ISO 22301 Certification

ISO 22301 is the international standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). You need it to prepare for and recover from disruptive incidents, ensure critical operations continue during disruptions, protect revenue and reputation, and demonstrate operational resilience to stakeholders.

Disaster recovery focuses specifically on restoring IT systems and data after an incident. ISO 22301 is much broader—it covers all critical business functions including incident response, crisis management, business continuity planning, and organizational resilience across the entire enterprise, not just IT.

Typically 4-8 months from application to certification, depending on your organization's size, complexity, and current business continuity maturity. This includes BIA, risk assessment, BCMS implementation, testing, and the formal certification audit.

A BIA is a systematic process to identify critical business functions, their dependencies, and the impact of disruptions. It establishes Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs)—how quickly functions must be restored—and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs)—acceptable data loss. The BIA is fundamental to developing effective business continuity strategies.

ISO 22301 certification costs vary based on organization size, complexity, and scope. Small organizations typically start from $3,500, medium organizations from $6,000. Costs include audit days, technical review, and certificate issuance. Contact us for a detailed, no-obligation quote.

Yes, ISO 22301 requires regular testing and exercising. Testing validates that plans work, identifies gaps, ensures staff know their roles, and builds confidence. Methods include tabletop exercises, simulations, and full-scale tests. Regular testing is essential for maintaining certification.

Absolutely. ISO 22301 is highly effective for pandemic preparedness, cyberattack response, natural disasters, and supply chain failures. The BCMS framework helps you identify risks, develop response strategies, maintain critical operations, and communicate effectively with stakeholders during any type of disruption.

Your ISO 22301 certificate is valid for 3 years, with mandatory annual surveillance audits to ensure continued compliance. You must continue testing plans, updating your BIA and risk assessments, and implementing lessons learned. Recertification audit occurs before the certificate expires.