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NERS accreditation: what the assessor looks for

By Saqib Shah · · 7 min read

NERS design accreditation cycleA timeline showing partial accreditation for up to one year, full accreditation valid for three years, then reassessment, with three things the assessor looks for. NERS design scope: one cycleFrom partial accreditation to reassessmentDesign-only providers: at least 2 surveillance visits in the three years, the first within 6 months of awardPartial accreditationvalid for up to 1 yearFull accreditationvalid for 3 years, then reassessedReassessat 3 yearsWhat the assessor looks forDesign approvedA set of designs is submitted to thehost network and approved, and theassessor witnesses them.Named reviewerEvery design is reviewed andapproved by a named person, and thereview is recorded.Competence matrixEach grade of designer has writtenminimum competencies, and namedstaff are matched to them.

In short. For a design scope, four things carry most of the weight at a NERS assessment: a documented design procedure, a named reviewer who signs every design off, a competence matrix that says who may do which design work, and real designs approved by the network operator. You start with partial accreditation (procedures on paper), earn full accreditation on approved designs, then are audited for three years. The records matter as much as the drawings.

What does the assessor actually assess?

Your organisation first, then a sample of real designs. NERS is the National Electricity Registration Scheme, which lets accredited providers do contestable connection work for adoption by the network operator. LRQA says it operates the scheme on behalf of the UK distribution network operators.

For design, the requirements document lists the scopes: LV cable networks, HV overhead and HV cable networks up to and including 132 kV, substation layouts up to and including 132 kV, and self-determination of the point of connection at LV, HV and EHV. You must stay inside the scopes you hold.

Beyond that, the assessor wants “an established design organisation and documented procedures”. The procedures must cater for the scopes you design, health and safety legislation, the technical standards named in the document, BS 7671, the adopting utility’s own policies and specifications, design risk assessments, approvals and consents, and control of design documents and data.

What happens at partial and full stage?

Partial accreditation assesses your procedures, processes and documentation. It lets you tender, and it is valid for one year. For design, the assessor’s published preparation guide says that at this stage you should show a design organisation with designer role profiles, and a documented design procedure that runs “from receiving information from client to handover of construction pack to the constructor”.

Full accreditation follows when a set of designs has been submitted to the adopting utility and approved. The approved designs are witnessed by the NERS assessor. At that stage the preparation guide says the assessor checks the design organisation, that work follows your procedure and meets the network operator’s requirements, that approvals and consents are obtained, that the output fully specifies the work, that designers work within their assessed competence, that designs are reviewed as your procedure requires, and that records of inputs and outputs are kept. Full accreditation lasts three years.

A desktop review or gap analysis is “usually undertaken” before assessment, particularly for new providers. After any assessment you get a month to close out deficiencies.

What evidence should you keep?

The requirements document is clear that records should be “legible, identifiable and traceable to the activities involved” and “readily retrievable”. For a design team that means, for every design:

  • the inputs (client information, network operator data and specifications) and the outputs (drawings and the construction pack);
  • the review and approval, by the person assigned to that duty, recorded;
  • planning consents and network operator approvals;
  • the version history, with obsolete documents removed from use and electronic files backed up;
  • design risk assessments;
  • training and competency records, and the results of your own audits with corrective actions.

Alex, a project engineer at a small consultancy, finds that the assessor asks to see one recent design from brief to approval. If Alex can open one folder and show the brief, the calculation, the reviewed drawing, the reviewer’s sign-off and the network operator’s approval in date order, that is most of the answer.

What does a competence matrix need?

The document requires a competency assessment procedure with a matrix that defines the minimum competencies for each grade of technical staff and the actual competencies of named staff in each grade. Design work “shall only be carried out by designers assessed as competent for the particular work being done as identified on the competency matrix”.

Competence is reviewed at least annually, documented, and supported by a training programme to close gaps. Time-limited qualifications must have in-date evidence on hand at an audit.

The reviewer needs separate attention. Every design is reviewed and approved by an assigned person. The document says that person should hold Incorporated Engineer status or higher (or an equivalent) relevant to electrical distribution, or be able to show senior design experience in the industry in the previous five years and be working towards Incorporated status.

What happens after you are accredited?

Surveillance. The first visit is within six months of accreditation, and each scope and your management system are audited at least once in the three years. Providers that hold only design scopes have a minimum of two visits, and the number rises with scopes held, activity, performance and complaints.

Keep the Accreditation Body informed of changes to key personnel, ownership and HSE notices. If you have no suitable work for a surveillance visit more than a month after it falls due, the document says your status is downgraded to partial. Reassessment is at the end of the three years, with three months’ notice of expiry.

Where do design providers tend to go wrong?

We have not found published figures on the most frequent findings, so we will stick to what the document says. It defines a major deficiency as, among other things, an element of the scheme that “has not been documented or implemented or maintained”, work that needs the adopting utility’s approval proceeding without it, work outside the registered scope, and action not taken to close earlier minor deficiencies. Minor deficiencies are weak or isolated points, such as a limited shortfall in documented procedures.

The pattern is that having a procedure is not enough. The procedure has to be followed, and the records have to show it. Our post on keeping NERS evidence with the work covers how to make that routine.

Checklist before you apply

  • The design scopes you want, and the voltages, are decided.
  • A documented design procedure runs from client information to handover of the construction pack.
  • Document control covers current versions, obsolete files and backups.
  • A named reviewer signs every design, and the sign-off is recorded.
  • The competence matrix is current, with named staff against each grade and category.
  • Training, qualification expiry dates and the annual competence review are on file.
  • You have agreed your design software with the relevant network operators.
  • A recent design can be shown from brief to network operator approval.
  • You know who will tell LRQA about changes of key personnel.

Frequently asked questions

Does a design consultancy need NERS?

If you want to design contestable connections for adoption, yes. The scheme’s own guide says all designs must go to the host network operator for approval and that, generally, network operators accept designs only from accredited providers. A construction or project management provider without design accreditation may be the main interface to the client, but the design must come from an accredited design provider.

How long does partial accreditation last?

One year. Within that year it should be upgraded to full accreditation by an on-site assessment of approved designs; if not, you face a surveillance visit, and the partial accreditation lapses if the requirements are not demonstrated.

Do I need Incorporated Engineer status?

For the reviewer, the document says the person should have it or the alternative described above. For design engineers generally, you must show competence in the category you hold, and the National Skills Academy for Power guidance on network design competence is treated as good practice.

What does it cost?

The requirements document says providers receive a quotation, a Request for Services, for the scopes applied for, which they must agree before assessment. It does not publish prices, so ask LRQA.

What if I do not design for a while?

If there is no suitable work for a surveillance visit more than a month after the due date, the document says your status is downgraded to partial. You must tell the Accreditation Body before you restart, so a visit can be arranged and full accreditation reinstated.

Scope, competence criteria and fees change between versions of the requirements. Check the current NERS Requirements Document and speak to LRQA before relying on this summary.

Sources

Checked against these sources on 23 October 2026.

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