Application Fee:  $3000
Includes the submission of the Application and the Quality Manual.  The Fee covers processing of the Application, a Desk Audit of the Quality Manual and the First Certification Audit.  This fee excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.

The Application fee applies to a company seeking BQ-9000 certification as a Producer for one location, or a Laboratory for one location, or a BQ-9000 Marketer (with 1 – 3 terminals). 

If a Marketer has more than three terminals or facilities, multiple audits are required. Each additional audit beyond the base audit (Certification, Surveillance, or Re-certification) will require an audit fee of $1500 plus Auditor travel expenses.  Please refer to the section Marketer Organizations with Multiple Facilities that defines the number of audits required when there are more than three terminal facilities

Payment of the Application Fee must accompany the completed Application and the Quality Manual. 

Surveillance Audit Fee:  $1500
The Fee covers the Surveillance Audit.  This fee excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.

The Surveillance Audit fee applies to all BQ-9000 certified companies after their 1st and 2nd year of their certification.  

Recertification Audit Fee:  $2500
Includes the submission of the Quality Manual.  The Fee covers the review of the Quality Manual and the Re-Certification Audit. This fee excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.

The Re-Certification Audit fee applies to all BQ-9000 certified companies seeking re-certification every 3rd year.

Dual Producer and Marketer Certification Fee:  $3750
Organizations seeking dual Producer/Marketer Certifications at the same time.       Includes submission of the Application, a Producer Quality Manual and a Marketer Quality Manual.   Applies to a Marketer organization with 1 – 3 terminal operations. 

Application Fee: $3750, Surveillance Audit Fee: $2750, Recertification Audit Fee: $3250.  This fee schedule excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.

Marketer Seeking Producer Certification using a Tolling Manufacturer Fee:  $4000
Includes submission of the Application and a Producer Quality Manual and a Marketer Quality Manual.   The fee schedule including auditing time spent at the Tolling Manufacturer’s location.

Application Fee: $4000, Surveillance Audit Fee: $3000, Recertification Audit Fee: $3500.  This fee schedule excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.  

Provisional Producer Process Fee:  $2500 or $3000
A BQ-9000 Producer bringing a new facility into the program through the Provisional Producer process. 

Application Fee $2500 (when using the parent companies quality manual). Includes application processing and first certification audit. 

Application Fee $3000 (when the new facility uses their own quality manual).  The Desk Audit is included in the fee. 

Once the Provisional Producer becomes fully certified, the Surveillance and Re-certification audit fees are the same as listed above for these audits.   

This fee schedule excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.

Provisional Marketer Process Fee:  $2500 or $3000
A BQ-9000 Marketer bringing a new Marketing organization (with 1-3 terminals) into the program through the Provisional Marketer Process. 

Application Fee $2500 (when using the parent companies quality manual). Includes application processing and first certification audit. 

Application Fee $3000 (when the new organization uses their own quality manual).  The Desk Audit is included in the fee. 

Once the Provisional Marketer becomes fully certified, the Surveillance and Re-certification Audit fees are the same as listed above for these audits.  Each Marketer organization will have its own set of audits.  Additional audit fees above the base audit fee depend upon the number of terminal facilities that are part of the BQ-9000 Marketer’s facilities.  See the section: Multiple Facilities Audits for details. 

This fee schedule excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.

Provisional Marketer 1-3 Facilities Process Fee:  $2000
A BQ-9000 Marketer bringing 1-3 new terminals into the program through the Provisional Marketer Process. 

Application Fee $2000.  Includes application processing and the first Surveillance Audit.  The Re-certification and future Surveillance Audit fees for a single Marketer entity are the same as described above for these audits.  Additional audit fees above the base audit fee depend upon the number of terminal facilities that are part of the BQ-9000 Marketer’s facilities.  See the section: Multiple Facilities Audits for details. 

This fee schedule excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.

Follow-up Audit Fee:  $1500
Auditor fee when an On-site audit was not satisfactory. 

This fee schedule excludes Auditor travel expenses that will be billed following completion of the audit.    

Name Change Fee:  $250
Administration fee for companies submitting a name change request for their BQ-9000 certification (includes a new Certificate).  This is applicable in a merger or acquisition where more than 50% of the equity in the post-name change belongs to the BQ-9000 certified organization, and their BQ-9000 quality management team remains intact.

The Desk Audit verifies that the Applicant’s Quality Manual addresses all the program elements specified in BQ-9000 Quality Management System Requirements for Producers, Marketer, or Laboratories.  On completion of the Desk Audit, and the specified operating time under the Applicant’s quality management program, and all specified perquisites, a certification audit is performed.  The scope of the audit is limited to the processes and procedures of the applicant’s Quality Manual.  The NBAC Auditor performs the on-site audit to verify compliance with the program elements.  Any nonconformance’s identified during the audit must be resolved through corrective actions.   Once all corrective actions have been closed, the Auditor submits the audit report to the NBAC for a certification vote.  The BQ-9000 certification is awarded for three years.  Further details on the process are located in the BQ-9000 Application Package. 

Once certification is awarded, the organization will receive an annual on-site Surveillance Audit for each of the next two following years.  At the end of the third year, the BQ-9000 certification expires and the organization may request recertification.  An on-site Recertification Audit is performed, and utilizing the same process, an audit report is issued and the NBAC Commission votes on recertification. 

AUDIT SUMMARY
     
Certification Audit
A full 1-1/2 day on-site audit to verify that the organization has an effective quality   management system that is functioning to meet all the specific BQ-9000 program requirements.  A successful audit leads to a BQ-9000 certification. 
     
Surveillance Audit
A full 1 day on-site audit to verify that the organization continues to function effectively under their quality management system and are meeting a selected number of their specific BQ-9000 program requirements.  A successful audit results in continued certification as a BQ-9000 organization.
     
Follow-Up Audit
An additional audit that may be conducted if the NBAC determines the organization is not performing satisfactorily.         
     
Recertification Audit
A full 1-1/2 day on-site audit to verify that the organization continues to meet all the current requirements in a specific BQ-9000 program requirements and merit recertification.  A successful audit leads to a BQ-9000 recertification. 

MULTIPLE FACILITIES AUDITS
Marketer Organizations with Multiple Facilities - In order to verify that the quality management system has been implemented at all locations, on-site audits of a representative number of outlets or locations are necessary.  The auditors will determine which locations will be audited initially.  Future audits will target different locations so that eventually all locations have received an on-site audit.  The number of audits required when there are multiple locations is as follows:

            1 – 3    locations          1 On-site Audit
            4 – 10 locations           2 On-site Audits
           11 - 20 locations           4 On-site Audits
            21+    locations            Square root of the number of locations plus 1
                                                (e.g. 36 locations would require 7 Audits)

The first on-site audit is included in the base audit cost.  Each additional on-site audit requires an additional $1500 plus travel expenses.  This applies to Marketer Certification, Surveillance and Recertification Audits.