Some of the most common certifications and standards used by Nova Scotia companies are listed below. Click on a link to find a list of certifications relevant to your industry, your company's products and services, or a market you are planning to enter.

• Certifications for industry sectors
• Certifications for business processes and management systems
• Certifications for manufactured products
• Certifications for food and fibre products
• Country/ market-related marks

Information on each of the certifications listed above is provided. It identifies which companies may benefit from achieving the certification, as well as information and advice on what's involved in the certification process. The following information is available for each certification or standard.

1. Category

• Industry
• Process, including management systems
• Product
• Market

2. Type
Certification by an accredited third-party to demonstrate compliance with a standard or to meet a statutory or regulatory requirement; or registration with an organization to demonstrate compliance with a statutory or regulatory requirement.

3. Website
The website of the main certification organization.

4. Description
An overview of the certification. Some information was sourced directly from web pages of the organizations, some was summarized from other information gathered from various sources, such as previous background research studies, presentations and some was provided by interviewees.

5. The sectors, products and/ or services relevant to/ covered by this certification
Some certifications are generally applicable to all sectors. Others may apply to all sectors but are more typically associated with some specific sectors or industries. Other certifications are very sector, industry, or product specific.

6. Brand value and penetration/ awareness in key regional markets (USA, Europe, Asia) and global value chains
Some certifications are global by nature while others apply to very specific geographic markets or sector specific supply chains.

7. Benefits to Nova Scotia companies
In some cases the information is customized to Nova Scotia depending on the sources, particularly interviews with sector specialists. In other cases the information is more general and refers to the benefits typically attributed to the certification.

8. Outline of the certification process
In some cases the process involves only a few key steps. In others, it is very lengthy and complex. For consistency and brevity, only summary overview information is provided.

9. The costs involved in preparing for and achieving certification
In some cases, this information can be found on the website of certifying organizations. In others, it was obtained in interviews.

10. Relevant information
This includes information about relevant organizations, certifying bodies, associations, registrars, and trainers. It is recommended that companies should contact those organizations to request additional information on the certification.