Becoming Certified

Certification is being managed on our behalf by Communagator Ltd ("Operator"). Your legal relationship is with Farm Data Principles Ltd. The details for certification (the scheme rules) are described below and are also available as a download here.

1. Please complete this form to register your organisation's interest in becoming certified

   
   

2. Upon our receipt of your registration of interest, we will send you a Welcome Pack

   
   

3. Certification is by self declaration:

   
   

   1. We ask you to complete a Data Handler Statement (“Statement”) which you should download as a Word document from here. This Statement is a set of questions you need to answer along with any links to appropriate evidence to prove you are aligned with the principles. Examples of others’ statements are available on the the register of certified organisations page. We have also created a Guidance Note to help you complete your Statement.

      
      

   2. Once you have drafted your Statement, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO:

      farm-data-principles@communagator.com 

      
      

   3. The Operator will then review the document. This NOT AN AUDIT but is intended to ensure your Statement is intelligible and to check there are not any obvious errors that conflict with the principles or expectations of the questions. The Operator may ask you to make changes so this is achieved.

      
      

   4. Where you are not able to answer a question with “yes” there are two options:

      1. You can confirm in your Statement that you will undertake to make any corrective actions in your organisation in the following 12 months - in which case if your certification is approved, your status will be “Provisionally Certified” (you must ensure these corrective actions are completed in time for your certification anniversary or you will not be able to continue to be certified)

      2. Where you are unable to confirm you will undertake the corrective actions within 12 months, you will NOT BE ABLE TO BE CERTIFIED and your application should be stopped at this point

         
         

   5. The annual certification fee of £950.00 is only applicable if you achieve Provisional of Full certification status and it is the same charge for either.

      
      

   6. We believe in a collaborative approach, and the Operator has been authorised by us to provide you with reasonable assistance and support to help you through the process so you can understand what is required and what you need to do. At no point should you consider any assistance of this nature as being advice, and since the Operator is acting on our behalf, you should not consider that it has any duty of care towards you or your organisation. This is made clear in the certification licence agreement.

      
      

   7. Once your Statement is approved, the Operator will:

      1. Confirm this in an email and send you the licence agreement for your electronic signature

      2. Send you the annual certification fee invoice

         
         

   8. Upon returning your signed certification licence agreement to us:

      1. You must pay the fee within 20 days of invoice date

      2. The Operator will publish your Statement on this website and add you to the register of certified organisations. 

      3. The Operator will send you a calendar invitation which will act as a reminder for renewal, dated six weeks before you renewal anniversary

      4. The Operator will send you your certificate and logo artwork which you may use in line with the certification licence agreement