The certification market in France

According to Cofrac, 197 entities were accredited by its Certifications section in 2024. They fall into three families: certification of products, services or processes (ISO/IEC 17065), certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024) and certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1). Across all accreditation activities, Cofrac had 3,526 accredited entities in 2025, of which 70 abroad. Accreditation remains the guarantee of certifiers’ competence in the certification market in France.

The certification market in France brings together international testing, inspection and certification groups and national players. Bureau Veritas posted worldwide revenue of €571.7m in 2025 in its Certification division, or 8.8% of its total (calculated from Bureau Veritas). The AFNOR group reports €218.2m of revenue in 2025, all activities. SGS France declared €184m in 2023, inspection and testing included, according to Le Journal des entreprises.

According to Bureau Veritas, its Certification division grew 7.9% organically in 2025, driven by decarbonisation, supply-chain resilience and cybersecurity. Sustainability services and cyber certification, 33% of the division, are growing at double-digit rates, supported by the NIS 2 directive. FSSC 22000 food safety certifications are also growing at double-digit rates. These global trends shed light on the demand addressed to the certification market in France.

The French version of the standard NF EN ISO 9001:2026 has just been published, according to Cofrac, which oversees the transition of ISO 9001:2015 certificates to this version. The ISO 56001 standard, published in September 2024, makes it possible for the first time to certify an innovation management system, according to Enjeux - AFNOR (March 2025). In France, SERMI certification has also become mandatory for independent car repairers working on anti-theft functions, according to Carrosserie (January 2025).

Product certification in France relies on regular audits and tests. The NF Fenêtres Bois mark, under Cofrac accreditation and managed by the Institut technologique FCBA, has 15 licensed companies, 30 audits a year and 130,000 windows bearing the NF mark each year, according to Verre et protections mag (November 2024). In the food industry, more than 100,000 non-conformities were recorded in 2023 during BRCGS Food audits worldwide, according to Process alimentaire (June 2025).

A PDF report in French, 2026 edition, organised in six chapters: definition and scope of certification, market size and dynamics, corporate demand, certification bodies, accreditation and regulation, market outlook.

Cofrac data, publications from certification bodies, regulatory and standards texts, and trade press articles from the IndexPresse database. Every figure comes with its source and period.

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Certification bodies and quality consultancies, companies preparing for certification, trade federations, as well as consultants, bankers and investors who need to understand the certification market in France.

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