FEES AND CHARGES

Separate quotations are provided for the various stages of certification which will include:

Initial Certification

• Process of your application for certification
• A document review of your existing system and visit
• Head office visit
• Technical inspections for each technology
• An assessor-day rate based on normal working hours (9am-5pm)
• Quotes do not include assessor expenses which may include travelling, travel time, overnight accommodation and meals. Milage is charged at £0.45 per mile
• Includes first certificate, SC mark of registration to use on your company collateral (there will be a small admin charge for any changes or additional certifications)
• Upon initial certification clients are required to complete a monthly installation log of all measure specific work to enable us to produce accurate surveillance costings for the maintenance of certification
• Where certification cannot be recommended at an initial Compliance Assessment visit, a Compliance Re-assessment will be considered and may be required at additional cost.
• Where MCS Contractors do not engage in the design of microgeneration systems but work solely for a client who has already formally agreed a system design; then the MCS Contractor must be competent to review and verify that the design would satisfy the design requirements set out in the appropriate MCS Installation Standards.
• Where the MCS Contractor uses subcontractors who are not themselves certified MCS Contractors, the SC will audit the verification process used by the MCS Contractor to ensure compliance with MCS 001-1 Clause 4.11. The extent of assessment shall take account of the number of subcontractors and the range of work undertaken by them.
• Where an MCS Contractor operates from multiple offices then each office shall be subject to an assessment visit within a 3-year period.

Surveillance Visits

• A technical inspection on each technology will be required once per year
• Quotes do not include assessor expenses which may include travelling, travel time, overnight accommodation, and meals. Milage is charged at £0.45 per mile
• Assessment of the MCS Contractor’s management systems to satisfy Section 4 may be undertaken remotely for up to 2 out of every 3 years. At least every third year an assessment shall be undertaken during a physical visit to the Contractor’s trading address.
• Where the MCS Contractor is also certified to ISO 9001 by a Certification Body accredited to certify against that standard by UKAS, then assessment of the MCS Contractor’s management systems can be undertaken remotely for up to 4 out of every 5 years.
• The option for assessment to be undertaken remotely shall be at the sole discretion of the SC and only where all of the following conditions are met:
  • The MCS Contractor is not running complex management systems to satisfy Section
    4 such as would be the case with larger organisations, wide geographic coverage or significant use of subcontractors
  • There is evidence from an earlier assessment that the MCS Contractor’s management systems are operating effectively.
  • There have been no significant changes in the organisation of the MCS Contractor.
  • There have been no complaints resulting in non-conformities relating to the MCS Contractor’s management systems.
  • There are no unresolved non-conformities.
  • There have been no significant changes.
  • The MCS Contractor agrees to remote assessment.
  • No major non-conformities are found during the on-site assessment.
• SC will review the information provided and where necessary shall ask for supplementary information.
• SC will identify any non-conformities and set appropriate improvement actions, and if a number of areas are subject to non-conformity or significant change SC will conduct a physical audit at the MCS Contractors trading address.

Increase of scope 

• Process of your application for increase of scope
• A document review of your existing system and visit
• Assessment for extension to scope must include a site assessment covering all technologies applied for. The office records and systems supporting the extension to scope may be assessed either by remote review or a visit to the MCS Contractor’s office.
• Technical inspections for each technology
• An assessor-day rate based on normal working hours (9am-5pm)
• Quotes do not include assessor expenses which may include travelling, travel time, overnight accommodation and meals. Milage is charged at £0.45 per mile
• Includes first certificate, SC mark of registration to use on your company collateral (there will be a small admin charge for any changes or additional certifications)

In the event of the client cancelling any planned visits within 30 days of the appointment the full amount will be payable.

A Void Fee of 100% of our fee will be applicable for:

• Failure to be present or available when the assessor / auditor has attended at the scheduled appointment
• If a location specific retrofit design for the relevant technology has not been received 24 hours before the technical assessment
• If the installer is not in possession of all relevant paperwork i.e. the installer pack
• The site is unsuitable, this includes unsafe conditions, home owner/tenant is uncooperative or has not been informed or can’t access the property
• The installer/installation team are unreasonably late or not available
• The installer/installation team are uncooperative
• The measures booked to inspect are the incorrect measures or the installation is not at the right stage (pre/mid/post) for the inspection
• The installation materials have not turned up, delaying the installation

CERTIFICATION

Application Review 

All applications are subject to an application review prior to any assessments taking place. During the application review, we will carry out background checks on your business to ensure that there is no evidence of ‘Phoenix Companies’. A Phoenix Company suggests there are previous non-compliance issues that have not been addressed and are being avoided by the applicant. These checks include but are not limited to:

• Identifying companies that have changed their name
• Identifying company Directors that have set up multiple companies in the same industry
• Reviewing related companies, dissolved companies and non-trading companies
• Reviewing companies already certified with us that may have compliance issues
• Identifying if the company has moved from another certification body

If the evidence suggests the company, related companies and company Directors have previous non-compliance issues with their previous certification body, TrustMark or any other source of intel, the application will not proceed. Monies will be refunded, minus the application review fee.

If the evidence shows that company, related companies and company Directors have current non-compliance issues with ourselves, the application will be put on hold until until issues are satisfactorily resolved.

Certification

The MCS Contractor shall use the Certification Mark(s) only in accordance with their Accredited Certification Body’s’ instructions. An example of the Certification Mark that can be used for this Scheme.

Following a satisfactory assessment, technical inspections, verification of the assessment report, and completion of any corrective actions, we shall issue a certificate, which is valid for one year.

For each of the MCS technologies for which certification is being sought, a Contractor may use the following process for one installation per technology only.

• The Contractor applies to SC for certification under MCS.
• Compliance Assessment of the Contractor is undertaken by SC and includes assessment of an installation for which the Contractor has been fully responsible and has commissioned in accordance with the applicable MCS Installation Standard.
• At this stage the Contractor is not MCS certificated for that technology. The Contractor proposes corrective actions for any non-conformities raised by SC.
• SC assesses the corrective actions that have been implemented and, once fully satisfied that the relevant requirements of MCS have been met, certificates the Contractor.
• The MCS Contractor then re-commissions the installation used for this Compliance Assessment and issues a new commissioning certificate.
• The MCS Contractor registers the installation on the MCS Installation Database (MID) and generates an MCS certificate which must use the date of re-commissioning.

Subsequent yearly certificates are issued subject to continued satisfactory performance being achieved through surveillance assessments, which shall be carried out one inspection per technology.

If a major non-conformance is found during the initial assessment process a recommendation for certification shall not be made until either corrective action has been verified by a site visit (which may be chargeable) or appropriate documentary evidence of corrective action has been submitted and approved by us.

If a major non-conformance is found during surveillance assessment you shall be required to carry out corrective action within an agreed timescale, which shall normally be no greater than 21 days following the assessment.

Non-Conformance

Where non-conformities cannot be resolved within 6 weeks of the original visit date, certification of the Contractor may be suspended or withdrawn.

• Observation: A finding from which there is a possibility of moving towards a non-conformity if not correct. We would identify this as a ‘recommendation’. This would not prevent certification from being issued, however we would expect to see this addressed by the next assessment.
• Minor non-conformity: either a failure to meet one requirement of a clause of the reference standard or a single observed lapse in following one item of a company procedure.
• Major non conformity: the absence or the total breakdown of a system to meet the requirements of a clause of the reference standard, or a number of minor non-conformities listed against one clause, can represent a systematic breakdown of the requirement and thus be considered a major non-conformity.

Special Assessment Visit

We reserve the right to make an additional chargeable Special Assessment Visit in the following circumstances:

• Where assessment is required verify the closure of Major non- conformances
• At initial evaluation the condition of the management system or scope of certification is not as described during the application stage
• Significant modifications to the management system have taken place
• Significant changes to the organisation, scope or processes have occurred which were not notified to us in sufficient time prior to the standard assessment visit
• Where we are required to investigate information on serious accidents or a breach of legislation resulting in the involvement of the regulatory authority
• If you are a TrustMark registered business, a TrustMark notification to us that highlights concern as an Installer of Interest Assessment Plan

TRUSTMARK

Any applicants wishing to gain TrustMark registration are advised to read their downloadable guidance found via this link to ensure the scheme requirements are fully understood. Please note all applications will be audited against its standards to confirm compliance before registration is granted:

Helpful Information, Guidance & Advice For Work Done Around Your Home (trustmark.org.uk)

Any installer who does not declare their outstanding Technical Monitoring fails during the application process, runs the risk of being automatically removed from the TrustMark scheme.

Installer of Interest Assessment Plan

Where there is an occasion that TrustMark have highlighted a high percentage of fails via their Technical Monitoring we reserve the right to move the organisation onto our “Installer of Interest Assessment Plan”.

We have designed this programme to provide Installers who have been identified as problematic with a chance to improve so that they can retain certification if they demonstrate improvement, rather than move to an immediate removal of their MCS and TrustMark registration

• This is a short term assessment programme in which the Installation Organisation will have the opportunity to demonstrate their move to reduce TM fails so that they can continue to retain their certification and TrustMark registration.
• The programme has been designed to ensure that the Installation Organisation is moving towards sustainable improvement and reduce risk of TM fails
• The installer organisation will be required to:
  • Evidence corrective actions via a Special Assessment Visit to address the route cause of the TM fails
  • Submit corrective actions through an improvement plan to demonstrate how the business intends to improve moving forward as agreed during the Special Assessment Visit
  • Evidence to show an improvement in technical fails
• There is an additional fee to be moved onto the “Installer of Interest Assessment Plan” to cover the additional assessment and administration time required to closely monitor the installer organisation.
  • £995 + VAT (inclusive of expenses) for a Special Assessment Visit
  • £595 +VAT administration management fee per month
  • Once the improvement plan is in place a technical inspection will be required against each measure. We will offer for Special Assessment Inspections to coincide with your surveillance assessments.
    • If this can’t be coordinated to coincide with surveillance visits each Special Assessment Technical Inspection will be £500 +VAT
  • MCS Certification and TrustMark Registration will be removed where an organisation is
    • Not willing to move onto the Installer of Interest Assessment Plan when required
    • Fails to comply with the agreed corrective actions from the Special Assessment Visit
    • Becomes uncooperative and unresponsive
  • Once we are satisfied that the Installation Organisation has demonstrated a change in their procedures to address the root cause to reduce risk, they will be moved back onto our standard surveillance programme.

MCS Certification Agreement and Surveillance

• During the Compliance Assessment Process The MCS Contractor will ensure
  • A Nominee and Nominated Technical Person (NTP) must be present or available throughout the Compliance Assessment process
  • The installer has possession and validation of an EEM design identified as being in compliance with PAS 2035, for each specific installation location (PAS 2030, Clause 5)
• As the client you will always fulfil the certification requirements including implementing appropriate changes when they are communicated by SC
• If the certification applies to ongoing production, the certified product continues to fulfil the product requirements
• As our client you will make all necessary arrangements for
  • the conduct of the evaluation and surveillance (if required), including provision for examining documentation and records, and access to the relevant equipment, location(s), area(s), personnel, and subcontractors;
  •  investigation of complaints;
  • the participation of observers, if applicable;
• The client makes claims regarding certification consistent with the scope of certification;
• The client does not use its product certification in such a manner as to bring SC into disrepute and does not make any statement regarding its product certification that SC may consider misleading or unauthorised;
• Upon suspension, withdrawal, or termination of certification, the client discontinues its use of all advertising matter that contains any reference thereto and takes action as required by the certification scheme (e.g. the return of certification documents) and takes any other required measure;
• If the client provides copies of the certification documents to others, the documents shall be reproduced in their entirety or as specified in the certification scheme;
• In the event that a non-conformity is raised by SC based on evidence obtained in circumstances other than surveillance activities (e.g. from complaints or third-party feedback), the MCS Contractor will be required to resolve them in a timescale defined by the SC, not normally more than 6 weeks from the date raised with the MCS Contractor.
  • Where such non-conformities cannot be resolved within 6 weeks the MCS certification would be subject to additional surveillance activities (remote, office audit or site visit an appropriate), suspension or withdrawal.
• In making reference to its product certification in communication media such as documents, brochures or advertising, the client complies with the requirements of SC or as specified by the certification scheme;
• The client complies with any requirements that may be prescribed in the certification scheme relating to the use of marks of conformity, and on information related to the product;
• The client keeps a record of all complaints made known to it relating to compliance with certification requirements and makes these records available to SC when requested, and
  • takes appropriate action with respect to such complaints and any deficiencies found in products that affect compliance with the requirements for certification;
  • documents the actions taken;
• The client informs SC, without delay, of changes that may affect its ability to conform with the certification requirements.
  • the legal, commercial, organisational status or ownership,
  • organisation and management (e.g. key managerial, decision-making or technical staff),
  • modifications to the product or the production method,
  • contact address and production sites,
  • major changes to the quality management system.
• For surveillance
  • Where the MCS Contractor has completed more than five installations in total:
    a) SC will the MCS Installation Database (MID) to select at least five installations at random that were normally commissioned within the last year.
    b) The list of installations is sent to the MCS Contractor and the MCS Contractor is asked to choose one and arrange the site visit with the consumer.
  • If the MCS Contractor has not carried out installation work for a particular technology during the previous year, the surveillance may proceed on the basis of a desktop review of capability at the MCS Contractor’s office, subject to the MCS Contractor agreeing to inform the SC the next time they accept a contract to carry out an installation of the type concerned. When such an installation goes ahead, an additional site Compliance Assessment shall be required.
  • A desktop review shall not be undertaken for more than one consecutive surveillance. Where the MCS Contractor has not carried out installation work for a particular technology for 2 consecutive years then certification shall be terminated and only reinstated as if Initial Certification (clause 4.1).
  • Where a surveillance programme is via the minimum annual assessment, this should take place during a time period that is between 2 months prior to and 4 months beyond the original date of certification.

CLIENT CHANGES

The client will inform us in writing, without delay of matters effecting the capability of the managements system to continue to fulfil the requirements of the standard used for certification.

These include, for example

• The MCS Contractor shall give notice in writing to the Accredited Certification Body of any change to any significant particulars. These include but are not limited to
  • Director(s)
  • Trading status, title or address
  • Nominee
  • Nominated Technical Person(s)
  • Changes relating to the legal, commercial, organisational status or ownership, organisation and management (e.g. key managerial, decision-making, or technical staff).
  • Contact address and additional sites.
  • Information on incidents such as a serious accident, or a serious breach of legislation necessitating the involvement of the competent regulatory authority.

Such notice shall be given to the Accredited Certification Body within 30 days of any change becoming effective.

Where the changes are such that the conditions under which certification was granted are significantly affected, the MCS Contractor will be advised of the actions, and any associated fees, that will be required to be completed to maintain certification.

Please note that all details of applicants and certificate holders may be shared by the Certification Body with

MCS Service Company Ltd
The operators of any Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) ‘code of conduct’ for the purposes of complaints handling and for compiling statistics on this Scheme
UK government departments and their agencies

HEAD OFFICE ASSESSMENT AND TECHNOLOGY INSPECTIONS

For initial certification or a scope extension, technical inspections MUST be conducted on the same day or days following of the head office assessment to ensure that the validity of the assessment is maintained for the chosen technologies.