Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI)

Exemplar Global recognizes training completed with training providers who have held or currently hold certification with us under our current name or previous trading names (RABQSA, QSA, RAB) for 10 years from the date the training was completed. These are for our management system schemes, such as QMS, EMS, OHS, etc.

Some of our schemes require a training certificate to have been issued within the last three years. Please check the specific certification requirements for the scheme you wish to apply for. If your training was completed outside of the training requirement time, you may need to complete a relevant knowledge examination, if available. If a knowledge examination is not available, this may be substituted with an audit log showing relevant audit experience. If you choose this method, we require that you show evidence of 10 audit days reflecting the specific scheme (e.g, QMS, EMS, OHS, etc.) and grade (i.e., auditor or lead auditor) you wish to apply for. Importantly, the audit dates captured in your log need to have been conducted within the past three years.

There are current agreements with ICRA/CQI, PECB, and the CCAA to recognize certification. Applicants must be able to demonstrate holding a current certification with one of the above mentioned bodies in order to qualify.

You can check on the status of your application for certification via our Exemplar LINK platform at www.exemplarlink.org. At the top-level navigation, select the ‘Manage My Certifications’ button and from the drop- down menu choose the Exemplar Global option. From there, select the ‘Current Certifications’ tab. You will then be taken through to the ‘Applications in Progress’ page where you can check the status of your certification application.

Once you submit your application for certification, you will not be able to see the documents you have uploaded to support your application. Please contact your certification specialist or info@exemplarglobal.org if you need assistance.

It usually takes between seven to 10 business days to complete this process. However, this is provided that all supporting documents have been uploaded by the applicant.

Before you apply for certification, please ensure that you meet all the requirements specific to the scheme you wish to apply for. You can review those requirements on our website. These can be found by clicking on the ‘Individual Auditors’ tab at the top-level navigation of our homepage. From the drop-down menu, select the ‘Browse All Certifications’ option. From there, you will be taken to a page that features the different categories of certifications we offer, including Education Systems, Food Safety Systems etc. Select the scheme you are are interested in and click the ‘Learn More’ button. You will then be taken through to your selected scheme page. From there,  click on the ‘Download Certification Requirements’ button on the right hand side of the page. Please review the requirements carefully to ensure that you meet the scheme, grade and scope requirements.

If you are a new customer, you will need to create an account with Exemplar LINK, our customer portal platform. You can access Exemplar LINK via www.exemplarlink.org or via the Exemplar LINK login button on our website. From there, you can enter your contact details and create your account.

Once you have an account, either as a new customer or as an existing customer, you can apply for certification by following these steps:

1. Login to Exemplar LINK at www.exemplarlink.org.
2. Click on the ‘Manage My Certifications’ button, located at the top-hand navigation.
3. Click on the ‘Apply for Certification’ button.
4. Select the category of certification you are interested in, such as Quality Systems.
5. Click on the specific certification you wish to apply for, such as Quality Management System Auditor.
6. Select Qualification-Based certification, if prompted. This will vary by scheme.
7. Select your desired grade. Please note that only customers with at least 12 years of continuous certification with Exemplar Global may choose the Master Auditor grade.
8. Review the the certification, recertification, and expansion requirements relevant to your scheme and grade, and click the ‘Continue to Scopes’ button  at the bottom of the page. Please refer to the PDF Scope document for criteria.
9. Select any scopes you wish to apply for and click on the ‘Continue To Code of Conduct’ button at the bottom of the page.
10. Tick the box next to each item in the Code of Conduct. By doing so, you agree to adhere to this code. Failure to do so may result in the termination of your certification. Click on the ‘Continue To Authorisation’ button.
11. If your organization has given you an authorisation code, please enter it here and click the ‘Validate’ button. If not, click on the ‘Continue to Payment’ button.
12. Carefully review your application information and payment options.
13. Select a payment option and enter your payment details. Please note that you may choose to pay your annual fees monthly. However, this will only take effect with your next annual fee.
14. Finally, click the ‘Pay Now’ button. Please note that all fees are non-refundable, so ensure you meet the certification requirements before applying for certification. Also, we are required to collect GST from our Australian customers.

Once we have received your application, an Exemplar Global certification specialist will contact you if any additional information or steps are required.