National Quality Infrastructure
National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) "is a collective name for the organisations that provides a system of checks and assurance through standardisation, accreditation, measurement, conformity assessment, and enforcement." Government published Construction Products Reform White Paper 26 February, 2026.
The NQI has five core components:
- Standardisation. Standards describe good practices for how things are done and made through voluntary specifications, codes, guides, or test methods developed via consensus, openness, and transparency to maximise efficiency, reduce costs, manage risk, ensure trust, and reflect updates, while differing from regulation by being mostly voluntary yet sometimes recognised for legislative conformity.
- Accreditation. Accreditation determines the technical competence and integrity of organisations providing conformity assessment services like certification, calibration, inspection, and testing, by assessing compliance with standards, codes of practice, or regulations, distinct from certification which approves an organisation's adherence to such standards.
- Metrology. Metrology supports technical infrastructure by providing accurate reference standards for measurement, underpinning conformity assessment activities like calibration, trade metrology, and testing in regulatory and industrial sectors, with the UK’s National Measurement Institute (NMI) and Designated Institutes (DIs) maintaining national standards linked to the International System of Units (SI) under the National Measurement System (NMS) to ensure consistent, comparable units for business, research, and innovation.
- Conformity assessment. Conformity assessment verifies that products, services, processes, or systems meet specific legislative, standard-based, or other requirements through testing, inspection, and certification by conformity assessment bodies (CABs), with the UK Market Conformity Assessment Bodies (UKMCAB) service operated by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)—serving as the definitive register of UK Government-appointed CABs for certifying goods in GB and NI markets.
- Enforcement. Market surveillance monitors products on the market to identify and address non-compliance and safety risks, protecting consumers and businesses by ensuring adherence to safety standards and regulations, with penalties imposed if requirements are not met.
For more information see government guidance The UK’s National Quality Infrastructure
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