Qualiopi 2026 decree published: the framework moves to 33 indicators, the compliance timeline

After several weeks of rumours and a widely-discussed draft decree covered by the specialist vocational-training press, the text is now official. Decree n° 2026-728 of 1 August 2026, published in the Official Journal of 4 August 2026 (JORF n° 0180, NOR TRSD2619632D), updates the National Quality Framework (RNQ) underlying Qualiopi certification. The framework moves from 32 to 33 indicators, the seven criteria remain unchanged, and entry into force is set for 1 November 2026. Here is what concretely changes for a training organisation or a CFA, and the timeline to follow between now and then. To go further, two companions: what changes indicator by indicator and the detailed timeline, date by date.

What the decree precisely says

The National Quality Framework had until now been set by decree n° 2019-565 of 6 June 2019, issued under law n° 2018-771 of 5 September 2018 (the “Avenir professionnel” law). Decree n° 2026-728 replaces its annex: the seven-criteria structure remains, but several existing indicators are reworded and strengthened, and a brand-new indicator 33 appears.

Two dates frame the rollout:

• Publication: 4 August 2026 (JORF n° 0180);
• Entry into force: 1 November 2026.

Between these two dates, affected organisations have roughly three months to adjust their practices and evidence before the new text becomes the basis for audit assessment. That’s a short window given the amount of documentation work a framework change usually implies — all the more reason not to wait until the end of it to get started.

Who is affected, and from when

The decree applies to all training organisations, CFAs, and providers of skills assessments or VAE (accreditation of prior learning) support that are Qualiopi-certified or seeking certification. The switchover rule is simple: it’s the date of the audit, not the date the decree was published, that determines which framework applies.

• An initial, surveillance, or renewal audit conducted before 1 November 2026 remains evaluated under the current 32-indicator framework;
• An audit conducted from 1 November 2026 onward is evaluated under the new 33-indicator framework, with its updated reading guide.

An organisation whose 18-month surveillance audit or 3-year renewal audit falls at the end of 2026 should therefore check its exact date with its certification body right away: a few weeks’ difference is enough to shift from one framework to the other.

The new indicator 33, now official

The most widely discussed novelty is the creation of an indicator entirely dedicated to apprenticeships — a first since the framework was created in 2019. Indicator 33 requires CFAs and organisations delivering apprenticeship training to set up a system for apprentices themselves to evaluate course content and teaching, distinct from the general satisfaction survey already required under indicator 30.

Like the existing indicators 14, 15, and 20, this new indicator only concerns CFAs and apprenticeship providers: a classic continuing-training organisation has nothing new to produce under this heading. A CFA that had only put in place a generic end-of-course satisfaction questionnaire, however, now needs to build a tool specifically for evaluating teaching, distinct in both timing and purpose.

One point deserves nuance rather than naive enthusiasm: research literature on learner evaluation of teaching urges caution about what these evaluations actually measure. A meta-analysis by Bob Uttl, Carmela A. White, and Daniela Wong Gonzalez, published in 2017 in Studies in Educational Evaluation, covering 97 multisection studies, concludes that ratings learners give their instructors correlate only weakly with their actual learning outcomes (see the study). For a CFA, the practical takeaway is clear: the system expected under indicator 33 should serve to gather actionable pedagogical feedback for continuous improvement, not to establish an objective measure of teaching quality — and it’s best cross-referenced with other indicators, such as the CFA completion and job-placement rate under indicator 3, rather than read in isolation.

Strengthened transparency: what changes beyond indicator 33

The decree doesn’t stop at adding one indicator. Several existing indicators are reworded to strengthen transparency requirements toward the public and funding bodies, in particular on:

• published results rates, which must now be presented more precisely and kept up to date, in line with what indicator 2 already requires;
• the option to validate individual skills blocks, to be explicitly mentioned whenever the target certification allows it, tied to the broader topic of skills blocks;
• career outcomes for courses preparing learners for a professional certification, particularly for organisations positioned on RNCP-listed qualifications.

This shift fits a broader tightening observed since early 2026, with growing emphasis on concrete evidence over purely documentary compliance — a trend already visible in how the most frequent Qualiopi non-conformities are assessed.

Getting ready without waiting out the three-month window

Three months is not much time to revise processes, materials, and evidence already in place. A few concrete actions make the deadline manageable:

1. Confirm the exact date of your next audit with your certification body, to know whether the old or new framework will apply.
2. Get the new reading guide as soon as the French labour ministry (DGEFP) publishes it — it details the expected level for each indicator; the current reading guide remains the reference until the new version is available.
3. CFAs should build their apprentice teaching-evaluation system by drawing on practices already expected under indicators 14, 15, and 20, rather than starting from scratch on audit day.
4. Review communication materials (website, catalogue, brochures) to check that results rates and career outcomes appear with the level of precision now expected.
5. Document the regulatory watch itself: tracking the publication of the decree and its reading guide is a concrete example of acting on the regulatory watch required under indicator 23.

A structured, indicator-by-indicator self-assessment lets you precisely measure the gap between current practice and the new requirements, before building an action plan for the three months available.

Key takeaways

• Decree n° 2026-728 of 1 August 2026 (published 4 August 2026) is definitively in force: the Qualiopi framework moves from 32 to 33 indicators.
• Entry into force is set for 1 November 2026; it’s the audit date, not the decree’s date, that determines which framework applies.
• The new indicator 33 only concerns CFAs and apprenticeship providers: apprentices evaluating teaching, distinct from the general satisfaction survey of indicator 30.
• Existing indicators are strengthened on transparency: results rates, skills blocks, career outcomes.
• Organisations have roughly three months to adjust their practices and evidence before the new text becomes binding in audits.

Take action

Adapting to a framework change means checking each new requirement against the real state of your evidence file. The Complete Kit Certif (€297, 14-day guarantee, documents in French) provides evidence tables covering the current 32 indicators; it lets you identify today which gaps to close before 1 November 2026, by comparing it with the decree. If you’re launching your training organisation or CFA, the ebook Create your training organisation in 30 days (€67) helps you structure your evidence file from day one with these changes in mind, and the Complete Pack (€347) bundles both resources.