MMC Toolkit

Agrément Certification is designed specifically for new innovative building materials, products and building systems that do not yet have a long history of use, have no national standard, nor a harmonised European standard or relevant ETA.  NSAI Agrément assesses, specifies testing, and where appropriate, issues Agrément certificates confirming that new building products, materials, techniques and equipment are safe and fit for purpose in accordance with the current Irish Building Regulations and with the terms of the certificate. Such certificates may be in addition to, but not conflict with, CE marking as set out in Clauses 0.10 & 0.11 of TGD to Part D, 2013.

Agrément certificates may be in addition to, but not conflict with, CE marking (see Section 0.10, TGD D, 2013 and the FAQ titled ‘Why Agrément?’). Further information on CE marking and DoP’s are available here: https://nmso.nbco.localgov.ie/faqs

Any organisation manufacturing a construction product or building system may apply to evidence the uses of the product or building system that are compliant with the current Irish Building Regulations.

No, but it is increasingly included in the assessment criteria for tenders, especially in the public sector, and Agrément certification is recognised as a quality assurance mark across both the public and private sectors. Irish Agrément certificates. It is identified in TGD Part D – Materials & Workmanship 2013 – Schedule D3, as a route to certification., demonstrating compliance to current Irish Building Regulations. and with the published NSAI certificate is valid for 5-years from date of publication, (once this certification is maintained and adhered to by the offsite manufacturing organisation (certificate holder).

NSAI MMC Agrément supports:

• Assurance of compliance with the current Irish Building Regulations.
• Improved definition of Roles & Responsibilities to focus co-ordination and communication across the disciplines delivering a construction project.
• Enhanced quality with improved project outcomes and decision-making on specification.
• Sustainability through factory production controls, waste management and continuous improvement.

Applicants that hold certification for other schemes may experience shorter timelines as technical information packs are  typically more complete at application stage. NSAI will review and assess this certification and supporting documented information, subject to its continued validity from a relevant EU-27 jurisdiction or EEA country. Other global certifications outside of these are deemed to be from a Third Country and would not meet the requirements for both the European Union and the Republic of Ireland.

Certification is based on the current Irish Building Regulations, with alignment to current European Norm (EN) standards (i.e. harmonised and non-harmonised), Irish standards (I.S.), Irish Codes of Practice (CoP) and other best practice guidance from other EU-27 national and/or international sources. Note: British standards or other relevant standards may be applied, in the absence of other relevant EN or I.S. standards having been published.

NSAI provides guidance on MMC certification through our website, which includes an MMC Agrément toolkit; This outlines each stage from enquiry and application stages, technical assessment, right up to the award of a certificate and maintenance, thereafter.

The assessment fees incurred for MMC building systems are based on the estimated technical / engineering assessment effort involved as part of the assessment, including complexity of construction details, analysis of test data and time at factory and on site.

The certification process typically ranges from 6 to 21 months from initial application. This is dependent on the Building System and complexity of construction details. A breakdown of the process steps is included in the MMC Agrément guide which illustrates the time required for the comprehensive assessment.

The NSAI website includes an online application form for Agrément certification. The NSAI ‘Guide to Agrément Certification for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) ‘ details the supplementary documentation required for upload, with the application form.

Documentation requirements may include (e.g. structural design basis, fire performance certification, thermal calculations, acoustic testing, CE mark declarations, Material Type, System Manual, Installation manual, sample details / drawings of the MMC / Modular system, calculations of proposed building system, DoP certificates, confirmation of proposed building height, relevant Fire purpose groups, other ancillary information, as applicable. 

Note: Please forward via a “We Transfer” , “Dropbox” or a “shared One Drive” link” as usually the Technical Documentation pack would be too large to receive via MS Outlook.

NSAI provides a Guide to Agrément Certification for MMC document, Infographics, Interview Focus case studies from NSAI-certified MMC companies, a Self-Assessment readiness template and process flow information. The documents, mapping the different stages throughout the certification process. Refer to: NSAI.ie/mmctoolkit. These MMC information supports and guidance, is provided for  clients, offsite manufacturers, builders, project manager, installers, academia and other relevant stakeholders. An early-stage Initial Technical document review (‘gap analysis’) is conducted to help organisations prepare for a full technical assessment, of the proposed Building system, under MMC certification.

NSAI does not provide any consultancy service or advice in respect of technical specification(s) or the operation of an organisations QMS (Quality Management System), or for a Factory Production Control (FPC) environment, where applicable.

NSAI does not provide nor recommend contacts for consultancy services. Applicants are advised to contact the relevant Irish Professional Bodies i.e. Engineers Ireland (IEI), Association of Consultant Engineers Ireland (ACEI), Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) or the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI), for advice in relation to appropriate sources of competent professionals.

NSAI must maintain Impartiality and not have any Conflicts of Interest, in relation to the provision of certification schemes.

Please visit https://www.inab.ie/contact-us/frequently-asked-questions/ for information on the role of the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB).

NSAI provides certification, under various schemes for The Built Environment sector, as per the current ISO/IEC 17065 standard - Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services.

Please search the NSAI online database of Agrément certificates: https://www.nsai.ie/certification/agrement-certification/search-agrements-certificates/

Search by ‘Building system’ in the dropdown menu for the list of MMC certified companies.

NSAI Agrément certificates are valid for 5 years from date of issue. Companies wishing to renew NSAI certificates must re-apply to NSAI in advance of the 5-year expiry date to initiate a certificate review, to maintain the certification for the building system. If a certificate revision is completed during the initial 5-year period, the revised certificate date commences a new 5-year certification period. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a five year review, within sufficient time, prior to expiry to allow for a technical assessment audit, internal review and for updating the Certificate, to remain valid for another five year period.

An annual registration fee and surveillance audit(s) are required to maintain the MMC Agrément certificate, during the 5-year validity period. Note: Surveillance Audits carried out by NSAI may include either an offsite manufacturing and/or onsite assembly & installation assessment. Failure to adhered to the above and to actively close-out any findings or observations raised, could give rise to potential termination, reduction, suspension or withdrawal of an NSAI Agrément certification.

The assessment of the compliance of a product or building system is based upon the supporting technical information submitted and the current regulations in place at the time of certification. If a regulation(s) change, the certificate holder typically applies to NSAI for a certificate revision to address the relevant changes, as applicable to their current Certification. This is normally triggered by communication of a regulation change(s) through publications by a Government Department, Regulatory Body, Industry events, such as CPD days hosted by the NBCO (National Building Control Office). Regulation changes typically include a transition period to facilitate knowledge exchange and to allow for manufacturers / specifiers / designers / importers / distributors and/or installers to familiarise themselves with the new changes, prior to coming into force.

A non-refundable application fee of €1,800 (excl. VAT) launches the process.  A contract fee is then proposed on a case-by-case basis after reviewing your Building System scoping requirements & as per the Technical Pack submitted. They differ, depending on how much preparation you have done in advance of submitting an application. e.g fire tests, calculations, laboratory tests, other supporting documents. Typically, it is  6 – 21 months on average. Beyond averages and from practical experience, the actual processing time for a MMC Agrément certification depends mainly on the complexity of the building system and scope of the assessment, the time required for testing, the speed of communication between the Offsite manufacturer(s) and NSAI as well as prior experience with the Certification process. Following successful certification, a €4,400 annual maintenance fee applies (5-year cycle). The NSAI MMC Certification  pathway Infographic so an organisation  can identify the milestones in the process. A Contract quote will be provided after initial technical assessment stage & agreed upon, as per a Contract scope of works.