NEN, ISO and other important standards for independent professionals

NEN, ISO and other certifications play an important role in the world of safety, quality and reliability. As an independent professional, you do not need to have a NEN or ISO certificate yourself. They are intended for companies, suppliers and intermediaries who work with self-employed persons. Nevertheless, it is wise to know what these standards mean, because clients may refer to them or work with them via a platform. In this article, you can read exactly what NEN and ISO are, when they play a role in assignments and how you, as a self-employed person, can benefit from working with certified parties.

What are NEN and ISO certifications?

EN and ISO are international quality standards that help organisations demonstrate that they work professionally, safely and responsibly.

• NEN stands for the Dutch Standardisation Institute, which sets standards for products, services and processes in the Netherlands.
• ISO stands for the International Organisation for Standardisation, a global organisation that develops standards for quality, safety and the environment, among other things.

These standards provide clear guidelines. They demonstrate that an organisation has its processes in order and takes a careful approach to issues such as safety, reliability and working conditions. As a self-employed person, you do not need to have an ISO or NEN certificate yourself, but clients may attach value to it if the party you work with as a professional (such as a platform or intermediary) is certified.

Why are standards important for self-employed professionals?

Even if you do not require certification yourself, knowledge of standards helps you to come across as professional. Many large organisations only work with suppliers who meet specific standards. When you work through a certified agency or platform, you automatically benefit from their reliability.

It is also useful to know what clients are referring to. If someone asks about “ISO 9001”, you immediately understand that they are talking about quality management. This shows that you speak your client's language, which inspires confidence.

A platform or supplier with ISO or NEN certification proves that the organisation:

• handles administration and legislation carefully;
• works safely and efficiently;
• continuously works on quality improvement.

This is beneficial for you, as it increases the chance of stable assignments and smooth collaboration.

When is certification mandatory?

As a self-employed person, you are not required to have ISO or NEN certification yourself. This requirement only applies to organisations that supply, second or mediate personnel, not to self-employed persons who carry out their own assignments.

However, a client may request that you work through a certified party. For example:

• In construction, VCA is a standard requirement for safety.
• In the case of secondment or payrolling, NEN 4400-1 often applies to the intermediary.
• In IT or consultancy, ISO 27001 (information security) or ISO 9001 (quality) are used.

In all these cases, as a self-employed person, you do not need to be certified yourself, but you work within the framework of an organisation that is.

What is the difference between NEN 4400-1 and ISO 9001?

These two are often confused, but they serve different purposes:

• NEN 4400-1 focuses on compliance with laws and regulations concerning payroll taxes, taxes and personnel management. This is particularly relevant for companies that employ staff or self-employed persons. Read more about taxes for self-employed persons here.
• ISO 9001 is about quality management: how an organisation organises its processes to continuously deliver good work.

As a self-employed person, you do not need to obtain either of these certificates. However, it can be useful to know whether the party you are working with has these certificates. This provides certainty about their reliability and quality.

VCA certificate for safety

VCA stands for (Safety, Health and Environment Checklist Contractors). If you work as a self-employed person in construction, industry or engineering, clients often ask for a VCA certificate.

There are three levels:

• VCA Basic: for operational staff and self-employed persons without staff.
• VCA VOL: for self-employed persons who manage others or work in high-risk locations.
• VCA Petrochemicals: for specialised work in industrial installations.

Unlike ISO or NEN, you can obtain VCA yourself. It is not a legal requirement, but in practice it is often a strict requirement.

How can you demonstrate professionalism without a certificate?

You don't need ISO or NEN certification to come across as professional. There are plenty of ways to inspire confidence:

• Work via certified platforms or intermediaries (such as HeadFirst's Striive platform). This shows that you carry out assignments within safe and controlled processes.
• Use a VCA certificate if you work in a high-risk environment.
• Refer to your own working methods, for example that you work according to ISO guidelines or quality principles, without being officially certified.
• Collect strong references from previous clients.
• Ensure clear administration and communication.

By taking these steps, you demonstrate that you work consciously and professionally, even without official certification.

What does certification cost (for organisations)?

The costs of certification usually range between €500 and €2,000 for smaller organisations. These costs are not relevant for self-employed persons, as they do not need to apply for certification themselves.

However, it can be indirectly beneficial to work with parties that have already made this investment. They meet strict requirements, which increases your reliability in the chain.

What are the advantages of certification for self-employed persons?

Certification of organisations offers many advantages for self-employed persons. It increases the trust between you and your client, because you know that processes are well organised and agreements are professionally complied with. You benefit from clear working methods, safe working conditions and fair administrative processing.

In addition, certified organisations provide access to larger and more stable projects, where quality and continuity are key. This allows you to focus fully on your profession, with the certainty that the organisation you work with meets strict requirements in terms of safety, reliability and quality.

For which industries are certifications most relevant?

Certifications play a particularly important role in sectors where safety, quality and reliability are key. In construction and engineering, a VCA certificate is almost always a requirement, while in the IT and consultancy sector, many clients work with ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.

In secondment and payroll services, the standards of NEN 4400-1 often apply, which say something about reliability and compliance with laws and regulations. Certifications are also indispensable in healthcare and government organisations, because they only work with suppliers who can demonstrate that they meet quality standards.

As a self-employed person, you usually work within your client's standards or via a platform that meets these requirements, so everyone knows exactly where they stand.

How can you, as a self-employed person, benefit from certification without incurring unnecessary costs?

You can cleverly piggyback on existing certifications without having to apply for anything yourself. Work through platforms or agencies that are demonstrably certified; this increases your reliability and opens doors to larger assignments.

Use templates and guidelines that organisations often make available to improve your own working methods. If you are considering a certificate such as VCA, combine audits and checks to save costs. And actively communicate that you work via a certified platform or according to ISO principles, as this creates trust among clients.

By making clever use of existing structures in the market, you can reap all the benefits of certification without having to make any major investments yourself. This allows you to build a professional, reliable reputation step by step.

Are certifications also interesting for sole traders?

Certainly. Even as a sole trader, you can benefit from working in a controlled, safe environment. It's not about having a certificate, but about the way you work.

For example, you can:

• obtain a VCA Basic certificate if you work physically on construction sites;
• draw up your own safety or quality plan;
• collaborate with reliable, certified clients.

All of this contributes to a professional image and increases your chances of getting assignments.

What are the alternatives to official certification?

There are plenty of practical ways to inspire confidence in clients without needing official certifications. Industry quality marks such as BouwGarant or Techniek Nederland show that you work according to clear quality standards. Strong references from previous clients also contribute to a professional image.

In addition, you can demonstrate that you work consciously and carefully with your own quality statement or safety plan. Clear administration and clear terms and conditions further reinforce that image. In quotations, you can confidently state that you work according to the guidelines of, for example, ISO 9001, as long as you actually apply this in practice.

This shows that you take quality seriously, without the need for a formal certificate.

Frequently asked questions about NEN, ISO and other standards

What exactly are NEN and ISO certifications?

NEN and ISO are standards for quality, safety and reliability. They apply to organisations, not to individual self-employed persons.

As a self-employed person, do I need to have ISO or NEN certification?

No, that is not necessary. These certifications are intended for companies or intermediaries, not for self-employed persons.

When is a VCA certificate mandatory?

If you work on construction sites or industrial locations, a VCA certificate is often mandatory or strongly recommended.

What is the difference between NEN 4400-1 and ISO 9001?

NEN 4400-1 checks the financial and administrative reliability of companies; ISO 9001 focuses on quality management.

How can I demonstrate professionalism as a self-employed person without certification?

By working through certified platforms, obtaining a VCA certificate or properly documenting and communicating your working methods.