To support you in maintaining your organic licence with Soil Association Certification, we have developed a simple invoice cycle and some guidance documents for you to use.
The following steps explain how a certified organic business can renew their licence by submitting a completed Certified Sales Declaration form.
Two months before your certificate expiry date, you'll receive a Certified Sales Declaration (CSD) form. This form must be completed by the date specified on your CSD.
Complete and return your CSD by the date stated on the form
Annual invoice is raised based on your CSD and is sent to you with full details on how you can pay. Payment terms are 30 days from the date of the invoice.
Once your annual invoice has been paid, a new certificate will be issued and will be valid one year from the previous certificate expiry date
Please note, if CSD has not been returned and payment has not been made within the required timescales, then unfortunately your licence will be suspended.
How to renew your license
This guide outlines the key points in relation to maintaining and renewing your licence with us. It covers invoicing, inspections, changes to the information you need to make us aware of and how to add products and enterprises to your licence.
How to complete the Certified Sales Declaration form
What is a Certified Sales Declaration (CSD) form
The CSD form is a document that is required to be completed each year. You are required to declare the certified sales made over the last 12 months and this is then used to calculate your annual certification fee. We require the CSD form to be completed and submitted via the portal and your annual fee invoice paid in full in order to renew your licence at expiry.
Receiving the CSD form If you need to complete a CSD form, a link to complete it via the client portal it will be sent to the licence holder by email around 2 months prior to your annual expiry date. You will need to submit the form by the 20th of the month before expiry, so you can be invoiced a month before expiry.
Completing the CSD form
As a part of your certification you are required to keep records of the sales of items listed on your Trading Schedule. You will need to complete the CSD form with this amount in line with the Specific licence type notes for your guidance. Please tick all boxes that apply to the business.
How we calculate your annual fee invoice
We calculate your annual fee based on the figures you declare on your CSD form, details of our current fee structure and how annual fees are calculated can be found on our fee sheets. We will send you an annual fee invoice that clearly states your certification fees and the bank details for payment.
Guidance for on farm licences
On Farm licences will use a word document to fill in their CSD forms instead of the portal.
We only require produce to be declared if you have processed it (added value) or bought produce in to be sold on. For example, if you purchase additional carrots and pack them in order to add in to your Box Scheme, the carrots would need to be declared or if you pack items ready for retail sale (retail pack) your own produce to sell to a shop or another licensee.
If you are relabelling a product the sale must be declared. If you are packing or processing your own products such as Jam, meat or juices the sale must be declared. If you are repacking bought in processed products such as dried goods, muesli or oats you must include the sale.
Storage and wholesale licence
Storage and wholesale licence sales do not need to be declared, please review your Storage and wholesale licence Trading Schedule to see products that you have listed on your licence. Please refer to the fee sheet provided to see the fixed fee for Storage and wholesale licences.
Submit your forms on the Processor Portal
Use the certification portal to manage your organic certification, respond to audit actions and submit forms without having to keep track of emails.
