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This article focuses on the STeP certification process and how long it takes for certification to be completed.
The process of STeP certification can be roughly divided into 7 steps:
Step 1: Interested companies can contact one of the global OEKO-TEX® agencies (contact offices) and provide certification applications or register on the STeP platform.
Step 2: OEKO-TEX provides access to the evaluation tools for the company.
Step 3: The company completed an electronic questionnaire.
Step 4: OEKO-TEX analyzes and evaluates the data.
Step 5: The OEKO-TEX auditor visits the production facility and verifies the information provided in the questionnaire.
Step 6: OEKO-TEX creates a detailed report on the audit results and - if the required criteria are met - issues the STeP certificate to the requesting company.
Step 7: Upon receipt of the certificate, the company has the right to communicate its STeP certification to the public and use it commercially.
How long does the STeP certification procedure take?
Certification usually takes three months from application, data collection and data evaluation to auditing and issuance of certificates. However, the duration of the actual certification process depends on the specifics of each production facility. For example, this includes whether the certification for each business area already exists, or the speed at which the required data can be determined and provided.
The responsibility of STeP certification lies with the international OEKO-TEX Association and its 18 member institutions and representative offices in more than 60 countries around the world. The OEKO-TEX organization recognizes the wide range of capabilities of independent textile testing and research institutes and long-term experience with specific conditions in the textile and apparel industry. Therefore, all production stages of the production facilities can be STeP certified, from fiber production, spinning mills, weaving mills, knitting factories to finishing equipment and ready-made textile manufacturers.
