{"id":32637,"date":"2025-08-18T14:53:34","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T13:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/?page_id=32637"},"modified":"2025-08-20T21:35:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T20:35:01","slug":"software-certification","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/compliance\/software-certification\/","title":{"rendered":"Software Certification Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1>\n\t\t\tSoftware Certification Program\t<\/h1>\n\t<p>Join global leaders in openBIM compliance and boost your credibility in the AEC industry.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/2wx5h.share.hsforms.com\/2CqcDJQtTQV664xXp3kPWxg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApply for Certification\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/technical.buildingsmart.org\/services\/certification\/ifc-certification-participants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExplore Certified Software\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tGet Your Software Certified. Gain Trust, Win More Business.\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/recognition_icon.png\" alt=\"recognition_icon\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"100\" width=\"78\" title=\"recognition_icon\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t<p>Recognition as an openBIM-compliant Solution<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/advantage_icon.png\" alt=\"advantage_icon\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" title=\"advantage_icon\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t<p>Competitive Edge in Tenders &amp; Projects<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/listing_icon.png\" alt=\"listing_icon\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"86\" width=\"100\" title=\"listing_icon\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t<p>Featured Listing on buildingSMART&#8217;s Certified Software Ledger<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/insights_icon.png\" alt=\"insights_icon\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" title=\"insights_icon\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t<p>Transparent Insights for Industry Professionals<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tHow Does buildingSMART Software Certfication Program Work?\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>Global IFC Software Certification is divided into export and import parts.<\/p>\n\t<p>Export<\/p>\n\t<ol>\n<li>Users export IFC files from the software<\/li>\n<li>Upload them to the Validation Service<\/li>\n<li>buildingSMART International collects anonymous data about the quality of the IFC files uploaded by users<\/li>\n<li>The aggregation of the results is used to generate &#8216;score cards&#8217; about the performance of software tools supporting IFC<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t<p>Import<\/p>\n\t<ol>\n<li>Get a copy of openly available test files <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/buildingSMART\/Sample-Test-Files\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Import the test files in the software<\/li>\n<li>Answer questions about the quality of the import<\/li>\n<li>buildingSMART international aggregates results and publishes results<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tLooking to Speed Up Your Certification Journey?\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"mailto:certification@buildingsmart.org\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tContact us\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<h2  id=\"what-is-AP\">\n\t\t\t&#8216;Scorecards&#8217; Explained\t<\/h2>\n\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_hNMbH9dUZM\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\t<p>The scorecards are generated per version of a software tool. IFC uploads from software vendors are ignored when producing the scorecards. This means the score cards can only be generated for software tools that are used in practice by actual users. They are only generated when the data in the Validation Service are statistically significant.<\/p>\n<p>Besides the validity (green) and invalidity (red), the score cards also give an overview of what functional parts of IFC are supported and which ones are not.<\/p>\n<p>The score cards can also be used by users to evaluate the capabilities of software tools.<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tTrusted by Leading Software Vendors Worldwide\t<\/h2>\n                        <p><a href=\"https:\/\/technical.buildingsmart.org\/services\/certification\/ifc-certification-participants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>100+ more<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<style>\n.hover-column {\n    cursor: pointer;\n    border-radius: 10px;\n}\n.hover-column > .fl-col-content:hover {\n    box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);\n    border-radius: 10px;\n}\n.fl-col-group {\n    display: flex;\n    justify-content: space-between; \n    align-items: stretch;\n    width: 100%;\n}\n.fl-node-yjn398h45qxf .fl-col {\n    flex: 1;\n    margin: 10px;\n    box-shadow: 0px 4px 8px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);\n}\n.fl-node-k61norxc2vze {\n    flex: 1 0 18%;\n    margin: 10px;\n    box-shadow: 0 4px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);\n}\n.hover-column > .fl-col-content:hover {\n    box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);\n}\n#moreColumn .fl-col-content {\n    background-color: #EEEEEE;\n    border-radius: 10px;\n}\n<\/style>\n\t<p>The list above is randomized and buildingSMART does not favor any particular solution.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/technical.buildingsmart.org\/services\/certification\/ifc-certification-participants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExplore Certified Software\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tFrequently Asked Questions\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 tabindex=\"0\">What Software Certification Programs are available?<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>At the moment the IFC import and IFC export software certification are available for all official versions of IFC (i.e. IFC 2&#215;3, IFC 4 and IFC 4.3). Software certification for IDS and BCF is not available yet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 tabindex=\"0\">How long does it take to get certified?<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Software certification does not take long. It could be done in a day when the tool has implemented IFC correctly. The export certification is done by generating the scorecard base on metrics from the IFC Validation Service [add link to VS web page]. When actual users (not software developers themselves) upload data to the IFC Validation Service, the scorecards for that application are automatically generated. Only whenthe scorecards for a given tool are without red boxes, such tool can be certified.<\/p>\n<p>Import certification is done by providing software licenses to acredited buildingSMART testers, or using screensharing on a ZOOM\/Teams call. We encourage vendors to record their import procedure since it can be used as an educational video for users. Import certification testing usually takes a few hours, and covers the items in <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/buildingSMART\/Sample-Test-Files\/blob\/main\/import-certification.md\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this public checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 tabindex=\"0\">For how long is a software certification valid?<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Certification is provided per version of a tool. It is valid until the opposite is proven. So as soon as the import does not work properly, or an invalid IFC file is uploaded to the IFC Validation Service (this will be checked), the certification is retracted.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 tabindex=\"0\">How much does it cost to get certified?<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Import certification is \u20ac 1,500 per version of IFC, per tool. Export certification is \u20ac 2,500 per version of IFC, per tool. Do you want to certify multiple tools? <a href=\"mailto:technical@buildingsmart.org\">Contact us<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tExplore buildingSMART Standards and Services\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/standards\/bsi-standards\/industry-foundation-classes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IFC-logo1.1.png\" alt=\"IFC-logo1.1\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"250\" width=\"250\" title=\"IFC-logo1.1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/standards\/bsi-standards\/information-delivery-specification-ids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IDS-logo1.1.png\" alt=\"IDS-logo1.1\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"250\" width=\"250\" title=\"IDS-logo1.1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/standards\/bsi-standards\/bim-collaboration-format\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/BCF-logo1.1.png\" alt=\"BCF-logo1.1\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"250\" width=\"250\" title=\"BCF-logo1.1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/users\/services\/buildingsmart-data-dictionary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/bSDD-logo1.1.png\" alt=\"bSDD-logo1.1\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"250\" width=\"250\" title=\"bSDD-logo1.1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/users\/services\/ifc-validation-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Validation-logo1.1.png\" alt=\"Validation-logo1.1\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"250\" width=\"250\" title=\"Validation-logo1.1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/ucm.buildingsmart.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/UCM-logo1.1.png\" alt=\"UCM-logo1.1\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"250\" width=\"250\" title=\"UCM-logo1.1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<h3><strong>Subscribe to our newsletter today!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/subscription-preference\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Software Certification Program Join global leaders in openBIM compliance and boost your credibility in the AEC industry. Apply for Certification Explore Certified Software Get Your Software Certified. Gain Trust, Win&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":32638,"parent":105,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-32637","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"wpsp_post_type":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32637\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildingsmart.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}