The Draft of new ISO 9001:2026 has been published

The revision of the ISO 9001 standard is moving forward at a steady pace. The long-awaited Draft has been made available for a 12-week voting and comment period. The updated version of the standard is expected to be published in the second half of 2026, most likely in October or November.

"ISO 9001 is an essential benchmark for quality management across numerous production and professional sectors. For this reason, the current revision process is considered particularly important and is being closely followed by many stakeholders. It is crucial that the standard is updated regularly so that it continues to remain effective and relevant in increasingly complex and constantly evolving business environments," says Tor Gunnar Tollefsen, Global Service Manager for Management Systems at DNV.

Key changes in the draft version

The revision planned for 2026 introduces a series of targeted updates, many of which are intended to bring ISO 9001 into closer alignment with the harmonized structure adopted by other ISO management system standards.

Among the most significant changes are:

1. A new addition to section 5.1, "Leadership and commitment", designed to strengthen the role of quality culture and ethical behaviour, introducing clearer guidance on how these elements can be demonstrated in practice.
2. A clearer distinction between the management of risks and the management of opportunities within clause 6.1, through the introduction of new subclauses, from 6.1.1 to 6.1.3, and the expansion of the related operational guidance.
3. The inclusion of the climate change updates introduced in 2024, with reference to clauses 4.1 and 4.2.
4. A number of adjustments to the requirements set out in clauses 4 to 10, accompanied by the addition or revision of explanatory notes aimed at making the interpretation of the existing requirements clearer.

In addition, Annex A has been significantly expanded, with the aim of providing more detailed guidance that is better aligned with clauses 4 to 10 of the standard.

As is usually the case, further changes may still be introduced after the public consultation with stakeholders has been completed. However, based on the information currently available, the update appears likely to involve relatively limited changes for organizations.

The International Accreditation Forum, IAF, is expected to define and publish the rules and deadlines for the transition close to the release of the final version. In the past, ISO management system standards have generally included a transition period of up to three years. However, given the limited scope of the expected updates, a shorter timeframe may be established.