ISO 9001:2026 – what’s changed and what businesses need to do

ISO 9001:2026, published on 16 September 2026, replaces ISO 9001:2015 with targeted changes: stronger leadership expectations on quality culture and ethical behaviour, separate requirements for risks and opportunities, more detail on planning changes, and new Annex A guidance. Certified organisations must transition by 30 September 2029.

The ISO 9001 update

For businesses with an established ISO 9001 certified quality management system (QMS), the good news is that much of the existing framework remains in place. The revision is not a complete overhaul, but certificate holders will need to understand the revised requirements, check whether their current arrangements meet them and prepare for assessment against the new edition.

Why has ISO 9001 been updated?

ISO 9001 sets out requirements for managing quality consistently, meeting customer expectations and continually improving business processes.

The previous edition was published in 2015. Since then, businesses have faced changing customer expectations, increasingly complex supply chains, new technologies and greater pressure to respond effectively to risks and opportunities.

The 2026 revision reflects these developments while retaining the established principles of quality management.

For existing certificate holders, the emphasis should be on reviewing and improving what they already have, rather than assuming they need to develop an entirely new management system.

What are the main changes in ISO 9001:2026?

The new edition retains ISO 9001’s familiar structure, but clarifies and strengthens several requirements. Significant changes affect clauses 5.1.1 and 7.3 (quality culture and ethical behaviour), 5.2 (quality policy), 6.1 (risks and opportunities), 6.3 (planning of changes) and 9.3 (management review).

Greater emphasis on quality culture and ethical behaviour

The revision places greater emphasis on the role of senior management in promoting a culture of quality and ethical behaviour.

This goes beyond having a quality policy approved by senior leadership. Businesses need to consider how management demonstrates its commitment to quality, how employees understand their responsibilities and whether quality is embedded in everyday decisions.

The revised awareness requirements also give greater prominence to quality culture and ethical behaviour.

Clearer requirements for risks and opportunities

ISO 9001:2015 already required organisations to consider risks and opportunities when planning their quality management systems.

The 2026 edition makes a clearer distinction between the two, encouraging businesses to consider not only what could prevent them from achieving their objectives but also opportunities to improve performance.

This may mean reviewing existing risk and opportunity assessments to ensure both are being considered appropriately.

More detail on planning changes

ISO 9001 has always expected organisations to plan changes to their quality management system rather than make them on the fly. The 2026 edition adds more detail on what that planning should cover (clause 6.3). As well as deciding what is changing and why, businesses should consider how the change will be communicated to the people affected, how they will tell whether it has worked, and how the results will be reviewed afterwards.

In practice, this is about being able to show that a change was a managed decision with a follow-up, rather than something that simply happened. It’s worth checking whether your existing arrangements for introducing a new process, system or supplier include a point where someone looks at the outcome. Some organisations will already do much of this in practice, so the priority may be to make sure those arrangements are sufficiently clear and consistently followed.

A closer link between the quality policy and business strategy

The revised standard asks for the quality policy to be more clearly connected to the organisation’s context and strategic direction (clause 5.2). It may be worth revisiting a generic quality policy that says little about your organisation, its activities or strategic direction.
Read your current quality policy alongside your business plan. Does it reflect what your organisation is trying to achieve? If it doesn’t, it may also be worth reviewing the quality objectives that flow from the policy, how they’re measured and how management reviews progress against them.

Changes to management review

The 2026 revision also updates the requirements for management review (clause 9.3), placing greater emphasis on considering changes in the needs and expectations of interested parties, such as customers, suppliers and regulators. Businesses should check that their management reviews take account of these developments and consider whether they affect the effectiveness of their quality management system.

Annex A and climate change

The new edition includes Annex A, providing additional explanations of requirements and terminology to help organisations interpret and apply the standard. Annex A offers guidance rather than introducing additional requirements.

The revision also incorporates climate change considerations introduced through the 2024 amendment to ISO 9001:2015. Businesses should already be considering whether climate change is relevant to their organisational context, rather than treating this as an entirely new requirement.

What hasn’t changed?

ISO 9001:2026 keeps the fundamental principles of quality management. The clause structure is also retained: ISO 9001:2026 continues to follow the Harmonised Structure used across ISO management system standards, so the layout will be familiar to anyone who has worked with the 2015 edition or with other standards such as ISO 14001.

Businesses must still demonstrate that they understand customer requirements, manage their processes effectively, monitor performance, address nonconformities and continually improve.

The familiar Plan–Do–Check–Act approach remains relevant, as do the requirements for internal audits, management reviews and appropriate documented information.

For organisations with an effective ISO 9001:2015 system, the transition should therefore be a focused exercise in reviewing the revised requirements and addressing any identified gaps.

When is the ISO 9001:2026 transition deadline?

Businesses certified to ISO 9001:2015 have until 30 September 2029 to complete their transition to ISO 9001:2026.

Existing certificates remain valid during the transition period, provided they remain within their normal validity dates and the organisation continues to meet its certification and surveillance requirements.

Transition assessments may be carried out during an existing surveillance audit, as part of recertification or through a separate assessment, depending on the arrangements agreed with the certification body.

Businesses should contact their certification body to establish when an assessment against the revised standard will be available and how it will fit into their existing audit programme. There is no need to wait until the deadline to start reviewing your quality management system.

How should businesses prepare for ISO 9001:2026?

The first step is to understand the differences between the 2015 and 2026 editions and establish whether they affect your current arrangements.

A practical transition process might involve:

1. Reviewing the revised standard: Understand the updated requirements and guidance, particularly those relating to leadership, quality culture, ethical behaviour, risks and opportunities, and the planning of changes.
2. Carrying out a gap analysis: Compare the new requirements with your existing quality management system to identify anything that needs changing.
3. Updating relevant arrangements: Make proportionate changes to policies, procedures, objectives, responsibilities or records where gaps have been identified.
4. Involving the right people: Ensure senior management and relevant employees understand any changes that affect their responsibilities.
5. Checking implementation: Use internal audits and management review to assess whether the updated arrangements are operating effectively.
6. Planning your transition assessment: Agree the timing and requirements with your certification body, allowing time to address any issues identified.

The important point is that changes should be based on what your organisation actually needs.

A business with a well-established management system may require relatively modest adjustments. Another may discover that the revision provides a useful opportunity to address weaknesses in how its existing system operates.

Do businesses need to rewrite their quality management systems?

Not necessarily. ISO 9001:2026 retains the established management system framework, so most organisations should be able to build on what they already have.

JVR recommends reviewing existing arrangements before producing new documentation. The priority is to address genuine gaps and ensure that processes, responsibilities and records reflect how the business actually operates.

How JVR Consultancy can help with the ISO 9001 transition

JVR supports businesses developing, implementing and maintaining ISO management systems.

For organisations transitioning from ISO 9001:2015 to ISO 9001:2026, our consultants can review existing arrangements, identify gaps against the revised requirements and help implement any necessary changes.

We can also help businesses prepare for their transition assessment and consider opportunities to improve or integrate their quality management system with other standards.

If your organisation already holds ISO 9001 certification, the 2026 update is an opportunity to check that your system remains compliant, effective and relevant to the way your business operates.

Find out more: ISO 9001 consultants and certification support.