ISO 22301 – The International Standard for Business Continuity Management System
ISO 22301 is the world’s leading standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). It gives organisations a structured framework to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive incidents — whether that is a cyberattack, supply chain failure, natural disaster, or pandemic — and continue delivering critical services throughout. Over 6,000 certificates are in force worldwide.
What is ISO 22301?
ISO 22301 is published by the International Organization for Standardization. The current version is ISO 22301:2019.
It specifies requirements for a Business Continuity Management System — the policies, plans, processes, and testing cycles that allow an organisation to continue its critical functions during and after a significant disruption.
ISO 22301 requires organisations to:
- Identify their critical products and services and the processes, resources, and dependencies that support them
- Conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to understand the consequences of disruption and recovery time objectives
- Develop Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) that define who does what, when, and how during an incident
- Test their plans regularly through exercises and drills
- Review and continually improve their BCMS
ISO 22301 is not simply a written plan — it requires demonstrated evidence that the plan works, including test records and management review.
Who Needs ISO 22301 Certification?
Financial Services Banks, insurance companies, payment processors, and financial institutions in regulated markets — UK (PRA/FCA), UAE (CBUAE), Saudi (SAMA), Singapore (MAS) — face operational resilience requirements that ISO 22301 directly addresses.
Telecommunications Telecom operators are essential infrastructure. Regulators in most markets require demonstrable business continuity planning. ISO 22301 provides the globally accepted framework.
Healthcare Hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare logistics providers need formal BCPs for risk management, accreditation, and public trust.
Technology and Cloud Services IT and cloud service providers face SLA commitments that require formal business continuity planning. Enterprise clients increasingly require ISO 22301 as a condition of supplier selection.
Government and Critical Infrastructure Public sector and critical infrastructure organisations face regulatory requirements for business continuity. ISO 22301 is increasingly specified in procurement and regulatory frameworks.
Professional Services Law firms, accountancy firms, and management consultancies use ISO 22301 to demonstrate operational resilience to clients and insurers.
Why ISO 22301 Matters Now a Days
The last five years have produced an extraordinary number of high-profile business disruptions — pandemic, cybersecurity incidents, geopolitical disruption, and climate-related events. This has pushed business continuity from a back-office planning function to a board-level strategic priority:
- Financial regulators in UK, UAE, Saudi, Singapore, and Australia have significantly tightened operational resilience requirements — ISO 22301 directly addresses these
- Enterprise procurement increasingly includes business continuity as a supplier evaluation criterion alongside information security
- Insurance underwriters are beginning to differentiate pricing based on demonstrated business continuity management maturity
- Investors and ESG frameworks increasingly expect evidence of resilience planning
Why Accredited ISO 22301 Certification Matters
Business continuity certificates are taken seriously by regulators, insurers, and enterprise buyers — all of whom verify the accreditation behind them.
At isofranchise.in, every certificate is issued through certification bodies accredited by one of six internationally recognised accreditation bodies. None of our certification bodies has ever been suspended.
The Six Accreditation Bodies We Work With:
IAS (International Accreditation Service) — Strong recognition in USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
UAF (United Accreditation Foundation) — Widely accepted across Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Popular choice for new and growing certification businesses.
UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) — The national body for the UK. Highly valued for UK and European supply chains.
ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) — Important for US government contracts and large American corporations.
KAB (Korea Accreditation Board) — Essential when supplying to South Korean companies in automotive and electronics.
EGAC (Egyptian Accreditation Council) — Recognised across North Africa and the Arab MENA region.
All six are connected through the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), so certificates are accepted in over 100 countries.
ISO 22301 Certification Process – Step by Step
- Initial Enquiry — A local franchise partner contacts you within 24 hours.
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA) — We help identify your critical services, processes, dependencies, and recovery time objectives.
- Risk and Threat Assessment — We identify the disruption scenarios most relevant to your organisation.
- Business Continuity Plan Development — We help develop BCPs covering incident response, crisis communications, recovery procedures, and IT recovery.
- Testing and Exercising — We help design and facilitate tabletop exercises and drills to test plan effectiveness.
- Documentation and Records — BCMS Policy, BIA, BCPs, exercise records, and required management records.
- Internal Audit — Confirms the BCMS is working before the external audit.
- Certification Audit — Document review (Stage 1) and assessment including review of BIA evidence, plans, and exercise records (Stage 2).
- Certificate Issuance — ISO 22301:2019 certificate, valid for three years.
- Surveillance Audits — Annual checks including review of recent exercises and incidents.
11. Recertification — Full audit every three years.
Typical Timeline
Organisation Size | Typical Duration |
Small organisation | 8–14 weeks |
Medium organisation | 12–20 weeks |
Large / complex organisation | 20–32 weeks |
Typical Cost Range
Organisation Size | Typical Cost (USD) |
Small | USD 2,500 – 6,000 |
Medium | USD 6,000 – 15,000 |
Large | USD 15,000+ |
For Businesses: Get ISO 22301 Certified
If your organisation needs ISO 22301 certification to meet regulatory requirements, satisfy client or investor demands, or demonstrate operational resilience formally and credibly, our network provides a clear and fully supported path.
- Certificates issued under internationally recognised accreditations
- Accepted in more than 100 countries
- Full support from Business Impact Analysis through to final certificate
ISO 22301 as a Business Opportunity — Join the isofranchise.in Network
Business continuity has moved from a specialist to a mainstream requirement. Regulatory tightening in financial services, insurance pricing, and enterprise procurement are all driving growth in ISO 22301 demand. For franchise partners with a background in risk management, IT, or financial services, ISO 22301 is an excellent specialist standard to develop — often paired naturally with ISO 27001.
What every franchise partner receives:
- Zero Investment
- Access to six accreditation bodies
- Free professional website and client database
- Exclusive regional rights
- Free comprehensive training
- Option to appear on the official accreditation schedule
How to Become an ISO 22301 Franchise Partner
The process is simple and straightforward:
- Submit your franchise application
- Complete onboarding and receive your free website and client database
- Finish the free training programme
- Choose the accreditation bodies you want to work with
- Set up your operations in your exclusive territory
- Start certifying clients and growing your business
Countries Where We Deliver ISO 22301 Certification
- Our network is active in many of the world’s strongest ISO certification markets, including:
Australia — Qatar — Thailand — Egypt — Azerbaijan — Nigeria — United Kingdom — Peru — Brazil — Bangladesh — USA — South Africa — Malaysia — Kuwait — Italy — Ghana — Georgia — Iraq — Kenya — Saudi Arabia — Nepal — Bulgaria — India — Pakistan — Indonesia — Mongolia — Canada — Iran — Germany — Singapore — Sri Lanka — Turkey — UAE — Vietnam and many more.