Welcome to CUPAS
Commodity Usage Principles and Assurance Scheme
What is CUPAS?
CUPAS is an industry-led, not-for-profit initiative designed to bring clarity, consistency, and confidence to the assurance of products and services across sectors. By aligning with international standards such as ISO 17065 and BS 10754, CUPAS offers a centralized model for evaluating and recognizing certifications that demonstrate trustworthiness, quality, and compliance.
CUPAS does not issue certifications itself, nor does it operate as a testing body. Instead, it functions as a neutral platform that calibrates and endorses existing certification schemes against a Common Assurance Model — helping buyers, vendors, and regulators make more informed decisions.
Our Mission
- To provide a transparent, impartial, and credible framework for assessing the trustworthiness of products and services.
- To simplify procurement by offering a unified catalogue of recognized certifications.
- To support vendors by reducing redundancy in certification efforts through cross-recognition of schemes.
- To help build international trust and consistency in the use of commodities across jurisdictional boundaries.
Why CUPAS?
In a world of overlapping assurance requirements, CUPAS offers a single point of reference that harmonizes diverse certification landscapes into one accessible model.
- Centralized evaluation of existing certifications
- Impartial review and approval through expert committees
- Flexible to accommodate both mainstream and niche use cases
- Fully compliant with UK data protection and sanctions regulations
Our Framework
CUPAS is built on a multi-level assurance model that aligns with the BS 10754 Trustworthiness Standard. Products and services are mapped against Trustworthiness Levels (TLs), addressing key facets such as:
- Security
- Reliability
- Resilience
- Safety
- Privacy
Each approved certification scheme or product is catalogued with a CUPAS Mark Licence, indicating alignment with the CUPAS model and governing proper brand usage.
How It Works
- Scheme Submission: Certification schemes can be submitted by scheme owners, certified companies, or independent experts.
- Evaluation: Our Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) reviews the scheme for alignment with our assurance model.
- Recognition: Upon approval, the certification is listed in the CUPAS Register, and the holder is issued a Mark Licence.
- Ongoing Oversight: An Ethics & Oversight Committee (EOC) ensures impartiality and integrity across all operations.
Who Can Participate?
CUPAS is open to:
- Vendors seeking recognition of their certified products or services
- Certification Bodies wanting alignment with a common industry model
- Procurement Teams needing a trusted source of validated certifications
- Government & Industry Stakeholders seeking harmonized assurance
Data Protection & Compliance
CUPAS takes privacy and compliance seriously. As a registered data controller, we ensure personal data is minimized and processed responsibly. We also perform annual reviews against the UK Sanctions List and exclude flagged entities from participation.
Get Involved
Join our community of trusted stakeholders and help shape the future of product and service assurance.
📩 Contact us at: [wellis.technology@gmail.com]
📄 Read our Operational Manual (coming soon)
🗂️ View the CUPAS Register (coming soon)