When the current edition of ISO 9001 was published.
ISO published the sixth edition of ISO 9001 on 16 September 2026, the first substantive revision since 2015. The standard remains built on the same Harmonized Structure that lets it slot alongside ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 in an integrated management system, so the update is evolutionary rather than a rebuild — but several of the changes are worth a supplier's attention regardless.
The most notable addition is a new emphasis on quality culture and ethical behaviour, with a full supplementary Annex A — the first time ISO 9001 has shipped with this kind of guidance annex — spelling out what "top management demonstrably promoting a quality culture" actually looks like in practice, not just on paper. Risks and opportunities, previously handled together, are now treated as separate considerations. Requirements around interested parties, operational controls, internal audits, knowledge retention and management review have all been refined, and the climate-related provisions added in 2024 carry forward into this edition.
None of this invalidates an existing ISO 9001:2015 certificate on the spot — certification bodies are expecting a transition window of around three years, through roughly 2029, and current certificates stay valid on their existing renewal schedule. For buyers, the practical question worth asking suppliers over the next year isn't "are you 2026 certified yet" — almost none will be immediately — it's whether they have a transition plan at all, since a supplier with no plan three years out is a weaker signal than one already scheduled for their gap assessment.
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