AS9100 certification in the United Kingdom

AS9100 certification in the UK at a glance

Aerospace, automotive and electronics sit among the advanced manufacturing strengths of the Solent, according to the Government's profile of Solent Freeport, while Plymouth and South Devon Freeport targets defence, marine and advanced engineering. For machine shops and component makers in these clusters, AS9100 is the quality management standard aerospace primes expect, adding configuration management, product safety, first article inspection and counterfeit-part prevention to the ISO 9001 base. Certificates issued under the International Aerospace Quality Group's rules are recorded in OASIS, the database primes use when qualifying suppliers. AS9100 certification is granted by a certification body operating under IAQG rules with the relevant accreditation, typically UKAS in the UK; Sterling prepares the organisation and does not issue certificates. Delivery comes from the London office, on-site at UK manufacturing sites, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included. The local route and the questions UK aerospace suppliers ask most follow below.

Who needs AS9100 in the UK, and what happens without it

In the UK the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Aerospace component manufacturers in the Solent regionSolent Freeport lists aerospace among the region's advanced manufacturing; primes select suppliers through OASIS listings.
• Defence and marine engineering suppliers around PlymouthPlymouth and South Devon Freeport targets defence and advanced engineering.
• Precision engineering firms moving from ISO 9001 into aerospace supplyAS9100 builds on ISO 9001 with aerospace requirements.

AS9100 requirements in the UK

Strip away the vocabulary and AS9100 asks a supplier to prove six things about delivering aerospace products safely and on time.

In the UK these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: AS9100 explained →

How to get AS9100 certified in the UK

One team from the London office carries the work from scoping to certificate. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, on-site from London; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against AS9100 and the UK requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

How long does AS9100 certification take in the UK?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In the UK these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of sites and special processes in scope
• Configuration management, first article inspection and counterfeit-part controls in place
• Customer-specific requirements from primes
• Internal audit and management review before stage 2

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does AS9100 certification cost in the UK?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In the UK these factors move both.

• Sites, headcount and product complexity
• Special processes and outsourced operations
• Certification body audit fees, quoted separately from consulting
• Transition from an existing ISO 9001 system

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

AS9100 consultants and certification bodies in the UK

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers AS9100 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in the UK are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

AS9100 in the UK: questions clients ask

More on AS9100 for UK organisations

• AS9100: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement AS9100
• Sterling in London
• AS9100 certification in the UK and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards UK businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in the UK often combine AS9100 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 23 standards Sterling delivers in the United Kingdom →