From $745 · valid three years

The Business Standing Certificate

An elegantly engraved A4 certificate that puts your independently assessed Business Standing Score, verified reviews rating and identity verification on a single page — authenticated by a QR code that anyone can scan to confirm it against our directory.

The certificate is issued with your Business Standing Assessment — there is no separate charge. Valid three years, with an annual maintenance fee in years 2 and 3.

TrustStanding

TrustStanding

Independent business standing assessment

Certificate ID

TS-BS-GB-2026-004182

Certificate of

Business Standing

This certifies that the business named below has completed an independent evidence-based assessment against the TrustStanding 100-point Business Standing framework and have satisfied the requirements of the TrustStanding Business Standing Standard.

Harcourt & Vale Architects

Verified legal entity: Harcourt & Vale Architects Limited · Company No. 12345678

Architects · London · United Kingdom

Standing score

87/100

Strong standing

Certification status

Certified

Statutory compliance

18/20

Financial resilience

17/20

Supplier payment practices

18/20

Workforce stability

17/20

Customer safeguards

17/20

Certification cycle

14 March 2026 – 13 March 2029

Current assessment

12 March 2026

Next surveillance due

March 2027

Certification record

TrustStanding Business Standing Standard

Identity

Verified legal entity

Standard

TS-BS-100:2026 v1.0

Review status

Certification approved

Evidence

All required sections complete

Assessment date: 12 March 2026 · Evidence period: March 2025 \u2013 March 2026

Evidence coverage. All five required assessment sections completed.

TrustStanding

Certified

TrustStanding

Certificate ID

TS-BS-GB-2026-004182

Valid until

13 March 2029

Assessment

Completed by TrustStanding

Certification decision

Approved

Public certificate. Scan the code or visit truststanding.com to authenticate this certificate and confirm whether it is certified, suspended, expired or withdrawn. The Business Standing Score reflects the evidence supplied and reviewed at the assessment date and is valid for the certification cycle shown. It indicates current business standing but does not guarantee solvency, payment, performance or future conduct, and is not financial, investment, legal, audit or credit advice. Issued by International Awards Group Ltd, registered in England and Wales (Company No. 16366777).

Illustrative example. Your certificate carries your own score, rating and serial.

Where it wins work

Independent proof, in the room where the decision is made

Buyers, main contractors and procurement teams rarely doubt your ability — they doubt the evidence. The certificate replaces assertions with an assessment they can verify in seconds.

Bids and tenders

Attach independent proof of standing to procurement submissions instead of self-declared claims.

Proposals and quotes

Close the credibility gap at the exact moment a client is comparing you against cheaper rivals.

Supplier onboarding

Answer due-diligence questions in one page: statutory standing, financial signals and customer feedback.

Reception and showroom

Frame it where customers wait. Anyone can scan the QR code and verify it live on our directory.

What is printed on your certificate

  • Your 100-point Business Standing Score and band
  • Your verified reviews rating and review count
  • Business identity verification status
  • Unique serial number and issue date
  • QR code linking to your live TrustStanding profile
  • Print-ready A4, downloadable as PDF any time in your plan year

How authentication works

  1. 1Your business completes the TrustStanding Business Assessment and receives a Business Standing Score.
  2. 2You order the certificate from your dashboard and download it instantly as a print-ready A4 PDF.
  3. 3Anyone scanning the QR code lands on your live public profile, where the score, rating and serial can be checked.
  4. 4After three years the certificate expires and a new one is issued with your next assessment.
Read our verification methodology

The scoring rubric

Five sections worth 20 points each, four scored questions per section. Every answer must be supported by evidence, and our review team confirms the final score before anything is published.

5
Sections
20
Questions
100
Total points
5

Met

Evidence fully supports the statement across the last twelve months.

2.5

Partly met

Practice exists but is informal, incomplete or only partly evidenced.

0

Not met

No practice in place, or no evidence provided.

  1. Section 1 of 5

    Statutory compliance

    Filings, registrations and licences that the business is legally required to keep current.

    20

    points

    • 1.1Annual accounts and confirmation statement (or local equivalent) filed on time for the last two periods.5 pts
    • 1.2Statutory registers and registered details (address, officers, ownership) are current and accurate.5 pts
    • 1.3Tax registrations (sales tax/VAT, payroll) are in place and all returns are up to date.5 pts
    • 1.4Required insurances and any sector licences are currently in force.5 pts

    Evidence required: Filing confirmations, tax registration letters, insurance certificates, sector licences.

  2. Section 2 of 5

    Financial resilience

    The ability to absorb a shock and keep trading and paying obligations.

    20

    points

    • 2.1Management or statutory accounts have been prepared within the last 12 months.5 pts
    • 2.2The most recent period showed a positive or improving trading result.5 pts
    • 2.3Cash or committed facilities cover at least three months of operating costs.5 pts
    • 2.4No unsatisfied judgments, winding-up action or lender defaults in the last 24 months.5 pts

    Evidence required: Recent management or statutory accounts, bank or facility confirmation, aged debtor summary.

  3. Section 3 of 5

    Supplier payment practices

    How reliably and quickly the business pays the people who supply it.

    20

    points

    • 3.1Standard payment terms are documented and shared with suppliers before work starts.5 pts
    • 3.2At least 90% of supplier invoices are paid within the agreed terms.5 pts
    • 3.3Average time taken to pay suppliers is 45 days or less.5 pts
    • 3.4There is a documented process for handling supplier invoice queries and disputes.5 pts

    Evidence required: Standard payment terms, aged creditor report, a payment-run schedule.

  4. Section 4 of 5

    Workforce stability

    Whether the people delivering the service are properly engaged, trained and retained.

    20

    points

    • 4.1Written contracts and statutory pay records exist for everyone who works for the business.5 pts
    • 4.2Voluntary staff turnover has been below 25% over the last 12 months.5 pts
    • 4.3Induction and ongoing training for customer-facing staff are documented.5 pts
    • 4.4Health & safety, and grievance procedures are in place and communicated to staff.5 pts

    Evidence required: Sample contract or engagement letter, training record, staff handbook, turnover figures.

  5. Section 5 of 5

    Customer safeguards

    The protections a customer actually has before, during and after the work.

    20

    points

    • 5.1Clear written terms, quotes and cancellation rights are given before work starts.5 pts
    • 5.2A published complaints procedure exists with a defined response time.5 pts
    • 5.3Customer deposits and prepayments are protected, or their treatment is clearly explained.5 pts
    • 5.4A guarantee, warranty or independent redress route is available to customers.5 pts

    Evidence required: Terms of business, quote or contract template, complaints procedure, guarantee wording.

How the score is banded

85–100

Strong standing

70–84

Good standing

55–69

Fair standing

40–54

Developing standing

0–39

Limited standing

Assessed is not the same as certified

Every business that completes an assessment receives its score — that is the Assessed outcome. The certification mark is awarded only where the business scores at least 70/100 overall, at least 10/20 in every section, and our review raises no critical disqualifying findings such as serious overdue statutory filings, insolvency proceedings, evidence falsification or material regulatory sanctions.

Assessed

Every business that completes the assessment receives its score, section breakdown, evidence coverage and private gap analysis — whatever the result.

Certified

  • Minimum 70/100 overall
  • Minimum 10/20 in every section
  • No critical disqualifying findings

Only certified businesses receive the certificate, serial number and certification mark.

Critical disqualifying findings

  • Serious overdue statutory filings

    Accounts, confirmation statements, tax or payroll returns materially overdue, or a registry strike-off action in progress.

  • Insolvency proceedings

    Winding-up petition, administration, receivership, liquidation, or an unsatisfied judgment of material size.

  • Evidence falsification or misrepresentation

    Documents altered, fabricated or presented as something they are not, or answers knowingly misstated.

  • Material regulatory sanction

    Licence suspension or revocation, enforcement notice, prohibition, or a material fine from a regulator in the last 24 months.

One cycle, three years

Priced on the size of your business, in line with our other certificates. One assessment and certification covers three years, with an annual maintenance fee in years 2 and 3.

The certificate is valid for three years from the date it is issued. The assessment and certification fees are charged once, up front. Years 2 and 3 each carry the annual maintenance fee shown below, alongside a limited, case-by-case evidence update so any material change is reflected. After year 3 the business re-certifies in full. Read the certification FAQs.

Micro & Small Businesses

Up to 49 people and under $10m annual turnover

$745

total to certify

Assessment
$495
Certification
$250
Years 2 & 3 (each)
$395
Start assessment

Medium Businesses

50–249 people or up to $50m annual turnover

$1,295

total to certify

Assessment
$895
Certification
$400
Years 2 & 3 (each)
$695
Start assessment

Large Businesses

250+ people or over $50m annual turnover

$2,500

total to certify

Assessment
$1,750
Certification
$750
Years 2 & 3 (each)
$1,250
Start assessment

What's included

  • 100-point Business Standing Score
  • Five assessment sections
  • Preliminary self-assessment score
  • Evidence coverage percentage
  • Independent review of submitted information
  • Dated assessment status
  • Public Business Standing profile
  • Business Standing website badge
  • Downloadable assessment summary
  • Private gap analysis and improvement recommendations
  • Three-year certification cycle

The Business Standing Score reflects the evidence available at the stated assessment date. It indicates current business standing but does not guarantee solvency, payment, performance or future conduct, and is not financial, investment, legal or credit advice.

Business Identity Verification is a separate service: a $49 annual add-on available on the Free, Starter, Growth and Pro monthly plans, included free with the Pro annual plan. It confirms who the business is; the Business Standing Certificate assesses how it operates.

Put verified standing in your next submission

Your certificate is issued with your Business Standing Assessment, from $745, and downloaded as a print-ready A4 PDF from your dashboard.