USIQ Founding Program 2027

Get Certified Free: Apply for One of 100 Founding Places

In 2027, USIQ will certify 100 U.S. employers free of charge, from small teams with 10 employees to organizations with 10,000. You are assessed against the same published criteria, with the same scoring and the same second review as every paid certification. In return, your anonymized results help build the first U.S. benchmark for our programs.

  • For U.S. employers with 10 to 10,000 employees
  • No survey fee, no certification fee, no credit card
  • Seal and verification page valid for 24 months

Apply for a free placeHow selection worksDownload the flyer (PDF)

Team of five colleagues talking in a bright office

100 free certifications for U.S. employers

Each place includes

  • Confidential survey of your employees
  • HR assessment against published criteria
  • Full results in tables, whether or not you qualify
  • If you qualify: digital seal, quality certificate and public verification page

Regular price for the same assessment: from $2,990 (Basic package). One free place per employer.

Colleagues discussing results around a meeting table

Why we do this

Reliable U.S. data from day one

A certification standard is only as credible as the evidence behind it. We want our U.S. programs to rest on a broad mix of employers, not only on those who expect to pass. The Founding Program gives us that mix and gives you a thorough, independent look at your workplace at no cost.

A real benchmark

Anonymized results from 100 employers of different sizes, industries and regions become the first comparison values for every future USIQ certification.

The same standard

Free places use exactly the criteria, thresholds and review steps of a paid certification. Nothing is waived, nothing is added.

Open about the terms

Every verification page created in this program states that the certification was provided free of charge as part of the USIQ Founding Program 2027.

Choose your program

One free place, two programs

When you apply, pick the program that fits your goals. Each place covers one program.

Top Employer

Confidential survey of all employees plus an HR assessment of your workplace practices, with evidence checks.

See the methodology

Family Friendly Employer

How well your employees can combine work with family and caregiving, measured by a confidential survey and a family-focused HR assessment.

See the methodology

How we select

A deliberate mix, not first come, first served

To get results that hold up, we spread the 100 places across company sizes, industries and regions. We never select on expected results: an employer that is still working on its culture is just as welcome as one that already scores high.

Size band 110–49employees
Size band 250–249employees
Size band 3250–999employees
Size band 41,000–10,000employees

Industries

Places are spread across industries, from manufacturing and construction to healthcare, retail, professional services and technology.

Regions

We include employers from all U.S. regions.

Rounds

We review applications in rounds until all places are filled. First selection round: Q1 2027. Every applicant hears from us by email.

The process

From application to result in six steps

01

Apply online

Fill in the short form below. It takes about five minutes and you receive a confirmation by email.

02

Selection

We select by size, industry and region. Selected employers receive the participation terms to accept online.

03

Online kick-off

You get your survey link, the assessment questionnaire and a timeline. USIQ may ask for evidence of your answers.

04

Confidential survey

Your employees answer anonymously. Each program sets a minimum participation level.

05

Evaluation and second review

We score survey and assessment against the published criteria. A second reviewer checks every decision.

06

Your result

You receive your results tables. If you qualify, you also get the seal in your tier, the certificate and a public verification page, valid for 24 months.

Your employees have a say

Every employee is invited. Every answer stays confidential.

The survey goes to your whole U.S. workforce. Results are reported in aggregate only, so people can answer honestly.

Warehouse employee answering a short survey on a smartphone

What you get

  • The full assessment of one USIQ program, free of charge
  • Detailed results tables you can use for your own planning
  • If you qualify: seal in your tier (Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum), certificate with unique ID and public verification page
  • 24 months validity, the same as a paid certification
  • A summary of the anonymized U.S. benchmark once the program is complete

What we ask of you

  • Invite all eligible U.S. employees to the survey
  • Complete the assessment within the agreed timeline and answer truthfully
  • Allow USIQ to use your results in anonymized, aggregated form for research and benchmarks
  • If you are certified, link every online display of your seal directly to its public verification page
  • Present the certification accurately and always point to the published methodology

The full Founding Program Terms apply.

Downloads

All three flyers at a glance

The Founding Program flyer covers the free places, the selection and the process. The two program flyers show how Top Employer and Family Friendly Employer are assessed. Every flyer links to the full published criteria.

USIQ Founding Program 2027 flyer, cover and second page

Founding Program 2027

Free places, selection, the six steps and how to apply.

Download the flyer (PDF, 5 pages)

USIQ Top Employer flyer, cover and second page

Top Employer

The method, the four levels, the process and what certified employers receive.

Download the flyer (PDF, 7 pages)

USIQ Family Friendly Employer flyer, cover and second page

Family Friendly Employer

The family-focused method, the four levels, the process and what you receive.

Download the flyer (PDF, 7 pages)

Apply now

Apply for a free place

Applying is free and does not commit you to anything. If you are selected, we send you the participation terms by email. You decide then whether to take part.

Want to share the program with your team? Download the program flyer (PDF, 5 pages).

Your contact

Ms. Anjali Anli

Executive Assistant to Oliver Scharfenberg, PhDr. MBA, CEO of USIQ

Questions before you apply? Write to Anjali.Anli@usiq.org.

    Program you apply for *

    * Required. Applying is free and does not guarantee a place or a seal. You will receive a confirmation email right after you submit.

    Frequently asked questions

    Who can apply?

    Any employer with 10 to 10,000 employees in the United States. The seal covers the U.S. entity and the locations named in your award record.

    Is it really free?

    Yes. Survey, assessment, evaluation, results tables and, if you qualify, seal, certificate and verification page for 24 months. There is no fee and we do not ask for payment details.

    Do selected employers get the seal automatically?

    No. The same criteria apply as for every paid certification. If you do not qualify, you still receive your full results tables, free of charge.

    How do you choose the 100 employers?

    We aim for a balanced mix of company sizes and industries from all U.S. regions. Expected results play no role in the selection.

    What happens to our data?

    Survey answers are confidential. Results are used for research only in anonymized, aggregated form. We never name your organization in a benchmark without your written consent.

    How may we use the seal?

    Like every certified employer. Online, the seal always links directly to your verification page, which shows the program, tier, scope, validity and the criteria version. In print, a readable verification address appears next to the seal. Details are in our Seal Usage Guidelines.

    What happens after 24 months?

    Your seal expires. You can recertify at the regular price, but you are under no obligation to do so.