How much does ISO 20000-1 certification cost?
ISO 20000-1 certification costs range from about €10,000 for a small company to more than €150,000 for large organisations. The range is wide because costs depend heavily on your starting point, the size of your organisation and whether you hire an adviser. The standard itself is available from NEN or ISO . You can read what the process looks like in the step-by-step plan, and what the auditor checks on the audit process.
All amounts on this page are indications. There are no publicly available fixed rates for the Netherlands. The actual costs depend on your situation and the parties you engage.
Indicative costs by company size
| Company size | Indicative total cost in year one |
|---|---|
| Small (1 to 25 employees) | €10,000 to €25,000 |
| Medium (25 to 100 employees) | €25,000 to €60,000 |
| Large (100+ employees) | €60,000 to €150,000+ |
A small company with good basic processes sits at the bottom of the range. A medium-sized company that still has to build everything often ends up at the top.
Cost breakdown: where does the money go?
The costs fall into three categories: preparation, certification audit and annual maintenance.
| Cost item | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Preparation and adviser | Baseline assessment, setting up processes, documentation. Optional, but saves time. |
| Internal hours | Your own employees who carry the process. Not visible on an invoice, but a real cost. |
| Stage 1 audit | Documentation review by the certification body. |
| Stage 2 audit | Practical test by the auditor, including the clause 8 processes. |
| Yearly surveillance audit | Surveillance audit every year after certification. |
| Recertification (year 3) | Full reassessment after three years. |
Audit costs depend on the size of the organisation and the body you choose. Ask for quotes from several parties, because rates can vary considerably.
The certificate is valid for three years. Each year, a surveillance audit follows to confirm that the SMS keeps working. After three years, you recertify.
Timeline: how long does it take?
Plan for six to twelve months from start to certificate. The lead time depends on your starting point and how quickly you get your processes in order.
| Phase | Indicative duration |
|---|---|
| Baseline assessment and scope | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Setting up the SMS and processes | 2 to 4 months |
| Running the system and collecting evidence | 2 to 3 months |
| Internal audit and management review | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Stage 1 audit and correcting findings | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Stage 2 audit | 1 to 3 days (depending on size) |
Do you already have ISO 27001? Then you have already done much of the groundwork. You do not need to set up the HLS structure, document control and internal audit again. That saves months. Read more on ISO 20000 and ISO 27001.
How to save costs
There are three ways to keep costs under control.
Good preparation. Companies that start with a thorough baseline assessment and have their processes in order before the audit pay less for the audit. An auditor who issues findings leads to extra corrective work and sometimes an extra audit day.
Combined audit with ISO 27001. Certification bodies such as DNV and Kiwa offer combined audits. One audit for two standards is cheaper than two separate processes. The overlap in the HLS structure makes this possible.
Scoping. Start with a limited scope: only the services and locations you are most confident about. You can expand later. A smaller scope means fewer audit days.
Do not cut back on preparation. The cheapest route is a well-run SMS that passes stage 2 first time. Extra audit days, corrective work and delayed certification cost more than a solid preparation process.
Who carries out the certification audit?
Several accredited bodies are active in the Netherlands. Accreditation by the Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA, Dutch Accreditation Council) guarantees that the body is independent and competent.
Ask several bodies for a quote. The audit duration, rates and support differ per party.
Next steps
The full process, step by step.
Step-by-step plan → From zero to certificateWhat the auditor checks and how to prepare.
The audit process → Stage 1 and stage 2 explainedA combined audit saves considerably.
ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 → Save costsWhy the costs pay off for MSPs.
For MSPs → Investment and competitive advantage