Esna Soa, certification body

SOA certification bodies, are private sector companies authorised by the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority. In carrying out their certification activity, SOAs perform public functions, certifying the possession of the qualification requirements of entities carrying out public works contracts for amounts exceeding 150,000 euros. SOAs operate in a sector regulated by strict legislation to ensure that the qualification system guarantees maximum transparency, correctness and independence of judgement.

The legislation imposes obligations and limitations on the business activities of SOAs, ensuring they are financially solid and equipped with professionally qualified staff, and requires strict, periodic checks on employees, directors, shareholders and supervisory bodies to safeguard independence of judgement. The qualification of companies started in 1962 with a regulation establishing the Italian National Register of Builders at the Ministry of Public Works. SOA qualification was established in 2000. It was introduced by (Italian) Presidential Decree 34/2000 establishing the certification bodies (SOAs), which are private sector companies authorised and supervised by the sector authority. SOA certification enables companies demonstrating certain standards of execution capability to participate in public works contracts, and is issued with respect to specific categories of work that identify the types of works for which the company is qualified to participate in tenders, divided into classifications with different ranges of amounts. In 2010, (Italian) Presidential Decree 207/2010 repealed the previous regulation, supplementing and fine-tuning the rules of SOA qualification. In 2016, the (Italian) Public Contracts Code (Legislative Decree 50/2016) was issued, providing for the issuance of a new regulation updating the provisions on SOA qualification.