§ 280.1020 - Application for accreditation.

(a)(1) As specified in § 280.1010(g)(1) of this part, the Accreditor shall maintain up-to-date detailed descriptions of the assessment and accreditation procedure, the documents containing the requirements for accreditation, and documents describing the rights and duties of accredited Registrars, and shall provide them to applicants and accredited Registrars. The Accreditor shall require that an accredited Registrar.

(i) Always complies with the relevant provisions of this part;

(ii) Makes all necessary arrangements for the conduct of the assessment, including provision for examining documentation and the access to all areas, records (including internal audit reports) and personnel for the purposes of assessment, surveillance, reassessment and resolution of complaints;

(iii) Only claims that it is accredited with respect to those activities for which it has been granted accreditation;

(iv) Does not use its accreditation in such a manner as to bring the Accreditor into disrepute, and does not make any statement regarding its accreditation which the Accreditor may consider misleading or unauthorized;

(v) Upon suspension or withdrawal of its accreditation, discontinues use of all advertising matter that contains any reference thereto and returns any accreditation documents as required by the Accreditor;

(vi) Does not allow the fact of its accreditation to be used to imply that a product, process, system, or person is approved by the Accreditor, as required by § 280.804(d);

(vii) Ensures that no accreditation document, mark or report, or any part thereof, is used in a misleading manner; and

(viii) In making reference to its accreditation status in communication media such as documents, brochures or advertising, complies with the requirements of the Accreditor.

(2) When the desired scope of accreditation is related to a specific program any necessary explanation shall be provided to the applicant. If requested, additional application information shall be provided to the body.

(b) The Accreditor shall require an official application form, duly completed and signed by a duly authorized representative of the applicant, in which or attached to which:

(1) The scope of the desired accreditation is defined; and

(2) The applicant agrees to comply with the requirements for accreditation and to supply any information needed for its evaluation.

(c) At least the following shall be provided by the applicant prior to the on-site assessment:

(1) The general features of the applicant body, such as corporate entity, name, address, legal status and, where relevant, human and technical resources;

(2) General information concerning the body covered by the application, such as its functions, and its relationship in a larger corporate entity, and its physical locations;

(3) A description of the systems or products it registers and the standards or other normative documents applicable to each; and

(4) A copy of its quality manual and, where required, the associated documentation.