ISO 9001:2026 Foundation Course (Self-Paced Online)

What you will learn

• The purpose and structure of ISO 9001:2026
• Key clauses: context, leadership, planning, support, operations, performance evaluation, and improvement
• What changed in the 2026 revision: climate change in context, quality culture and ethical behaviour, opportunity based thinking and the new clause 6.1.3, expanded change management, and contingency planning
• How audits are used to verify conformance
• The PDCA cycle and risk based thinking

Who is this for?

Open to everyone. Ideal for quality coordinators, team members in certified organisations, professionals new to ISO 9001, and anyone preparing to move into quality management or auditing. No prior knowledge required.

Key concepts covered

• Quality management and the ISO 9001:2026 framework
• The harmonised structure shared across ISO management system standards
• The process approach
• Risk based thinking and opportunity based thinking
• Customer focus and customer satisfaction
• Context of the organisation, interested parties, and climate change
• Quality culture, ethical behaviour, and continual improvement

An understanding of ISO 9001:2026 is valuable across every part of an organisation. This foundation course enables you to:

• Understand ISO 9001:2026 and speak the language of quality management with confidence
• Know what changed from the 2015 revision and why it matters
• Contribute to your organisation's quality management system and its certification readiness
• Build a solid foundation before progressing to Internal Auditor training
• Earn a globally recognised foundation credential

Why learning online works for you

• Learn anytime, anywhere. Study on demand, on site or off site, whenever it suits you
• Self paced. Move at your own speed and spend more time on the areas you want to master
• Cost effective. No travel, accommodation, or time away from the office to fund
• Lifetime access. Return to the materials whenever you need them
• Built to stick. Interactive, multi format lessons keep you engaged and improve retention

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Explain the purpose and benefits of a quality management system
• Describe the structure of ISO 9001:2026 and how its clauses fit together
• Explain the key concepts: the process approach, risk based thinking, opportunity based thinking, customer focus, and continual improvement
• Describe the 2026 revision changes, including climate change in context, quality culture and ethical behaviour, the new clause 6.1.3, expanded change management, and contingency planning
• Describe how an organisation uses ISO 9001:2026 to manage and improve the quality of its products and services
• Explain what ISO certification is and how organisations achieve and maintain it

As a bonus, this course explains how ISO certification works. You will learn what it means for an organisation to be certified, the role of accredited certification bodies and accreditation, and how organisations achieve and maintain certification.

This course is designed for anyone who wants a working understanding of the standard, including:

• Anyone new to ISO 9001 or quality management
• People who work within or contribute to a quality management system
• Managers, staff, and consultants who need a working understanding of the standard
• Anyone preparing to progress to Internal Auditor training
• Those supporting their organisation towards ISO 9001 certification

There are no prerequisites for this course. It is suitable for complete beginners.

If you were already trained or certified on ISO 9001:2015 and only need to update your knowledge to the 2026 revision, our ISO 9001:2026 Transition course is the shorter option.

You will need a computer, laptop, or tablet with a reliable internet connection. The course works in any modern web browser, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari. For the best experience, keep your browser updated to the latest version.