National Highway Sector Schemes certification can appear complex with over 20 individual schemes, sector-specific requirements, and detailed competency criteria. At EmmersonWills, we specialise in simplifying the entire process, making highways sector access straightforward for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers of all sizes.
What are National Highway Sector Schemes?
National Highway Sector Schemes (NHSS) are bespoke integrated quality management systems for organisations working on the UK’s road network. Based on the ISO 9001:2015 framework, NHSS provide sector-specific requirements and interpretation for highways maintenance, construction, inspection, and related activities.
There are currently more than 20 individual NHSS covering eight main categories: highway assets including design, fencing including vehicle safety restraints, electrical and land drilling, road surfaces and surface marking, manufacturing and structures, temporary traffic management, landscaping and natural environment, and tunnel management and incident response.
Each scheme is developed and managed by a technical advisory committee comprising industry representatives, highway authorities, contractors, suppliers, trade associations, and certification bodies. These committees interpret ISO 9001 requirements for their specific sector, defining minimum standards for workmanship, products, testing, training, competency, and auditor qualifications.
NHSS certification is provided by UKAS-accredited certification bodies, ensuring independent verification that organisations meet the stringent requirements for working on the UK’s strategic road network and local authority highways.
Why Does Your Business Need NHSS?
If your organisation supplies services to National Highways under the Specification for Highways Works (SHW), NHSS certification is mandatory for all relevant schemes covering your contracted activities. Where SHW forms part of contract documentation, registration to appropriate NHSS is required unless specifically stated otherwise.
The mandatory nature of NHSS makes it essential rather than optional for highways sector work. Subcontractors must hold their own NHSS certification; the SHW does not permit NHSS-certified contractors to provide umbrella coverage for non-registered suppliers carrying out scheme-covered work.
Beyond legal compliance, NHSS registration provides competitive advantages when tendering for highways contracts. For businesses currently working only on non-national road networks, NHSS registration opens access to National Highways contracts on the strategic road network. Many local authorities also adopt NHSS requirements for their road maintenance and construction projects, further extending market opportunities beyond the strategic network.
Benefits of NHSS Certification
- Mandatory Compliance: NHSS registration satisfies legal requirements under the Specification for Highways Works, enabling participation in National Highways contracts and many local authority projects.
- Competitive Advantage: Pre-existing certification provides significant advantages when tendering, eliminating delays whilst competitors achieve registration and demonstrating readiness to commence work immediately.
- Enhanced Credentials: Independent UKAS-accredited verification demonstrates professional competence and commitment to recognised quality standards, building client confidence and differentiating your organisation from non-certified competitors.
- Market Access: Certification opens opportunities on the strategic road network for organisations previously limited to local roads. Many highways authorities use NHSS as supplier selection criteria, making registration essential for accessing significant contract values.
- Risk Management: The NHSS assessment process helps identify operational risks and areas requiring improvement, supporting business development and reducing likelihood of incidents, non-compliance, or contractual issues.
- Database Visibility: UKAS CertCheck automatically registers NHSS-certified organisations, providing visibility to contracting bodies searching for qualified suppliers. Many buyers use this database exclusively when identifying potential contractors.
- Industry Recognition: Some trade associations require NHSS registration for membership, providing access to sector expertise, networking opportunities, and industry support unavailable to non-registered organisations.
Who Needs NHSS Certification?
NHSS certification is essential for various organisations across the highways sector supply chain:
Main Contractors & Subcontractors
Companies working on motorways, trunk roads, or beside highways including construction, maintenance, repair, and improvement works. Both main contractors and their subcontractors require appropriate NHSS certification for their specific activities.
Temporary Traffic Management Providers
Organisations installing, maintaining, and removing temporary traffic management systems on any road types. Different NHSS schemes cover static management on high-speed roads, mobile lane closures, and urban/rural traffic management.
Road Surfacing Specialists
Contractors applying asphalt, surface treatments, road markings, and paving works. Multiple schemes cover different aspects of surfacing and marking activities.
Fencing & Restraint System Installers
Companies installing, maintaining, or repairing vehicle safety barriers, fencing systems, and restraint installations on highways infrastructure.
Landscaping & Environmental Specialists
Providers of soft landscape works, tree management, vegetation control, and ecological services on highway projects.
Electrical & Lighting Contractors
Organisations installing and maintaining highway electrical systems, street lighting, traffic signals, and associated control equipment.
Product Manufacturers & Suppliers
Manufacturers, fabricators, and stockholders of products incorporated into highways assets, where schemes cover product quality assurance and supply arrangements.
Designers & Consultants
Highway designers, engineers, and consultants providing design services for highways projects where schemes specify design requirements.
Vehicle Recovery & Incident Response
Providers of vehicle recovery services and incident management on strategic roads and construction sites.
The schemes apply to work on National Highways’ strategic road network (approximately 4% of UK roads) and are often adopted by local authorities for remaining roads, extending NHSS relevance across much of the highways maintenance and construction sector.
Why Choose EmmersonWills for NHSS Support?
EmmersonWills specialises in simplifying NHSS certification across all schemes. NHSS requirements combine ISO 9001 quality management with sector-specific interpretation, detailed competency criteria, and scheme-specific technical requirements. This complexity can overwhelm organisations new to highways sector work or those without established management systems. We remove the complexity and make the entire journey straightforward.
Our consultants are hand-picked to align with our company culture and identity, meticulously trained and managed from the top, and all hired full-time rather than using sub-contractors. This ensures consistency in service delivery and builds trust through reliable, qualified expertise.
- Clear, Systematic Certification Process: We guide organisations through the entire NHSS journey from initial gap analysis through to successful certification in relevant schemes. Our proven methodology breaks down complex requirements into manageable steps, ensuring nothing is overlooked whilst avoiding unnecessary complications.
- ISO 9001 Integration: NHSS builds on ISO 9001 foundations. For organisations without existing ISO 9001 certification, we develop integrated systems satisfying both ISO 9001 and NHSS requirements simultaneously. This integrated approach is more efficient than sequential implementation and creates unified quality management rather than separate overlapping systems.
- Sector-Specific Expertise: Each NHSS has unique technical requirements, competency criteria, and interpretation of ISO 9001. We help organisations understand scheme-specific requirements for their activities, develop appropriate procedures, and gather necessary evidence efficiently without wasted effort on irrelevant elements.
- Competency Management: NHSS places significant emphasis on workforce training and competency. We help organisations establish systems for identifying required competencies, providing appropriate training, maintaining records, and ensuring personnel hold necessary skills cards and qualifications. This preparation addresses a common area where organisations face certification challenges.
- Focused Audit Preparation: We conduct thorough preparation for certification audits, ensuring documentation, operational practices, and competency evidence meet UKAS-accredited certification body expectations. Our experience with NHSS auditors and requirements ensures smooth, successful assessments without surprises.
- Straightforward Ongoing Compliance: NHSS certification requires annual surveillance audits and three-year recertification. We provide ongoing support to maintain system effectiveness, prepare for surveillance visits, manage scheme document updates, and ensure continued compliance without letting it become burdensome.
- Multi-Scheme Navigation: Many organisations require certification to multiple NHSS schemes covering different aspects of their work. We help navigate this complexity, identifying all relevant schemes, managing multiple certification processes efficiently, and ensuring comprehensive coverage without duplication.
Our guarantee
Our guarantee removes risk from your decision. We guarantee no easier route to gaining and maintaining NHSS certification. This isn’t marketing language. It’s a commitment reflecting our confidence in delivering results through genuine simplification, not just promises.
We adapt requirements to fit your operations, creating systems and processes that work for your business rather than forcing artificial compliance. Our entire focus is on simplicity, genuine capability improvement, and accessing the highways sector opportunities your business deserves without unnecessary complexity standing in your way.
Taking the next step
If you’re considering NHSS certification or need support achieving registration in specific schemes, the highways sector represents significant opportunity. With NHSS being mandatory for National Highways contracts and widely adopted by local authorities, certification has become essential for market access.
The process doesn’t need to be overwhelming. With the right support, achieving NHSS certification becomes straightforward and manageable, allowing you to focus on winning and delivering highways contracts whilst we handle the compliance complexity and simplify every step of the journey.
Ready to access UK highways sector opportunities?
EmmersonWills offers a free initial consultation to discuss your specific circumstances and demonstrate how our proven methodology can streamline your path to NHSS certification. We’ll show you exactly how we simplify what others overcomplicate. With our guarantee of no easier route to NHSS accreditation, you can move forward with confidence.
Contact EmmersonWills today to discover how we can help your business achieve NHSS certification without the complexity. Get in touch to start your simplified NHSS journey.
NHSS Frequently Asked Questions
What does NHSS stand for?
NHSS stands for National Highway Sector Schemes. These are bespoke quality management systems based on ISO 9001 with additional sector-specific requirements for organisations working on the UK’s road network, particularly the strategic road network managed by National Highways.
Is NHSS certification mandatory?
Yes, NHSS certification is mandatory for work covered under the Specification for Highways Works (SHW) for National Highways contracts. Where SHW forms part of contract documentation, organisations must be registered to all relevant NHSS schemes for their contracted activities unless specifically stated otherwise. Many local authorities also require or prefer NHSS certification.
Which NHSS scheme do I need?
The scheme(s) you need depend on your specific activities. There are over 20 individual schemes covering areas like temporary traffic management, road surfacing, fencing, electrical works, landscaping, and others. We help organisations identify all relevant schemes for their work and prioritise certification accordingly.
Do I need ISO 9001 before applying for NHSS?
NHSS builds upon ISO 9001:2015 framework. You can achieve both simultaneously, or add NHSS as an extension if you already hold ISO 9001 certification from a UKAS-accredited body. We help organisations develop integrated systems satisfying both ISO 9001 and NHSS requirements efficiently.
How long does NHSS certification take?
Timeline varies based on your starting position and number of schemes required. Organisations with existing ISO 9001 certification may achieve NHSS certification within 2-4 months. Businesses developing systems from scratch typically require 4-6 months for system development, competency arrangements, and certification. Multiple schemes may extend timelines slightly.
What competency requirements does NHSS involve?
NHSS places significant emphasis on workforce competency. Personnel must hold appropriate skills cards (CSCS or equivalent), specific qualifications for their roles, and demonstrate practical competence. Requirements vary by scheme but typically include operator training, supervisor qualifications, and management competency. The Highways Passport may be required for site access.
How much does NHSS certification cost?
Costs include consultancy fees for system development and preparation, certification body fees for assessment, and training/competency costs for personnel. Investment varies significantly based on organisation size, number of schemes required, and current system maturity. Contact us for tailored cost estimates based on your specific circumstances.
Can subcontractors work under our NHSS certification?
No, the Specification for Highways Works does not permit NHSS-certified contractors to provide umbrella coverage for non-registered subcontractors. Any subcontractors you use must hold their own NHSS certification for relevant schemes covering work they perform. This ensures all organisations in the supply chain meet required standards.
How long is NHSS certification valid?
NHSS certification remains valid for three years, maintained through annual surveillance audits by your UKAS-accredited certification body. Following the three-year period, recertification audits are required to renew certification. Surveillance audits verify continued compliance between full assessments.
What happens if we fail the NHSS assessment?
Assessments identify conformities and non-conformities against scheme requirements. Major non-conformities must be corrected before certification is granted, potentially requiring follow-up assessment. Minor non-conformities typically require corrective action plans without preventing certification. With proper preparation, most organisations achieve first-time certification success.
Do we need separate certificates for each NHSS scheme?
Certificate format varies by certification body. Some issue individual certificates for each scheme, whilst others provide combined certificates detailing all assessed schemes. All NHSS certifications are registered on the UKAS CertCheck database regardless of certificate format, providing visibility to contracting bodies.
Can small contractors achieve NHSS certification?
Yes, NHSS is scalable to organisation size. Small contractors working on highways projects require the same certification as larger organisations, but system complexity and audit scope are proportionate to operational scale. We specialise in helping businesses of all sizes develop appropriately sized systems meeting NHSS requirements without unnecessary complexity.
What is the Specification for Highways Works?
The Specification for Highways Works (SHW) is the technical specification governing works on the strategic road network. It defines standards, materials, workmanship, and processes for highways construction and maintenance. The SHW mandates NHSS certification for relevant activities, making it a contractual requirement rather than optional.
How does NHSS relate to local authority work?
While NHSS is mandatory for National Highways contracts, many local authorities adopt NHSS requirements for their road maintenance and construction projects. Approximately 96% of UK roads are local authority responsibility, and NHSS certification often provides competitive advantage or becomes a requirement for local authority contracts.
What are Sector Scheme Documents?
Sector Scheme Documents (SSDs) are detailed specifications for each NHSS. Published by Lantra on behalf of technical advisory committees, SSDs define minimum requirements for workmanship, competency, training, quality plans, and management systems specific to that scheme. These are the definitive reference documents for certification requirements.
Will NHSS certification guarantee highways contracts?
NHSS certification provides essential compliance and market access but doesn’t guarantee contract awards. Contracting bodies select suppliers based on capability, capacity, pricing, and suitability for specific requirements. However, without appropriate NHSS certification, highways contracts are completely inaccessible, making certification a prerequisite for competing.
Can we maintain NHSS certification across personnel changes?
Yes, NHSS systems should be robust and not overly dependent on specific individuals. This requires documented procedures, training programmes, competency management systems, and succession planning. We help organisations build sustainable systems that maintain compliance through personnel changes without disruption to certification status.