AQAP 2110 certification: NATO quality requirements under control without a heavy project
AQAP 2110 is NATO's quality assurance requirement for design, development and production. It shows defence customers that your company's deliveries are controlled and traceable. We build the system for you and support you through to assessment.
With Laatupankki, you get ready-made document templates, an application for maintaining the system and an expert by your side. We build NATO's additional requirements on top of your ISO 9001 quality management system, so no work is duplicated.
AQAP 2110 includes the requirements of ISO 9001 in full and adds NATO's own requirements, for example on quality plans, configuration management and government quality assurance.
Our service covers
Initial assessment
Building the system
Implementation
Assessment readiness
- No separate parallel system
- No need for an in-house quality manager
- No guesswork in interpreting the requirements
What is AQAP 2110?
AQAP 2110 (NATO Quality Assurance Requirements for Design, Development and Production) is a quality assurance requirement published by NATO for companies that design, develop or manufacture products for defence administrations. The current edition is based on ISO 9001:2015: it includes the requirements of ISO 9001 as such and supplements them with requirements specific to defence procurement. AQAP 2110 is usually set as a requirement in the procurement contract, and a growing number of prime contractors also require it from their subcontractors. Since Finland joined NATO, the requirement comes up more and more often.
ISO 9001 foundation
AQAP 2110 builds on ISO 9001. Leadership, processes, risks, resources and continual improvement are handled on the same principles as in any quality management system.
NATO's additional requirements
Quality plans, configuration management, counterfeit parts prevention and the flow-down of requirements to subcontractors add the specific features of the defence sector to the system.
Government quality assurance
The acquirer's quality assurance representative has the right to inspect your operations, premises and documented information. The system must be built so that evidence can be found quickly when requested.
AQAP 2110 conformity tells defence customers that your company's deliveries are controlled, traceable and open to inspection.
How we build a system that meets AQAP 2110 requirements
Laatupankki takes care of building the system for you. You receive an implementation that works in production and in projects, not only on assessment day.
We build the system around your actual ways of working. If you already have an ISO 9001 system, we supplement it with NATO's additional requirements instead of starting from scratch.
A machine shop, an electronics manufacturer and a software company need different areas of emphasis. We tailor the system to your products, size and customer contracts.
We create lean documentation that your staff will actually use. Clear templates for quality plans, configuration management, nonconformities and supplier management.
Our expert supports you from the initial assessment through to assessment and beyond. We also help when a new procurement contract brings new quality requirements with it.
The result is that AQAP 2110 requirements become part of your company's normal operations, not a separate project.
AQAP 2110 certification step by step
We deliver a system that meets AQAP 2110 requirements as a clear service process. At every stage, we do the heavy lifting while you focus on your deliveries.
Initial assessment
We review your company's current state and compare it with the requirements of AQAP 2110. If ISO 9001 is already in place, most of the foundation is ready and the work focuses on NATO's additional requirements.
- We map your current practices and documentation
- We identify gaps against the requirements of AQAP 2110
- We draw up a roadmap and a timetable for the assessment
You get a clear picture of what AQAP 2110 requires from you in practice.
System design
We design the system around your products and customer contracts. We define who is responsible for what and how conformity is demonstrated.
- We describe your processes from quotation to delivery
- We define practices for configuration management and traceability
- We agree how requirements are flowed down to subcontractors
Design ensures that the system fits your company's size and way of working.
Documentation and software implementation
We prepare the necessary descriptions and templates for you and bring them into the Laatupankki software, so they are available to everyone and always up to date.
- Quality management system descriptions and procedures ready to use
- A quality plan template in line with AQAP 2105
- Management of nonconformities, risks and suppliers in the software
Documentation is the most laborious stage, and it is exactly the part we do for you.
Implementation
We roll the system out to your staff and projects. We make sure everyone knows their role and that records are created as part of the work.
- We train key personnel in the new practices
- We introduce configuration management and nonconformity handling
- We monitor the first weeks and make adjustments as needed
Implementation succeeds when it is done on the terms of everyday work, not on paper.
Assessment readiness
We make sure the system and evidence meet the requirements of AQAP 2110 and prepare your company for the assessment. The assessment is carried out by the certification body you choose or by the acquirer's quality assurance representative.
- We carry out an internal audit and correct the findings
- We prepare the management review and the necessary evidence
- We help you choose a certification body and order the assessment
- We go through the assessment day in advance
Thorough preparation eliminates major surprises. If findings arise in the assessment, we help you correct them quickly and within the deadline. Nonconformities are a normal part of the process, not a rejection.
Building the system with us typically takes from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the size and starting point of the company. If you are already ISO 9001 certified, the work is considerably lighter. The assessment requires evidence that the system is in use, so we implement it well ahead of the assessment and take care of the timetable for you.
What are the benefits of AQAP 2110 certification?
AQAP 2110 is not just a tick box on a tender form. Built correctly, it improves both sales and the quality of your deliveries.
Access to defence procurement
Defence administrations and prime contractors in the defence industry set AQAP requirements in their procurement contracts. A ready system keeps your company in tenders it would otherwise be excluded from.
A place in the prime contractor's supplier network
Prime contractors flow AQAP requirements down to their subcontractors. When your system is in order, supplier evaluation goes quickly and cooperation can start without delay.
Fewer errors and complaints
Configuration management, traceability and systematic handling of nonconformities reveal problems in time. This shows in both delivery reliability and costs.
AQAP 2110 opens doors to domestic and international defence markets where demand is growing.
Who is AQAP 2110 certification for?
Our service is intended for defence and security industry suppliers that want to meet NATO's quality requirements without overburdening their own staff.
The service is designed for you if
We tailor the implementation to suit both a subcontractor with a few employees and an internationally operating manufacturer.
Supporting you through the assessment from start to finish
An AQAP assessment can feel daunting if it is your first time. With us, you know in advance what will be asked and where to find the answers.
Preparing for the assessment
We go through the system and evidence point by point and make sure that every requirement of ISO 9001 and AQAP 2110 is covered and can be demonstrated.
“Thorough preparation eliminates surprises”
Support on assessment day
We support you on assessment day. The assessor wants to hear the answers from you, which is why we coach key personnel in advance and make sure the right documents can be found quickly.
“You are not alone on assessment day”
Certificate and maintenance
Once the assessment has been passed, the certification body grants your company an AQAP 2110 certificate. Keeping it valid requires regular periodic assessments, so we make sure the system stays in good shape and the assessments go smoothly without a last-minute rush.
“The system stays assessment-ready”
You do not need to know the AQAP publications by heart. We make sure everything you need is in place.
The most common mistakes in an AQAP project
The same pitfalls keep recurring among defence suppliers. We make sure you avoid them.
A separate system alongside ISO 9001
AQAP 2110 is often built as a detached extra layer, so the same things are maintained in two places. We combine the requirements into a single system.
Subcontractors are forgotten
AQAP requires the requirements to be flowed down to the supply chain as well. If purchase orders lack quality requirements, the assessment reveals it immediately. We build supplier management into the purchasing process.
Configuration management stays on paper
Change control and traceability of the product structure are essential to defence customers. We build a practice in which changes are recorded as part of the work, not afterwards.
Thanks to our experience, you avoid the most common mistakes and reach the assessment in a straightforward way.
AQAP 2110 and ISO 9001
AQAP 2110 does not replace ISO 9001 but extends it. Once the foundation is in order, NATO's additional requirements build naturally on top of it.
The same foundation. AQAP 2110 includes the requirements of ISO 9001 as such, so your current quality management system is a good starting point.
Defence-specific additions. Quality plans, configuration management, risk management and counterfeit parts prevention supplement the foundation.
The supply chain is included. Requirements are flowed down to subcontractors, so supplier management is also built to the AQAP level.
Expandable. For companies developing software, AQAP 2110 is supplemented by AQAP 2210, and the same groundwork serves later extensions.
We help you assess whether ISO 9001 is enough for you or whether it makes sense to build AQAP 2110 into the same system straight away.
Why choose Laatupankki as your AQAP partner?
We have built management systems for dozens of SMEs and know how to make requirements work in practice, including in strictly regulated industries.
Experience with the requirements
We know both ISO 9001 and the additional requirements of AQAP 2110 and know what the assessor expects to see. This shortens the project significantly.
Practical implementation
We do not build theoretical models but solutions that work in production and in projects. Records are created as part of the work, not as a separate administrative task.
Software included in the package
The Laatupankki software keeps documents, nonconformities and supplier information in one place and reminds you of deadlines. The system stays alive between assessments.
You get a partner who does not leave you alone on assessment day or afterwards.
Talk to an AQAP expert
We review your company's current situation and assess together what AQAP 2110 requires from you and what timetable is realistic for implementation.
Frequently asked questions about AQAP 2110 certification
- No. AQAP 2110 is originally a contractual requirement, and the acquirer verifies that it is met through government quality assurance (GQA). In practice, many certification bodies offer AQAP 2110 certification as an extension to ISO 9001 certification, and an external certificate is a clear way to demonstrate conformity to customers before a contract is signed.
- AQAP 2110 includes the requirements of ISO 9001, so your system has to meet them in any case. In practice, the AQAP assessment is often carried out together with ISO 9001 certification or as an extension to it. If you do not have ISO 9001 yet, we build both into the same system in one go.
- Building the system with us typically takes from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the size and starting point of the company. If ISO 9001 is already in use, the work focuses on NATO's additional requirements and progresses faster. The assessment requires evidence that the system is in use, so it is worth reserving time for implementation as well.
- The certification assessment is carried out by an independent certification body. In addition, the acquirer's quality assurance representative may inspect your operations on the basis of the contract. We do not grant the certificate; we build the system, prepare your company for the assessment and support you on assessment day.
- We need a few meetings with your key personnel and information on how the work is actually done. We do the heavy documentation work. In practice, your own staff take part in the initial assessment, comment on the descriptions and attend the implementation training.
- Yes, to the extent required by the contract. AQAP 2110 requires the supplier to flow down the relevant quality requirements to its own subcontractors. We build supplier management and the requirement markings on purchase orders so that requirements travel through the supply chain without anyone having to remember them separately.