It is a fair question, and usually an urgent one. Behind it, there is almost always a customer waiting: a retailer requiring proof of certification before listing a product, a contract that depends on a valid certificate, or a certificate expiry date approaching faster than anyone planned for.
Time, in certification, is not a comfort topic. It is often the difference between winning a contract and losing it. Companies know this, which is why the timeline question comes before anything else.
What determines the answer is rarely the audit itself. An audit takes the time the standard requires, and that does not change. What varies between certification bodies is everything around it: how quickly onboarding happens, how reliably the audit date holds once planned, and how efficiently the steps after the audit are handled.
What comes in the way of a predictable certification timeline
- Slow onboarding processes before an audit is even scheduled
- Audit dates that shift or get cancelled after being agreed, restarting the waiting
- Limited auditor availability stretching timelines beyond what companies planned for
- Unclear communication about which steps come next and how long each takes
- Post-audit steps handled without the same urgency the company feels
For a company with a customer waiting, every unnecessary week in the process carries a commercial cost.
Practical insights
In practice, a reliable certification timeline depends on:
- Fast, structured onboarding so the process starts without delay
- An audit date that is committed and kept, Certima has never cancelled a planned audit
- Clear communication at each stage, so companies know where they stand and what comes next
- A specialised team whose experience across IFS and BRCGS standards keeps each step efficient
- Recognition that when a company signals urgency, the process should reflect it
Certima’s Mission
As an impartial certification body, Certima assesses compliance with international food safety measures. Certification enables businesses to demonstrate that they meet regulatory and client requirements for food safety and quality through rigorous compliance.
While Certima does not provide operational guidance, audits serve as a valuable tool for businesses to strengthen transparency and trust in the delivery of safe food products, while evaluating their food safety strategies and supply chain integrity.