The Effinature certification process, step by step

A six-step pathway

Effinature certification rests on a clear separation of roles: the project owner runs the project, a Biodiversity Partner carries out the on-site assessment, and IRICE alone makes the certification decision. This structure ensures the independence required of an accredited body. The process unfolds in six stages: application, admissibility review, contracting, on-site assessment, review and decision, then issuance of the certificate. As an indicative guide, allow two to four months between submitting the application and the decision, depending on the complexity of the operation and the availability of documents.

1. The application to IRICE

Everything starts with an application submitted to IRICE. In it you describe the operation, the target standard (for example NCO 25.05 for new construction) and the scope concerned. The documents to provide include the applicant's identification, the location and nature of the project, the available ecological studies, the plans and, where relevant, any biodiversity diagnosis already carried out. The more complete the file is at submission, the smoother the rest of the pathway. The application is filed online after creating your account on the platform.

2. The admissibility review

IRICE then carries out the admissibility review. The aim is to check that the file is complete, that the operation genuinely falls within the scope of the standard and that the conditions for assessment are met. One essential point: admissibility is not validation. Declaring a file admissible means that the review can begin, not that certification is secured. This distinction protects the impartiality of the process, because the final decision remains conditional on the outcome of the on-site assessment. If documents are missing, IRICE requests them before proceeding.

3. Contracting

Once the file is admissible, the relationship is formalised through a certification contract. This contract is signed off the platform, between the applicant and IRICE, and sets out the scope, the mutual commitments and the financial terms. It is the Planning Manager (Responsable Planification) at IRICE who validates this step and triggers the scheduling of the assessment. Validating the contracting stage marks the file's move from administrative review to operational assessment. Effinature is part of the toolset run by the NORMAXIS group, which supports project owners from the pre-diagnostic through to a signed certification.

4. The on-site assessment by a Biodiversity Partner

The assessment is entrusted to a Biodiversity Partner, an ecologist qualified by IRICE. They apply the standard criterion by criterion, based on concrete evidence: studies, plans, surveys and observations conducted on site. Relying on qualified Biodiversity Partners ensures a consistent reading of the standard from one operation to another, a condition for comparable and credible certification. The Biodiversity Partner does not decide on certification: they produce an objective assessment report that feeds the review carried out by IRICE.

5. The review and certification decision

IRICE then conducts the review of the file and makes the certification decision fully independently. This separation between the assessment, carried out by the Biodiversity Partner, and the decision, taken by the accredited body, is the foundation of the impartiality required by Cofrac accreditation No. 5-0655. The decision may be positive, subject to reservations, or negative. It rests solely on the outcome of the assessment against the requirements of the standard, with no commercial consideration. The accreditation and operating rules of the body are detailed on irice-certification.com.

6. Issuance of the certificate and the public registry

Where the decision is favourable, IRICE issues the certificate and lists the operation in the public registry of certified operations. This listing makes the certification visible and verifiable by third parties, lenders, buyers, local authorities and public bodies, something a mere self-declaration cannot achieve. The registry constitutes third-party, enforceable proof of the project's biodiversity performance.

Follow-up over time

A certification is not an endpoint. Maintaining performance over time is organised through the HVE extension, which provides for recurring conformity checks. These checks verify that the ecological commitments remain effective after delivery and throughout the life of the operation, ensuring that the value of the certification endures for the benefit of all the stakeholders concerned.