Achieving the Kitemark®

There are three main stages in the process of achieving the Kitemark for Third Party Accreditation to SP203:

Once you are fully familiar with the requirements needed to achieve SP203 and the related documents, you must complete a Quotation Request Form (PDF size 56Kb). Once completed, this can be faxed or posted to BSI (contact details are on the application form).

Using the information you supply on the application, we will compile and issue you with a quotation. The quotation is specific to your business and will provide a breakdown of all the elements we estimate will be involved.

Assessment

Once you have accepted our quotation, review it and send it back to us. The assessor in your area will contact you to arrange suitable dates for any pre-assessment and/or initial assessment to the scheme. They will also be able to answer any questions or technical queries you may have.

• Pre-Assessment Gap Analysis

If you have any concerns about your readiness for a full initial assessment you can apply to have a pre-assessment first. This will enable you to work with a BSI Inspector to see what you have in place and what you may need to do before your initial assessment.

The pre-assessment will mimic the initial assessment, giving you an idea of what to expect. It also gives you the chance to talk through any queries you may have before the initial assessment takes place.

• Initial Assessment

This involves different things including two site visits to inspect recent installations. Further details of what is involved can be found in the application pack.

In the event that any non-compliances  are identified during the assessment you will need to address these by implementing corrective actions. Only major non-compliances will require another visit, or delay the licence issue. Digital photographs, installation certificates and written submissions can all be taken into account when assessing the corrective action plan and clearing minor non-compliances.

• Issuing of Kitemark Licence

Upon succcessful completion of the Kitemark Assessment process you will be awarded your Kitemark licence. You will also receive your BAFE Certificate  direct from BAFE. You can then begin to issue certificates via our online members' area.

Once your assessment is complete and any non-compliances cleared, the Inspector's report is sent to the Scheme Manager for review and a licence decision is made. Your licence along with its security hologram is then sent to you with your licence pack which contains your licence, a presentation copy of your licence for display purposes and additional information about the scheme. A Kitemark Marketing Tool Kit will also be sent to you to help you make the most of your Kitemark advantage.

Issuing Certificates

On completion of a job, a BAFE certificate relevant to the work carried out, along with any other appropriate certification should be presented to the customer.

All BAFE Certificates are raised via the member's area of our website and as such a current email account and access to the internet is a pre-requisite of joining the scheme. Producing a certificate will also automatically log details of the work completed. Full details of how to access and print certificates will be contained in the licence pack.

BSI can assess against a wide range of standards of which a full list is given in Appendix 2.2 of SP203.

For further information about achieving the Kitemark®, please Contact Us or call 08450 765610