Getting Started with Nadcap Accreditation
Getting Started with Nadcap Accreditation
Your Path to Nadcap Accreditation
Achieving your Nadcap accreditation is a significant step in demonstrating your commitment to critical process quality in aerospace, defense, and space manufacturing. This guide outlines how suppliers enter the program — from registration to accreditation and Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) listing.
35 Years of Successful Industry Collaboration
Nadcap is an industry-managed program that brings together companies and suppliers in the Aviation, Defense, and Space (ADS) sectors to oversee accreditation for critical processes.
At the core of the program is the Nadcap Management Council (NMC), which provides leadership, sets program direction, and oversees the work of the Task Groups.
Each Task Group focuses on a specific accreditation area, ensuring rigorous technical oversight. Comprised of industry experts from subscribing companies and suppliers, these groups develop Audit Critera, review audit results, and maintain accreditation requirements to uphold industry standards.
Typical Accreditation Timeline
While timelines vary based on your process scope, audit readiness, and corrective action closures, a typical first-time Nadcap accreditation process takes approximately 6 to 12 months. Learn about the Nadcap audit in depth with our Nadcap Audit Preperation course.
Activity
Estimated Duration
Registration in EAN & program review 1-2 weeks Reviewing Audit Criteria & preparation 2-4 months Completing required Self-Audit 1 month (included in prep) Requesting quote & scheduling audit 2-4 weeks Pre-assessment audit (optional) +1-2 months (if selected) Nadcap Audit 2-5 days (on-site) Non-Conformance Report (NCR) closure 1-3 months (varies by findings) Task Group review & decision 1 week Note:
If your facility does not yet have aerospace customers, contact your PRI Staff Engineer. Each Task Group has specific guidance on how to handle job audits in such cases.
Accreditation Steps
Register on the EAN Platform Register your company on EAN (formerly eAuditNet) — Nadcap’s secure digital platform for managing all audit activities.
Key functions in EAN:
- Manage supplier profiles and contact info
- Access public documents including Audit Criteria
- Request quotes and schedule audits
- Track Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs) and corrective actions
- Download certificates and view the Qualified Manufacturers List (QML)
Important:
Be sure to select the correct industry (e.g., Aerospace, Transportation and Power Generation) during registration. Subscriber companies should select their HQ location to receive appropriate access. (IMP FAQ Pg. 16)
Accreditation Steps Continued...
Schedule Your Nadcap Audit After reviewing your quote and confirming readiness, request your audit date in EAN. PRI's scheduling team will coordinate availability.
Most audits occur 3–6 months after scheduling.
Note:
If you plan to use AS9100 as your QMS, and wish to cancel an already scheduled AC7004 audit, cancellation fees may apply if done within 120 days of the scheduled date. (IMP FAQ Pg. 18)
Ongoing Accreditation
To maintain Nadcap accreditation, your company must:
- Undergo periodic reaccreditation audits (typically every 12–24 months)
- Manage ongoing corrective actions
- Remain compliant with evolving program criteria
Need Help Preparing?
The Supplier Support Committee (SSC) offers a free mentoring program for suppliers new to the Nadcap process or those needing support.
Mentoring and other SSC resources can be found on their webpage.
What If My Audit Fails?
- For programs like AQS and MTL, 31 cumulative days of delinquency trigger failure.
- Task Groups review audit performance under OP 1110 and apply corrective protocols as needed.
