Application Process for Organizational Members wanting to be an ISSSP Accredited Training Organization

The Accredited Training Organization (ATO) application and review are designed to ensure credibility. Therefore, the accreditation process is rigorous and may require follow-up information. The request for more details about your organization or programs may include documents, training material, onsite visits, etc. Your organization will be responsible for any additional costs that might be associated with this part of the approval process. The thoroughness of the ISSSP ATO accreditation is unique in the Six Sigma marketplace and lets customers know that you training programs are some of the best in the industry. In order to access the application, you must be an Organizational member of ISSSP. To be considered for accreditation, your ISSSP membership must be in good standing. Anyone may view the ISSSP Standards, Minimum ATO Requirements, Training Day Equivalents, Intellectual Property Guide and ATO Terms & Conditions that organizations' training and/or certification programs must uphold to earn and maintain accreditation. In addition, ATO's may only use the ATO Badge for training and/or certification programs that meet the Minimum ATO Requirements and Training Days Equivalent. ATO's may not use ISSSP Marks on website pages, marketing materials, or certificates for programs that do not qualify under the ATO Minimum Requirements and Training Days Equivalent. An ATO may use the proper ISSSP Marks on the footer of every one of their website pages regardless of the content above, as long as the footer contains only accreditation, menu, or contact information.

A Process With Lasting Benefits

The application process will work as follows:

  1. Complete the application, pay the $750* accreditation fee, which includes your first year of dues, and submit all documents within 30 days of your initial save of the incomplete application. *Your organization will be responsible for any additional costs above and beyond the standard application fee.
  2. Receive a confirmation email that your application has been received.
  3. ISSSP will assign your application to an ISSSP Accreditation Representative.
  4. He/she will perform an initial review of your application to ensure everything is included.
  5. If information is missing, he/she will contact you requesting the necessary information to move forward with the review process. Any missing information must be received within 10 business days of notification, or the application will be rejected. You will then need to re-apply and pay the application fee again.
  6. Application and the organization will undergo a thorough evaluation by the ISSSP Accreditation Representative.
  7. Review process will go beyond the application and documents attached to include a more in-depth look at your organization, training offered, etc. It will include extensive research about your organization, including contacting the provided references, etc.
  8. The in-depth analysis will be based on the Accreditation Advisory Committee's (AAC's) Minimum ATO Requirements, Days Equivalent for Training and ISSSP Standards, as well as the organization's ability to meet the ATO Terms & Conditions. These are the guidelines that will be used for every application.
  9. Once the more in-depth review is complete, the initial checklist will be attached to your account, along with a formal report that is created based on the results of the investigation. The ISSSP Representative may recommend an approval or denial, but the AAC's decision is final.
  10. The formal report and initial checklist will be forward to the AAC, who will approve, deny, or request additional information up to the requirement of an on-site visit at the ATO's expense. The AAC's decision is based on the constraints of these guidelines.
  11. This process may take up to four weeks to complete at which time you will receive a formal email with your certificate attached, if approved, the reason for your denial, or any additional items or further action needed.
  12. Once approved, your Organizational Membership page will be updated to include an ATO tab with basic information, such as a copy of your certificate and your accreditation start and end dates.
  13. If you receive an email asking for any additional information or further action, any requested information must be received within 10 business days. If a meeting or site visit is requested, then the meeting/visit must be scheduled within 10 business days and completed within 30 days (completion is flexible based on the ISSSP Accreditation Representatives' schedule to complete the Site Visit). You will receive a letter with the estimated cost of travel expenses. You may pay choose to pay for any accrued travel expenses, or you may refuse to pay and end the application process. Please note, you will forfeit the application fee and any other fees already paid.
  14. Following the request for additional information by the AAC, the ISSSP Accreditation Representative will begin a second investigation pertaining to the areas highlighted by the AAC. He/She will provide an updated formal report, including any additional information, meeting results, and/or site visit results once the second investigation is complete.
  15. The report and any other information will be forwarded to the AAC for approval or denial.
  16. If the information, meeting and/or site-visit are not received/scheduled within the 10 business day time period and/or your meeting/site visit is not completed within 30 days (completion is flexible based on the ISSSP Accreditation Representatives' schedule to complete the Site Visit), your application will be denied, and you will be required to re-apply and pay the application fee again.
  17. The AAC will have access to the full application, as well as any and all documents, meeting results, and/or site-visit results that the ISSSP Accreditation Representative has.
  18. The AAC will either make the decision to deny your ATO status or request more information up to and including an onsite visit.
  19. If an ISSSP Accreditation Representative feels there is a conflict-of-interest between him/her and the organization under review, he/she is compelled to recuse themselves from the review process and forward the application for review to another representative or directly to the AAC, if no other person is eligible. The new representative or the AAC will complete the process above as per the ATO Application Process.
  20. Once approved, an ATO may use the ATO Badge and ATO Box per the Intellectual Property Guide. Only training/certification programs that meet all of the minimum requirements, daily training equivalents, ISSSP standards, and ATO Terms & Conditions may showcase the appropriate ISSP Mark. In addition, the organization will be listed under Find an ATO? and have the additional ATO tab added to the organizational membership page (which will include a copy of your certificate, your initial approval date, and the end date, as well as an area to list training programs that qualify under your ATO status.) Your organizational membership page will also have the Accredited Training Organization tag added and the official ATO Badge.

You agree to be bound by this application process, the outcome, and any added expenses. You understand that the application fee and any other related expenses regarding the review process are nonrefundable. Payment and submission of the application and associated fees is not a guarantee of accreditation approval.

What if the application is denied, the accreditation is withdrawn, or you are placed on probation?

The ISSSP Accreditation Advisory Committee has the final authority to approve, deny, withdraw approval, or place an ATO on probation for failing to meet the ISSSP's Standards, Minimum ATO Requirements, Days Equivalent Standards and/or any other violations, including, but not limited to, the Terms & Conditions, ATO Terms & Conditions, Intellectual Property Guide.

  1. If your organization is denied, you will receive an email informing your organization that the application has been denied and the reason. Your organization will have 30 days to request an appeal.
  2. If this is your first denial, you will have 30 days to request an appeal for a second review by the AAC.

If your organization is denied or loses accreditation status all application fees and related expenses will be forfeited. All annual (membership and ATO) dues are non-refundable, if you are denied or lose accreditation status. (Remember: Annual ATO fees of $550 are not paid until your second year anniversary as an ATO.)

If an ATO is placed on probation, the ISSSP Accreditation Advisory Committee will send an email with the length of the probation listed, as well as the reason(s). You may appeal your probation by submitting evidence that the reason(s) for the probation is unfounded or resolved prior to being placed on probation. Your organization will not show up as an ATO during the probation period, and the ATO badge and designation will be removed from your organization's membership page. At the end of the probation, you will need to submit evidence that the reason(s) listed in the email that prompted the probation have been resolved. Additional problems during the probationary period could result in a revocation of accreditation. The ISSSP Accreditation Advisory Committee may also require the completion of a self checklist or completion of a new application to come off of probation.

If your accreditation is withdrawn, because of failure to follow the ISSSP standards, Minimum ATO Requirements, Days Equivalent Training Standards, Terms & Conditions, ATO Terms & Conditions, Intellectual Property Guide, or any other serious violation, you will receive an email stating why. In addition, serious violations may also result in the revocation of your ISSSP membership. You will not receive any refunds for money paid by your organization to ISSSP. You may appeal the decision by providing evidence that you have not committed the violation stated in the email. If your accreditation is withdrawn, you must reapply at the full cost and provide evidence that the problem listed has been resolved, unless you are reinstated through the appeal process. Your organization may also need to reinstate their Organizational membership status to access the application, if your membership is also revoked.

Appeal Process

You may appeal the decision of the Accreditation Advisory Committee by sending an email with the reason why you disagree with the committee and include all supporting evidence that proves your case. All appeals must be submitted within 15 days of the receipt of the Accreditation Advisory Committee's decision. Extensions may be given, if the committee feels the organization should have more time to gather and provide evidence for their case.

  1. If you request an appeal the AAC may ask the ISSSP Accreditation Representative to initiate a second investigation into the organization, including asking for specific documents that address the reason for denial, and/or scheduling a time for an online meeting/on-site visit. (You will receive an email with a estimated travel cost for any site visit. You may choose to pay the travel expenses and continue your application. You may also choose not to continue your application, at which point you would forfeit any application or other fees associated with your accreditation.
  2. The same process listed above for a second investigation will apply.
  3. Second investigations, regardless of the reason, may take up to 45 days or more to complete (when a site-visit is required based on the ISSSP Representatives' schedule) or two to four weeks without a site-visit requirement.
  4. Following the second investigation, an updated formal report with any new information or results of any meetings, site visits, etc. will be forwarded to the AAC for another review.
  5. The AAC will have access to the full application, as well as any and all documents, meeting results, and/or site-visit results that the ISSSP Accreditation Representative has to offer.
  6. The AAC will either make the decision to deny your ATO status or request more information up to and including an onsite visit. (Your organization will be responsible for any additional costs above and beyond the standard application fee.)
  7. If the review was initiated by a second appeal, the decision will be final.
  8. If your appeal is approved, then as an ATO may use the ATO Badge and ATO Box per the Intellectual Property Guide. Only training/certification programs that meet all of the minimum requirements, daily training equivalents, ISSSP standards, and ATO Terms & Conditions may showcase the appropriate ISSP Mark. In addition, the organization will be listed under Find an ATO? and have the additional ATO tab added to the organizational membership page (which will include a copy of your certificate, your initial approval date, and the end date, as well as an area to list training programs that qualify under your ATO status.) Your organizational membership page will also have the Accredited Training Organization tag added and the official ATO Badge.
  9. If your appeal is also denied, you may repeat the application process after 6 months.

ISSSP Application Submission

  1. You must be an Organizational member and log into your account to access the ATO application.
  2. The application must be submitted online and in its entirety with application fees paid at the time of submission. You may save your progress and continue your application by going to the notifications section of the My Account drop-down menu or using the link provided after you save your application. You will have 30 days to complete and submit your application with the accreditation fee. Hard copies of the application are not accepted at this time.
  3. All required documentation, files, etc. must be uploaded and included with the application at time of submission. Failure to include everything could delay your approval or result in a denial.
  4. You will receive and email confirmation of your application submission with a copy of your application for your records.

A confirmation email will be sent to you after successful submission. If you do not receive an email, please contact us to confirm receipt. We recommend keeping this email for your records.

Application, Accreditation, and Annual Renewal Fees

The ISSSP Application fee for Accredited Training Organizations is $750*, which includes your annual ATO fee for the first year. The annual fee for ATOs starting the second year is $550. You will also be required to maintain your Organizational ISSSP membership, complete the Annual Checklist, and pay the appropriate fees annually. Failure to maintain your membership status will result in the removal of your ATO status. The required checklist will be uploaded with at the same time as your annual ATO fee.

NOTE: Re-accreditation is required every four years, which will require a $750* fee for vetting. *The accreditation fee does not include any additional fees that may be associated with your organizations application.