How to verify a training provider is really Qualiopi certified: public list, certificate, scope

A Qualiopi logo on a website or a sales brochure proves nothing by itself. A logo can be copied in two clicks; a certificate can be verified. Whether you are a training provider looking for a subcontractor, a company buying training in France, or a freelancer considering working under a certified organisation, the check takes less than ten minutes once you know where to look. Here is the full method: the public list published by the French Ministry of Labour, how to read the certificate itself, and the traps that come up most often.

Context for non-French readers: Qualiopi is the mandatory quality certification for French training providers that want access to public or pooled training funds. It is delivered by third-party certification bodies accredited by Cofrac, the French national accreditation body.

Why verify a provider’s Qualiopi certification

Three situations make this check indispensable — and in the first one, it is actually a requirement of the quality framework itself.

You are subcontracting a training service

This is the most sensitive case. Indicator 27 of the French national quality framework requires any certified provider using subcontracting or wage portage to ensure the qualification and compliance of its external contributors. In practice, during your own audit, the auditor may ask how you verified the status of your subcontractors: a copy of their Qualiopi certificate, a dated extract of the public list, a contractual clause. If your subcontractor shows an expired or out-of-scope certificate and you failed to catch it, the non-conformity is yours. Our guide to subcontracting obligations in French professional training details the evidence to keep.

You are buying training with French funding

To mobilise public or pooled funds (OPCO sectoral funds, the CPF individual learning account, France Travail, regional councils…), the provider must be Qualiopi certified for the relevant category of actions. A buyer who signs with a non-certified provider — or one certified for a different scope — risks having the funding refused. Checking upfront avoids discovering the problem at invoicing time.

You are choosing a partner or assessing a competitor

Comparing providers, building a consortium to answer a tender, referencing organisations in a catalogue: in all these cases, a claimed certification must be confirmed by an official source, not by a sales statement.

The public list of training providers on data.gouv.fr

The reference source is the dataset “Liste publique des organismes de formation” (public list of training providers), published by the French Ministry of Labour on data.gouv.fr, the official French open-data platform. The list covers organisations that have declared a training activity and indicates, for each one, whether it is Qualiopi certified and for which categories of actions:

• training actions (actions de formation);
• skills assessments (bilans de compétences);
• validation of acquired experience (VAE);
• apprenticeship training.

The method is straightforward:

1. Search for the dataset “Liste publique des organismes de formation” on data.gouv.fr (a web search on that exact title takes you straight there).
2. Identify the organisation by its SIREN/SIRET (French company registration number) or its activity declaration number, which are more reliable than a search by trade name (brand names and legal names often differ).
3. Read the certification fields: they indicate whether the organisation is certified and for which categories of actions.
4. Date your check (export, screenshot): this record is what will serve as evidence in an audit if you are verifying a subcontractor.

Two limits to keep in mind. First, the list is updated periodically: a certificate that has just been issued, suspended or withdrawn may take some time to appear. Second, the list tells you whether the organisation is certified, but does not replace reading the certificate itself — exact dates, certification body, certificate number. For any binding decision, cross-check both.

Reading and verifying the certificate itself

Always ask for a copy of the Qualiopi certificate. Four elements need checking.

Element	What to verify
The certification body	A body accredited by Cofrac, the French national accreditation body (or a labelling authority recognised by France compétences)
The dates	A 3-year validity cycle; the certificate must be valid at the time of the service
The scope	The category or categories of actions covered: training, skills assessments, VAE, apprenticeship
The identity	Legal name and SIREN matching those on your contract

The certification body. Qualiopi can only be delivered by a certification body accredited by Cofrac or by a labelling authority recognised by France compétences, the national regulator for vocational training. If the name on the certificate matches no authorised certifier, the document is worthless. The list of authorised certifiers is published by the Ministry of Labour; our article on choosing a Qualiopi certification body explains how this authorisation works.

The dates. The certificate is issued for 3 years, with a surveillance audit during the cycle. Check the expiry date, and be wary of a certificate expiring just before your service is delivered: if renewal fails or runs late, your funding may be compromised.

The scope. This is the most frequently overlooked point. A provider certified only for “training actions” is not certified for skills assessments or apprenticeship. If you buy or subcontract a skills assessment from a provider certified only for training actions, the service falls outside the certified scope — with all the consequences that implies on the funding side.

This verification requirement is not administrative paranoia. A study by Gabriele Jahn, Matthias Schramm and Achim Spiller published in 2005 in the Journal of Consumer Policy, “The Reliability of Certification: Quality Labels as a Consumer Policy Tool”, shows that a quality label only carries informative value if the system behind it guarantees the independence and effective control of the certifiers (see the study on Google Scholar). In other words: a label is only worth what you can verify about who issued it, for which scope and under which oversight. That is exactly what the Qualiopi architecture provides — Cofrac accreditation, a public list, surveillance audits — provided the buyer actually performs the check.

The classic traps to avoid

Confusing the NDA with Qualiopi certification

The activity declaration number (NDA, numéro de déclaration d’activité) is a simple declaratory formality: it proves the organisation has declared its activity, not that it is certified. Many websites display their NDA in a way that fuels the confusion (“organisation registered under number…”). The two checks are complementary: see our guide on verifying an activity declaration number (NDA).

Trusting the displayed logo

Use of the Qualiopi logo is governed by a strict usage charter — including the mention of the certified categories of actions — but nothing technically prevents a website from displaying it unduly, or from keeping it up after a suspension. A logo is never proof; see our explanations of the usage rules for the Qualiopi logo and trademark.

Ignoring suspensions and withdrawals

A certificate can be suspended (for example, when major non-conformities are not resolved) or withdrawn during the cycle. While suspended, the organisation may no longer claim the certification, even if the paper certificate still looks valid based on its dates. In case of doubt — particularly for a long engagement or a significant amount — contact the certification body named on the certificate directly; it can confirm the current status. Our article on withdrawal and suspension of Qualiopi certification details these mechanisms.

Checking once, then never again

For a lasting subcontracting relationship, a single check at signature is not enough: the subcontractor’s status can change during the contract. A periodic re-check — annually, for instance, and before each significant new order — dated and archived, is a simple practice that protects your own audit.

5-point verification checklist

1. Search for the organisation (SIREN/SIRET) in the public list of training providers on data.gouv.fr.
2. Confirm that the Qualiopi certification covers the category of actions of the planned service.
3. Ask for a copy of the certificate: authorised certification body, validity dates, scope, legal name.
4. In case of doubt or high stakes, have the status confirmed by the certification body.
5. Date and archive the proof of verification (essential if you are certified yourself and subcontracting).

Take action

Verifying your subcontractors is indicator 27; proving it in an audit is a dated record in your evidence file. The Complete Kit Certif (€297, documents in French, 14-day guarantee) provides the procedures and evidence tables for all 32 indicators, including subcontracting management. If you are setting up your organisation, the ebook “Créer son organisme de formation en 30 jours” (€67) maps the journey from declaration to certification — or choose the full pack (€347) to cover both.