About NATA
We are Australia’s leading national accreditation body, recognised by government to assess organisations against a number of international standards for laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers.
We provide accreditation services to conformity assessment bodies which facilitate stakeholders having confidence in test, measurement and inspection data and thus enabling them to gain national and international acceptance of their products and services.
Our commitment to members
Accreditation by NATA demonstrates an organisation is meeting or exceeding minimum standards in the production and delivery of its conformity assessment activities.
Our world-class, innovative and flexible accreditation services to members provides confidence for their clients and adds significant value to the products and services they provide to the broader national and international community.
National partnerships
Our role assists governments, industry, business, professional and scientific communities to be confident in the quality of products and services produced.
NATA also maintains a co-operative relationship with the organisations that comprise Australia’s Technical Infrastructure Alliance (TIA).
These organisations are:
- JAS-ANZ – the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand
- NMI – the National Measurement Institute – The Australian Government national authority on measurement
- Standards Australia – responsible for the development and publication of documentary standards
International alliances
NATA has a long-standing and active involvement with international groups including:
- International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)
- The Asia-Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC)
- The International Accreditation Forum (IAF)
- The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Working Group on Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
These professional relationships provide for the mutual recognition and acceptance of our accredited organisations products and services in overseas markets, actively promoting international trade.
We are also active contributors to the development of international standards relating to accreditation which are used to underpin arrangements such as Free Trade Agreements (FTA) that support the international acceptance of Australian products and services through the removal of technical barriers to trade.
Responsiveness and innovation
NATA strives to provide responsive and innovative business solutions to meet the changing needs of our members and their customers.
This commitment was apparent in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To support efforts in managing the COVID-19 emergency, we placed a priority on pathology laboratories’ assessment activities and accredited over 170 pathology sites to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus covering more than 400 test methods.
We developed an innovative Emergency Laboratory Monitoring Service specifically (ELMS) for laboratories that were not NATA accredited but were testing personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.
These activities are examples of NATA innovation and pro-active engagement in responding to an urgent need in the national interest.