Services
Thirteen standards. One practical approach.
Every engagement covers as much or as little as you need: a one-off gap analysis, full implementation from a blank page, rescuing a struggling system, or ongoing support to keep your certificate year after year.
ISO Management Systems
The internationally recognised backbone of quality, environmental and safety management. Implemented separately — or as one integrated system that earns three certificates with far less duplication.
Quality Management
The world's most widely used management standard: consistent products and services, satisfied customers, and continual improvement. Often a prerequisite for supplying larger companies and government.
What Licareo does: gap analysis, lean documentation, process mapping, internal audits, management review facilitation and certification audit support.
Environmental Management
A structured way to identify and control your environmental impacts, stay on top of compliance obligations, and demonstrate environmental responsibility to customers and regulators.
What Licareo does: environmental aspects and impacts assessment, compliance obligation registers, operational controls, monitoring programmes and audit preparation.
Occupational Health & Safety
A certifiable framework for managing workplace health and safety risks — protecting your people and supporting your duties under New Zealand health and safety legislation.
What Licareo does: hazard identification and risk assessment frameworks, worker participation processes, incident investigation systems and audit-ready documentation.
Sustainability & Chain of Custody
If you make claims about certified materials — on products, packaging or invoices — you need a chain of custody system that can prove every claim. This is Licareo's specialist territory.
Forest Stewardship Council — Chain of Custody
Required to buy, process and sell products with FSC claims — timber, panels, pulp, paper and packaging. Increasingly demanded by export markets and major retailers.
What Licareo does: CoC system setup, product group definitions, volume control and reconciliation, due diligence for controlled wood, trademark use approval and annual audit support.
PEFC — Chain of Custody
The world's largest forest certification system by area, covering certified forest and tree-based materials. Often run alongside FSC in one combined chain of custody system.
What Licareo does: combined FSC/PEFC systems that avoid double handling, due diligence systems, and surveillance audit preparation.
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil — Supply Chain
Supply chain certification for manufacturers and traders handling certified sustainable palm oil and palm-based ingredients — increasingly expected by food and cosmetics brands.
What Licareo does: supply chain model selection (Identity Preserved, Segregated, Mass Balance), documentation, PalmTrace reporting readiness and audit support.
Rainforest Alliance — Supply Chain Certification
Certification for companies sourcing and trading certified agricultural ingredients such as cocoa, coffee and tea, under the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture programme.
What Licareo does: supply chain risk assessment, traceability setup, labelling and claims compliance, and certification audit preparation.
Marine & Aquaculture Stewardship Councils — Chain of Custody
Traceability certification for selling seafood with the MSC blue label (certified wild-capture fisheries) or the ASC label (responsibly farmed seafood). The two schemes share a single chain of custody standard — so one well-built system can cover both.
What Licareo does: CoC system design, product identification and segregation controls, record keeping, and audit-day support.
Food Safety
Practical food safety systems that protect your customers, satisfy your auditors and keep your production line moving — including the GFSI-recognised certificates that major retailers and export customers ask for.
Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points
The internationally recognised foundation of food safety management: identifying hazards in your process and controlling them at the points that matter most.
What Licareo does: hazard analysis, CCP determination and validation, monitoring and verification procedures, staff training and audit preparation.
Food Safety System Certification 22000
A GFSI-recognised certification scheme for food and packaging manufacturers, built on ISO 22000 with additional sector-specific requirements. A common choice for companies that already think in ISO terms.
What Licareo does: full system implementation, prerequisite programmes, food safety team coaching, internal audits and certification audit support.
BRCGS Global Standard — Food Safety
A GFSI-recognised standard widely demanded by UK, European and global retailers. Known for its detailed site and product safety requirements and graded audit outcomes.
What Licareo does: gap analysis against the standard, documentation and site readiness, mock audits, and close-out of non-conformities after the real one.
Safe Quality Food
A GFSI-recognised certification programme with strong recognition in North American and Australasian markets, covering the supply chain from primary production through manufacturing.
What Licareo does: SQF system development, support for your on-site SQF practitioner, and preparation for both desk and facility audits.
How it works
From "where do we even start?" to certificate on the wall.
Gap analysis
A site visit and honest assessment of where you stand against the standard — and a realistic roadmap to close the gaps.
Build the system
Procedures, records and controls written around how your business actually operates — lean, usable, audit-ready.
Train & internally audit
Your team learns to run the system day to day; an internal audit proves it works before anyone external walks in.
Certification support
Licareo is alongside you before, during and after the certification audit — including closing out any findings.
FAQ
Straight answers to common questions.
How long does FSC Chain of Custody certification take in New Zealand?
For most single-site businesses, allow roughly two to three months from the first gap analysis to the certification audit. The biggest variables are how quickly procedures and records are put in place and the certification body's audit schedule — Licareo manages both ends of that timeline.
What's the difference between FSC and PEFC, and which one do I need?
Both certify responsibly sourced forest materials — the right one depends on what your customers and export markets ask for. Many New Zealand timber and packaging businesses hold both, and Licareo typically builds one combined chain of custody system that covers the two schemes without double handling.
How much does certification cost?
There are two parts: implementation support and the certification body's audit fees. Both depend on your company's size, sites and how much of a system already exists — which is why the first consultation is free: we scope what's actually involved and give you a clear proposal before you commit.
Do we need ISO 9001 before ISO 14001 or ISO 45001?
No — each standard can be certified on its own. They share the same underlying structure though, so if you want more than one, an integrated system is usually faster and cheaper than implementing them separately.
FSSC 22000, BRCGS or SQF — which food safety certification should we choose?
It usually comes down to who you sell to: BRCGS is widely requested by UK and European retailers, SQF has strong recognition in North America and Australasia, and FSSC 22000 suits companies that already think in ISO terms. All three are GFSI-recognised; Licareo can help you pick before any work starts.
Do we need RSPO supply chain certification to use palm oil in our products?
If you want to buy certified sustainable palm oil and make claims about it — on packaging, to customers, or using the RSPO trademark — then yes: manufacturers and traders handling certified palm-based ingredients need RSPO Supply Chain Certification. Part of the setup is choosing the right supply chain model (Identity Preserved, Segregated or Mass Balance), which affects both cost and what you're allowed to claim, so it pays to get that decision right before the system is built.
What does Rainforest Alliance supply chain certification involve?
If you source or trade Rainforest Alliance certified ingredients — cocoa, coffee, tea and other crops — you'll need supply chain certification before making certified claims. The core of it is traceability: accounting for certified volumes in and out, plus approval of your on-pack claims and seal use. It runs on the same chain of custody logic as FSC or MSC, so businesses already holding another scheme usually find it familiar.
We're already certified but keep getting audit findings — can you help?
Yes. Rescuing struggling systems is a big part of the work: we review the findings, fix the root causes rather than the paperwork symptoms, and support you through the next surveillance audit.
Do you only work in Auckland?
On-site work covers the wider Auckland region, and remote support is available anywhere in New Zealand. Consultations run in English or Mandarin.
Not sure which standard you need?
That's a normal place to start. Tell us what your customers are asking for, and we'll point you at the right certificate — the first conversation is free.
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