The French quality certification that unlocks public funding — what it is, what the auditor checks, and how we help foreign companies pass it. Without Qualiopi, no CPF reimbursement, no OPCO contract, no France Travail funding: it is the single gateway to the entire French public training budget.
Qualiopi is a mandatory quality certification for any provider that wants to access public or pooled funding in France (CPF, OPCO, France Travail). It attests compliance with the National Quality Framework (RNQ).
Created by the law of 5 September 2018 on the freedom to choose one's professional future, Qualiopi became mandatory on 1 January 2022 for any provider seeking public or pooled funding. The National Quality Framework (RNQ) underpinning it comprises 7 criteria and 32 indicators. For each indicator, the auditor expects tangible, verifiable evidence — internal procedures, learner evaluations, trainer CVs, satisfaction surveys, complaint logs. The certificate is valid for 3 years, with a mandatory surveillance audit between months 14 and 22, and a renewal audit before expiry. Certification bodies must be accredited by COFRAC, the French national accreditation committee.
The most common failure at audit is not a lack of quality but a lack of documented evidence: organisations that practise quality but cannot prove it on the day. At QF Qualité Formation, led by Romain Rissoan, we have experienced this framework from both sides — as a certified training organisation and as advisors. We build your evidence file indicator by indicator and run a full mock audit before the real one. This approach applies to foreign organisations exactly as to French ones; the RNQ makes no distinction on the provider's country of origin.
Public information
The auditor checks that your website and commercial documents present your training offer accurately: programme content, learning objectives, target audience, duration, schedule, price, access conditions and indicators of results (completion rate, satisfaction scores). Missing or vague public information is one of the most cited non-conformities at initial audit. We audit your communication materials before the certification body does.
Objectives & needs
Before each training action, the provider must identify the beneficiary's expectations and existing level, then define measurable learning objectives. Evidence required: positioning tools, individual needs-assessment forms, written learning objectives in every programme. For foreign companies accustomed to less formal intake processes, this is often the first gap we close.
Reception & adaptation
This criterion covers technical reception (premises, equipment, remote access), accessibility for learners with disabilities, and the information provided to prescribers. The auditor looks for a named disability contact (référent handicap), documented adaptation procedures and evidence that learners with specific needs receive appropriate support throughout the training.
Means
Teaching resources (slides, exercises, e-learning modules), technical equipment, supervision ratios and assessment methods must be proportionate to the stated objectives. The auditor will check that hot and cold assessments exist for every programme, that learner progress is monitored and that end-of-course certificates are issued systematically. We map your existing resources against the indicator checklist and identify gaps.
Trainer qualification
For each trainer, the provider must document professional expertise in the topic taught and pedagogical competence. Expected evidence includes CVs showing recent field experience, records of continuing professional development and, where relevant, copies of professional qualifications. Foreign organisations that outsource to freelance trainers must hold these documents centrally — a common oversight we help correct before audit.
Continuous improvement
The RNQ requires a systematic quality loop: collect learner satisfaction data, gather employer and funder feedback, record complaints and process them formally, and feed the results into an annual improvement plan. The auditor looks for evidence that findings have actually led to changes. We help you design a lightweight but compliant feedback and improvement system that generates the required evidence without administrative overload.
Qualiopi is the French national quality certification for training providers, created by the law of 5 September 2018 on the freedom to choose one's professional future, mandatory since 1 January 2022. It attests compliance with the National Quality Framework (RNQ) — 7 criteria, 32 indicators — and is required to access any public or pooled funding in France: CPF (personal training account), OPCO (sectoral operators), France Travail (employment agency), Regions, the State and Transitions Pro. Without it, a training provider may still operate commercially but cannot receive reimbursement from any public or mutualized source.
Yes, without exception. Any provider wishing to access French public or pooled funding must hold a valid Qualiopi certificate, regardless of its country of origin or legal form. A foreign company must first have a French establishment (subsidiary or branch) with a SIRET number and an activity declaration number (NDA) from the DREETS, then pursue Qualiopi through a COFRAC-accredited certification body. We handle both the administrative setup and the full quality-system preparation for international clients.
By building a quality management system that satisfies all 7 criteria and 32 indicators of the RNQ, compiling the required evidence for each indicator, and passing an on-site (or remote) audit by a COFRAC-accredited certification body. The certificate is valid for 3 years. A surveillance audit takes place between months 14 and 22; a renewal audit is required before expiry. At QF Qualité Formation we prepare your evidence file, train your team on audit expectations and conduct a full mock audit so there are no surprises on the day.
Aim for certification at the first attempt
A free diagnosis to assess your readiness and build your roadmap to Qualiopi.