For food manufacturers in the United States looking to supply retailers with global supply chains, BRC Certification has become one of the most requested food safety credentials on the market. Yet for plants going through the process for the first time, the application itself can feel confusing there’s no single online form to fill out, and the path involves several moving pieces before an auditor ever sets foot in your facility.
This guide walks through exactly how to apply for BRC Certification, step by step, so your team knows what to expect and how to prepare.
Step 1: Understand What BRC Certification Actually Requires
Before applying, it helps to know what you’re applying for. BRC Certification (officially BRCGS Brand Reputation through Compliance and Global Standards) is a food safety and quality certification originally developed by British retailers, now recognized by grocery chains and private-label buyers across North America, Europe, and beyond. It’s benchmarked under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which means it carries weight with buyers who require GFSI-recognized certification from their suppliers.
If you’re still deciding whether this is the right standard for your facility versus alternatives, our breakdown of What is the BRC Food Certification? covers the standard’s structure, grading system, and audit categories in more detail.
Step 2: Choose an Accredited Certification Body
You cannot apply for BRC Certification directly through BRCGS you apply through an accredited certification body (CB) authorized to conduct BRCGS audits. There are several approved certification bodies operating in the U.S., and choosing one typically comes down to auditor availability in your region, industry experience with your product category, and turnaround time for scheduling.
Once you select a certification body, you’ll submit an application that includes basic facility information: production volume, product categories, number of employees, shift patterns, and any existing food safety certifications you hold. The certification body uses this information to determine your audit duration and pricing.
Step 3: Select Your Audit Option and Scope
BRCGS offers different audit options depending on your risk profile and customer requirements including announced and unannounced audit programs. Most first-time applicants start with an announced audit, which gives the facility a scheduled date to prepare for, while more established facilities sometimes move to unannounced programs once their food safety culture is fully mature. Your certification body will help determine which option fits your facility and product risk category.
Step 4: Complete a Self-Assessment Gap Analysis
Before the actual audit, your facility should run through the current BRCGS standard as a self-assessment. This step identifies gaps in your food safety plan, HACCP documentation, traceability systems, allergen controls, and sanitation program before an outside auditor finds them for you. Most facilities that fail their first attempt do so because this internal step was skipped or rushed.
For a full comparison of how this process differs from other GFSI-recognized programs, and to understand which standard your buyers may actually require, see our related resource: How Do I Get BRC Certified?
Step 5: Close Gaps and Prepare Your Documentation
This is typically the longest phase of the process. Depending on how mature your current systems are, this can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Focus areas usually include:
- Updating your HACCP plan and food safety management system documentation
- Strengthening your Master Sanitation Schedule and environmental monitoring program
- Reviewing supplier approval and traceability records
- Training staff on food safety culture requirements, a core component of the current BRCGS standard
- Conducting a full mock audit to simulate the real certification visit
Sanitation-related documentation is consistently one of the top sources of non-conformances during BRC audits, which is why many facilities bring in outside support before this stage. If you’re also evaluating sanitation vendors as part of your audit prep, it’s worth reviewing What certifications and audits should a contract sanitation vendor hold for the food industry during RFPs? to make sure any partner you select can actually support your certification goals.
Step 6: Schedule and Complete the Certification Audit
Once your facility has closed its gaps, your certification body will schedule the formal audit. The auditor evaluates your site against the BRCGS standard’s requirements, scoring your facility and issuing a grade (AA, A, B, C, or D) based on the number and severity of non-conformances found. Facilities that score below a C typically do not achieve certification and must address findings before a follow-up audit.
Step 7: Address Findings and Receive Your Certificate
After the audit, you’ll have a set window usually a few weeks to submit corrective action plans for any non-conformances identified. Once your certification body accepts your corrective actions, your BRC Certification is issued, typically valid for 12 months before your next surveillance audit.
Why Sanitation Preparation Makes or Breaks the Application
Across every step of applying for BRC Certification, sanitation performance is one of the most heavily weighted categories in the audit. A facility can have excellent documentation on paper, but if pre-operational inspections, ATP swabbing, or allergen changeover validation don’t hold up during the walkthrough, it shows up directly in the final score. Getting sanitation audit-ready early not just clean, but documented and verifiable is one of the most effective ways to avoid delays in the certification timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to apply for and receive BRC Certification?
Most facilities take between 3 and 6 months from the start of the application process to receiving certification, depending on how prepared their existing food safety and sanitation systems are.
Do I need a consultant to apply for BRC Certification?
It’s not required, but many mid-size facilities use a consultant or sanitation partner to run the gap analysis and mock audit, since first-time applicants often miss documentation gaps that experienced auditors catch immediately.
What’s the difference between an announced and unannounced BRC audit?
An announced audit is scheduled in advance, giving the facility a known date to prepare for. An unannounced audit occurs within a defined window without a fixed date, and is typically chosen by more established facilities with mature food safety programs.
How much does it cost to apply for BRC Certification?
Costs vary based on facility size, audit duration, and the certification body chosen, and typically include the audit fee itself plus internal costs for gap closure, training, and any outside consulting support.
What happens if my facility fails the BRC audit?
If your score falls below a C grade, you won’t achieve certification. You’ll need to submit corrective actions and, in most cases, undergo a follow-up audit once the identified issues are resolved.
Applying for BRC Certification is a multi-step process, but facilities that treat sanitation and documentation readiness as a priority not an afterthought consistently move through it faster and with fewer non-conformances.