Frequently Asked Questions About SOA Certification

The figure of the Technical Director is necessary and indispensable in order to obtain the SOA Certification and can be identified in one or more people. The Technical Director must be in possession of a suitable educational qualification or professional experience allowed for the classes lower than IV. The designated persons cannot hold a similar position in other companies.

The three-year verification contract must be stipulated with the SOA that issued the valid certification. The review by the SOA must be completed within 45 days of signing the contract, except for any suspension of the procedure to allow further assessments and verifications within a period not exceeding another 45 days.

To obtain the SOA certification, a Permanent Consortium must be composed of at least 3 companies in possession of the SOA certification and specific requirements. The qualification of the consortium takes place through mathematical formulas that add up the categories and rankings owned by the individual member companies.

The SOA certification for classes higher than II requires the company to have the company Quality System certification in the EA28 sector in compliance with the UNI EN ISO 9001 standard. The certificate is issued by accredited bodies according to the European EA (European cooperation for Accreditation).

After signing the contract, the SOA verifies the qualification requirements within 90 days, which can be extended, due to additions or documentary deficiencies, for a total period not exceeding another 90 days. After a period not exceeding 180 days from the signing of the contract, the SOA is required to issue or refuse the certification.

The SOA certification is valid for five years, with a mandatory three-year review. It is issued following an investigation to verify the documents produced by the applicant company according to current Italian legislation and the guidelines issued by the ANAC (National Anti-Corruption Authority) supervisory authority.

As of January 1, 2021, there were 15 SOAs authorized by ANAC to issue SOA qualification certificates. The first Italian SOA both in terms of turnover and number of customers is CQOP SOA Spa.

To obtain the SOA certification, the applicant company must sign a specific contract and demonstrate, through verifiable documents and declarations, that it is in possession, over a specific period, of certain (technical/economic) requirements established by the Public Procurement Code and from the ANAC guidelines.

The SOA Certification allows you to participate in all the tenders announced for the realization of public biddings. It demonstrates the company’s ability to carry out, directly or in subcontract, works with a starting price of more than 150,000 euros.