ISO 9001:2026 Update: What the New Quality Management Standard Means for Your Organisation

ISO 9001, the leading global quality management standard, is being updated on 16th September 2026. The core principles stay the same, but the revision builds on the 2024 climate change amendment and adds stronger focus on leadership accountability, risk-based thinking, change management, supplier oversight, and continual improvement.

For businesses already certified to ISO 9001:2015, the update is expected to be evolutionary rather than disruptive — most can build on their existing systems rather than starting over.

This blog, from IMSM, looks at why the changes are happening, what they are, and what they mean for organisations that are already certified.