Recognition
Standards
Reedleys Recognition is an independent recognition decision. It is not a credit rating, government accreditation, professional license, or guarantee of future performance. Recognition confirms that an assessment was completed and a result published.
What's inside
Ten sections define what Reedleys examines, what evidence is accepted, and how a result is recorded for every criterion.
One system, three moving parts
A transparent, repeatable framework for reviewing organizations and individual professionals. Requirements are applied proportionately to size, industry, and career stage.
Recognition is a single pass or fail decision against the applicable standard, not a graded score. Extra strengths are shown separately through badges.
Recognized status confirms that the applicable assessment was completed and a result published.
Recognition is a decision, not a grade
Reedleys does not publish a graded score. An applicant that meets the applicable requirements is awarded Reedleys Recognized status. Strengths beyond the baseline are recognized separately, through badges and awards.
The applicable requirements are met. Reedleys Recognized status is awarded and may be published on the profile.
Minor gaps or missing information were identified. The applicant may address them and submit updated information for review.
Material requirements are not met. Recognition is not awarded at this time; the applicant may reapply after addressing the issues.
Ten principles behind every review
Relevance
Evidence must relate directly to the applicant, profile type, and the period reviewed.
Verifiability
Evidence should be confirmable through an issuer, official source, or secure system.
Currentness
Time-sensitive information must be current, history may explain continuity or remediation.
Consistency
Claims, records, and public information should carry no unexplained contradictions.
Proportionality
Depth of evidence is adjusted to size, profession, jurisdiction, risk, and career stage.
Applicability
Not Applicable is used only when a criterion genuinely does not relate, Reedleys decides.
Opportunity to clarify
Applicants may explain discrepancies or add information before the outcome is finalized.
Privacy & minimization
Only information reasonably necessary is requested, sensitive detail may be redacted.
Independence
Fees pay for access to assessment and plan features, not for a result or outcome.
No unsupported inference
Rumor, anonymous allegation, or isolated snippets are not treated as established fact.
Uploaded is not the same as accepted
Applications are completed online. Reedleys weighs source, authenticity, ownership, date, scope, relevance, completeness, consistency, and whether an item can be independently verified.
What may be used
Applicant evidence, secure identity or domain verification, official and public records, issuer verification, controlled sites and profiles, and platform records.
How it is judged
An item is not accepted merely because it is uploaded. Reedleys may request more where evidence is unclear, incomplete, outdated, or cannot be connected to the applicant.
Redaction & translation
Applicants may redact unnecessary personal detail while leaving identity, issuer, date, and status visible. Certified translation may be required for high-impact evidence.
The verification methods, accepted evidence, biometric handling, and retention of identity documents are governed in full by the Identity and Evidence Verification Policy.
Four outcomes per criterion
The requirement is satisfied by evidence that is relevant, sufficiently complete, current where necessary, consistent, and reasonably verifiable.
Meaningful alignment, but evidence is incomplete, limited, outdated, inconsistently applied, or affected by a non-material issue.
The requirement is absent, materially incomplete, misleading, contradicted, unverifiable, or affected by a significant unresolved issue.
The criterion genuinely does not apply. Reedleys must approve this, and it must not be used to avoid a relevant requirement.
Recognition is not a checkbox count
The decision weighs the importance of each criterion, the number that apply, the quality and credibility of evidence, consistency across the application, and the seriousness of any weakness.
Foundation carries weight
Foundation Standards matter most, they establish identity, profile accuracy, transparency, and essential customer information. Established and Advanced Standards distinguish stronger systems, reliability, authorization, and maturity.
A recognized result needs breadth
Recognition requires broad alignment, strong evidence, and no material contradiction. A significant identity, authorization, deception, safety, or integrity issue can prevent Recognition even where other criteria are met.
Organization Recognition Standard
Applies to companies, partnerships, registered organizations, sole proprietorships operating as businesses, non-profits, agencies, and local service providers. It evaluates transparency, public information, service clarity, authorization, reputation, standing, and quality maturity.
Foundation
Identity, accurate public information, profile completeness, digital presence, and core customer policies.
Criteria 01 - 05Established
Service clarity, supporting experience, reputation, communication, and resolution capability.
Criteria 06 - 10Advanced
Authorization, reliability, standing, stability, development, quality control, and maturity.
Criteria 11 - 15Explore each criterion
Select any criterion to see its requirement, what Reedleys reviews, accepted and not-accepted evidence, and the four assessment outcomes.
Professional Recognition Standard
Applies to individual professionals offering services or presenting professional experience, qualifications, and credentials through a personal profile. Requirements are scaled fairly for new, part-time, supervised, or lower-risk practice.
Foundation
Verified identity, accurate profile, clear service description, contact channels, and core client information.
Criteria 01 - 05Established
Qualifications, experience, reputation, communication, and complaint or resolution practices.
Criteria 06 - 10Advanced
Authorization, reliability, standing, continuing development, and professional maturity.
Criteria 11 - 15Explore each criterion
The same structure applies, adapted to individual professionals and their career stage, service scope, and risk.
Recognition reflects a point in time
Current status
Recognition reflects the evidence available at assessment. The public record shows profile type, standard, recognition status, certificate number, date, and current status. Replaced or inactive records clearly identify the current one.
Reassessment
Reedleys may offer or require reassessment at period end, on a material change, on new evidence, or on request. A reassessment may confirm, adjust, or withdraw Recognition; payment never guarantees a result.
Material changes
Applicants keep profiles current and report material changes to identity, ownership, services, licensing, or standing. Failure to disclose may lead to review, status limitation, or certificate replacement.
How status is monitored, suspended, expired, withdrawn or reinstated is set out in the Recognition Status Policy; how long each record is kept is in the Public Data Retention Schedule; and how standard versions are applied is in the Standard Update Policy.
Key terms
- Applicant
- The organization or individual professional submitting information for Reedleys Recognition.
- Applicable criterion
- A criterion that reasonably relates to the applicant's profile type, activities, claims, jurisdiction, or operating model.
- Assessment
- The review of submitted and available evidence against the applicable Reedleys Recognition Standard.
- Accepted evidence
- Evidence that may be considered because its source, relevance, identity, date, scope, and credibility are sufficient. Acceptance does not automatically mean the criterion is met.
- Credential
- A qualification, certification, license, registration, permit, membership, authorization, or similar evidence issued by an identifiable body.
- Material
- Important enough that it could reasonably affect the assessment, recognition, customer understanding, or confidence in the profile.
- Organization
- A business, company, corporation, partnership, firm, agency, non-profit, or sole proprietorship using a business or other accepted entity profile.
- Professional
- An individual person offering services or presenting professional experience, qualifications, or credentials through a personal profile.
- Recognized status
- The status showing that Reedleys completed an assessment under the applicable standard and published a recognition result.
- Recognition result
- A pass or fail decision - Recognized or Not Recognized - that summarizes the assessment outcome under the applicable standard. Additional badges may be awarded separately.
- Verification
- A process used to confirm a specific fact, such as identity, domain control, issuer record, or certificate. Verifying one fact does not verify every profile claim.
- Verifiable
- Capable of reasonable confirmation through an official source, issuer, secure provider, controlled system, technical method, or consistent credible evidence.
Discover. Verify. Connect.
This master standard is the authoritative source for the Reedleys Recognition Standards page, applicant guidance, assessor instructions, and this handbook. Version 1.0, effective July 28, 2026.
The policies that govern assessment, verification, recognition, appeals and privacy are published in the Reedleys policy library.