because ISO 26000 cannot be certified.
- Costs are limited to the standard purchase, internal assessment effort and optional consultancy.
- The calculator for this standard therefore estimates an implementation/gap-assessment cost only, not a certification cost.
To get a tailored figure for your organisation, use our free calculator:
Open the ISO 26000 cost calculator →