ISO 42001 certification: Show clients you are taking AI seriously
- Automate evidence gathering, gap analysis, policy creation, and reporting for ISO 42001
- Guide teams with this new standard at every stage and return up to 50% of their time
- Build trust and unlock opportunities by positioning your organisation as a trusted AI partner
- Accelerate ISO 42001 and get your certification in a matter of weeks
What you can expect from Vambrace
A full and fast ISO 42001 certification service that demonstrates to stakeholders that your organisation is developing and using AI systems in a safe, fair, explainable, and responsibly governed manner.
Use Aegis to simplify and accelerate the ISO 42001 certification process with ready-to-go document and policy templates, mapped controls, and AI-specific risk scenarios. Aegis is always supporting your team, summarising policies, flagging emerging evidence gaps, and providing step-by-step remediation guides.
Speak to an ISO 42001 expert
Ready to get a faster, clearer, and simpler view of ISO 42001?
Whether you are starting your AI journey and are looking for general guidance, or you need to arrange a structured pre-assessment of your AI Management System ahead of a formal audit, our team are here to help. Simply complete the form, or give us a call on 0330 460 4633 to start a conversation.
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Accelerate your ISO 42001 certification
Let Aegis, our AI driven and automation powered platform take on the heavy lifting associated with ISO 42001 certification.
Many organisations are still defining the role AI will play in their growth plans, all while trying to recruit the right people with the necessary expertise and building their first AI governance program. Aegis is the essential tool that will cut through the noise, avoid wasted months, and get you to ISO 42001 compliance fast.
With Aegis in control you can react to sudden changes or pivots by continuously adjusting which AI systems and the people using them are in scope and aligning it to the ISO 42001 standard.
- With Aegis’ powerful automation tools and the expertise of audit advisors from A-LIGN, ISO 42001 compliance can be achieved in just a matter of weeks.
- ISO 42001 requires oversight of AI systems across their lifecycle. Aegis gives you a single central dashboard where you can monitor progress toward certification readiness, see evidence tied to specific controls, and track which ISO 42001 requirements are satisfied
- Demonstrate and easily share your evidence and compliance achievements in the Aegis Evidence Hub for auditors, clients, regulators, and prospects to view.
In a fast moving space ISO 42001 will regularly evolve
Those who are able to implement continuous compliance will be the ones who succeed
Trying to manually stay on top of all these updates will be almost impossible. Aegis automatically alerts you to any new updates across the ISO 42001 risk assessment framework that could lead to emerging gaps and will put in place step by step remediation paths to assist your teams.
Prepare for ISO 42001 with an Aegis driven pre-audit
Before your formal audit, you need to know where you stand. Aegis acts as an accelerator, identifying issues well in advance, saving considerable cost and time.
- Test whether controls work in practice (not just on paper) and confirm teams understand their roles and responsibilities.
- Aegis comes with pre-built control frameworks aligned to ISO 42001 to map your current policies, processes, and AI system controls to relevant clauses, identifying areas that need attention before a Stage 2 audit.
- Being able to demonstrate to auditors that you’ve been proactive in preparation may shorten the certification timeline.
Obtaining your ISO 42001 certification
ISO 42001 certification requires an audit to be performed by a certified, independent certification body. Because our Aegis platform will be preparing you for the audit, Vambrace cannot fulfil this role ourselves.
However, our partnership with A-LIGN means you can still proceed straight to obtaining your certification with zero delays.
With ANAB accreditation, a 96% client satisfaction rating, and over 4,000 ISO assessments conducted, A-LIGN can help you become one of the first to achieve ISO 42001 certification.
What our customers say
“We worked with Nick to achieve our ISO 27001 certification. Starting with a gap analysis, he then helped us develop a comprehensive ISO 27001 company policy, which led to our successful audit.
We partnered with Nick again recently to complete a ISO 27001:2022 gap analysis, helping us identify the necessary changes for the new standard, ensuring we’re prepared for the upcoming re-certification”.
Will Wilkinson
Pressac Communications
You won’t find a more knowledgeable consultant around the subject of ISO than Nick. He has vast experience and it shows in everything we are involved with him.
He played a major part helping us transition from the old 2013 to the new 2022 ISO standard. I couldn’t think of a better person to have in your corner for navigating ISO.
Babble | May 2025
Reasons to accelerate ISO 42001 certification
Stand out
Many organisations will claim to use AI ‘ethically’ but few can prove it. An ISO 42001 certification is an internationally recognised benchmark that independently validates your AI governance practices.
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Build confidence with customers, partners, and regulators
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Enhance brand reputation and credibility
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Demonstrate long-term commitment to responsible innovation
As a relatively new standard, ISO 24001 presents a rare opportunity to stand out in competitive markets by showing that your AI strategy is structured, mature, and future-ready, not experimental or reactive.
Win more business
34% of organisations have reported losing business due to a missing certification.
For good reason; AI is still very much in its infancy, and clients will want to deal with trusted partners who share their focus on AI risk, ethics, and accountability.
ISO 42001 is increasingly being referenced in:
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Enterprise procurement requirements
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Vendor risk assessments
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AI due-diligence questionnaires
- RFP and tender documents
For buyers, ISO 42001 may become a deciding factor when choosing between closely matched AI-enabled suppliers.
Reduce costs and operational risk
ISO 42001 certification helps reduce costs over time by improving control, consistency, and risk management across the AI lifecycle.
Implementing ISO 42001 introduces standardised processes for AI development, deployment, monitoring, and oversight. This reduces inefficiencies, prevents costly incidents, and minimises legal, regulatory, and reputational exposure.
Organisations benefit from:
- Fewer AI-related failures and incidents
- Lower long-term compliance and remediation costs
- Clear ownership and accountability for AI systems
ISO 42001 certification FAQs
ISO 42001 is the first international global standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS).
It provides a framework for organisations to govern AI responsibly, manage AI-related risks, ensure ethical use, and maintain compliance with emerging AI regulations. Achieving ISO 42001 compliance means you have formal, audited, and certified AI governance practices in place covering:
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AI governance and leadership
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Risk assessment and impact analysis
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Data quality and bias mitigation
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Human oversight of AI systems
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Security, robustness, and reliability
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Continuous improvement and audits
An AI Management System is a structured framework that organisations use to oversee and monitor the development, deployment, ongoing usage, and maintenance of their artificial intelligence technologies.
It ensures that AI applications are designed, implemented, and operated in a manner that is ethical, transparent, and aligned with regulatory standards (such as ISO 42001 certification).
It includes comprehensive policies and procedures for managing AI-related risks, promoting accountability, and ensuring the continuous improvement of AI systems. Key components of an AI Management System include governance structures, risk management strategies, compliance protocols, and training programs to build competence among personnel involved in AI projects.
ISO 42001 is a scalable standard focusing on responsible AI management. The scope, controls, and documentation are tailored to AI maturity, risk profile, and resources, not factors such as company size, location or vertical. ISO 42001 is particularly applicable to:
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AI developers and technology providers
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Companies deploying AI internally for analysis, content creation, aiding decision-making, or automation processes
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Organisations preparing for AI regulatory compliance, such as the EU AI Act
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Businesses who value being able to demonstrate leadership in responsible AI practices to suppliers as part of their RFP responses or to differentiate them from their competitors.
Only an accredited body can perform an ISO 42001 certification audit. However, internal audits and pre-audits can be conducted by qualified staff or third-party consultants in compliance, risk, or AI teams.
The timeline will vary based on an organisation’s size, but without the support and automation of the Aegis platform and our close partnership with A-LIGN, organisations can be looking at a 6–12 month timescale from preparation to certification.
With our Aegis platform automating tasks and guiding teams, ISO 42001 certification can be achieved in as little as 8 weeks.
ISO 42001 certification is typically valid for 3 years, requiring an annual surveillance audit, which Aegis can assist you with, and a recertification audit at the end of the cycle.
The AI lifecycle refers to the end-to-end management of an AI system, from initial idea through deployment, operation, and eventual retirement. The standard requires organisations to identify, manage, and control risks at every stage of this lifecycle.
ISO 42001 does not mandate a single rigid model, but it expects organisations to formally define and govern the following lifecycle stages.
1. Planning and design
2. Data acquisition and preparation
3. Development and training
4. Testing and validation
5. Deployment and use
6. Monitoring and operation
7. Change management and retraining
8. Decommissioning and retirement