IAF ConsultancyAn unaccredited certificate cannot be transferred into an accredited one. A transfer recognizes a certification issued under accreditation. A certificate from a body with no accreditation for that standard is a different document. The company starts with an audit.
How can you tell what you hold?
Look for the mark of an accreditation body on the certificate, and look the issuer up. The accreditation number should appear on that accreditation body's own register, for the standard named. A layout that says "ISO certified," with no accreditation mark, does not meet the test. A body accredited for training, inspection, or a different standard is not accredited for the certificate you are trying to move.
SMG's certificates are issued under IAS accreditation MSCB-153. That record is public and linked from the partner page. Use the same test on the body named on your current certificate.
What is the existing system worth?
The management system may still be real. Procedures, records, internal audits, and a history of corrections are useful in Stage 1 and Stage 2. They show that a system exists. They do not remove the audit, because an accredited body has not yet decided that the system meets the standard.
Treat the quote as initial certification. The steps are in how certification works. The comparison of paths is in transfer or start over.
What does IAF Consultancy send you?
A written offer, after the application, naming the scope, the audit days, the timing, and the price. Choose initial certification when you already know the current certificate is unaccredited. If you are unsure, write down what is printed on the certificate, including any logo. The review will settle the path before a visit is booked.
IAF Consultancy audits. SMG issues the certificate when the audit supports it. That is the certificate customers can check. Keep the old document in the archive, and keep it out of the tender pack once you know what it is.