How to apply for Open Mark certification

Open-brand certification may be applied for in the following 14 categories:

1. accommodation facilities
2. holiday homes and flats
3. restaurants
4. bars
5. retail outlets
6. Events
7. cultural and sporting venues
8. historic sites
9. art and exhibition venues
10. offices
11. schools and universities
12. outdoor venues
13. ski lifts
14. outdoor accommodation facilities

Public or private organisations operating within the province of Trento.

The process for obtaining Open mark certification comprises the following stages:
• Preliminary stage: Self-assessment and verification by the auditor
• First stage: Application for Open mark certification
• Second stage: Preliminary assessment by the managing body
• Third stage: Granting of Open mark certification

Preliminary stage: Self-assessment and verification of the assessor

In order to obtain Open Mark certification, the applicant independently assesses the level of accessibility of the website to be certified, based on the requirements set out in the relevant Specification, in particular:

• consults the Sector-Specific Guidelines relevant to their category and verifies compliance with the regulatory prerequisites, mandatory requirements and optional requirements;
• selects the optional requirements to be met in order to achieve the minimum score required for the award of the Open mark, as indicated in the Sector-Specific Specifications;
• identifies an Open mark verifier from the Register to verify compliance with the requirements set out in the Sector-Specific Regulations. The verifier issues a declaration of compliance to the site operator.

Upon completion of the documentary review and on-site inspection, the verifier draws up a specific verification report setting out the outcome of the assessment.
The verification report (with the relevant technical document attached as an integral part) is signed by the legal representative of the applicant and by the verifier, and constitutes a mandatory annex to the application for the Open Mark certification, together with the declaration of compliance.

First stage: Application for Open Mark certification

The applicant must apply for Open Mark certification from the UMSE Department for the Development and Support of Social Cohesion Policies – Family Audit, Marks and Certifications Office of the Agency for Social Cohesion (Managing Body), by sending the completed ‘Application for Open Mark Certification’ form, together with the mandatory attachments, to the certified email address umse.coesionesociale@pec.provincia.tn.itthe‘Application for Open Mark certification’ form, complete with the required mandatory attachments:

• Verification Report by the Open Mark verifier, signed by both the verifier and the applicant’s legal representative (with the relevant technical document);
• Declaration of compatibility by the Open Mark auditor;
• acknowledgement of the privacy policy

Second stage: Preliminary assessment by the managing body

The UMSE – Development and Support for Social Cohesion Policies - The Family Audit, Labels and Certifications Office of the Agency for Social Cohesion (Managing Body) carries out the preliminary assessment of the application on the basis of the declarations provided by the applicant and the information contained in the audit report drawn up by the accredited auditor.

Within 60 days from the day following receipt of the application, the UMSE – Development and Support for Social Cohesion Policies – Family Audit, Labels and Certifications Office issues a decision on the outcome of the preliminary assessment by means of an administrative decision.

Third stage: Issuance of the Open mark certification

If the preliminary assessment is successful, the UMSE for the Development and Support of Social Cohesion Policies – Family Audit, Labels and Certifications Office of the Agency for Social Cohesion (Managing Body):

• adopts the decision to issue the Open mark certification to the applicant;
• automatically registers the entity certified with the Open mark in the relevant subsection ofthe Registerreferred to in Article 16(2) of Provincial Law 1/2011;
• notifies the applicant and the auditor of the outcome of the procedure and authorises the use of the Open mark and the logo representing it in accordance with the instructions set out inthe User Manual and the Guidelines for the correct use of the logo.

Application form for the issue of the Open mark certification
Verifier’s Declaration of Compliance
Verification report for the scope of activities, drawn up by the verifier, and the relevant technical document and the relevant technical document
Confirmation of having read the privacy policy

An application for Open mark certification may be submitted at any time

Once the application has been submitted, following the preliminary assessment, the UMSE (Department for the Development and Support of Social Cohesion Policies) will notify the applicant of the issue of the Open mark certification, bearing the alphanumeric registration code in the Register referred to in Article 16, paragraph 2, of Provincial Law No. 1/2011.

Validity of the Open mark

The certified entity must continue to meet the regulatory prerequisites, mandatory requirements and optional requirements on the basis of which the Open mark certification was issued for a period of three years from the date of the certification decision, failing which the certification will be revoked.
The date of the certification decision marks the three-year expiry date of the Open mark certification, including in subsequent renewals of the certification.
During the three-year period, the certified entity may be subject to random checks (documentary and/or on-site inspections) to verify that it continues to meet the requirements.

Costs relating to the activities of auditors, as set out in the Auditor Accreditation Manual (Provincial Executive Resolution No. 1506 of 18 August 2023 and subsequent Provincial Council Resolution No. 2423 of 21 December 2023) and referred to in the new Open Mark Certification Guidelines approved by Provincial Council Resolution No. 1032 of 10 July 2026.