Renewal, Revocation & Programme Conduct Policy

3.1 Continuous Compliance

A certificate represents conformance at the time of assessment. Certificate Holders are required to maintain continuous conformance with all applicable certification criteria throughout the Certification Period, not merely at the point of initial assessment or renewal.

3.2 Mandatory Notification Obligations

Certificate Holders must notify Data Bureau in writing at certify@databureau.com.sg within the timeframes specified below upon becoming aware of any of the following events:

3.3 Display & Use of Certification Marks

Certificate Holders are permitted to display the Data Bureau certification badge and reference their certification status in commercial communications, subject to the following conditions:

• •The certificate must be current and not suspended or revoked.
• •The certification badge must link to the Certificate Holder's Public Registry entry or the verification page at databureau.com.sg.
• •Certificate Holders must not misrepresent the scope of their certification. A certificate issued for one programme may not be represented as covering another.
• •Certificate Holders must not claim that certification constitutes a government endorsement, regulatory approval, or guarantee of performance.
• •Upon lapse, suspension, or revocation, all certification marks must be removed from commercial communications, websites, and physical materials within 5 business days.

4.1 Renewal Timeline

Certificates are valid for one (1) year from the date of issue unless a different validity period is stated on the certificate face. Certificate Holders who wish to maintain certification must submit a Renewal Application before expiry.

4.2 Renewal Assessment Scope

Renewal is not automatic. Each renewal involves a reassessment of the applicable certification criteria. Data Bureau may conduct a full or targeted reassessment depending on:

• •Changes notified by the Certificate Holder since the last assessment;
• •Adverse signals identified through continuous monitoring, including Scam.SG complaint data, regulatory enforcement records, and ACRA status changes;
• •The passage of time since criteria or data sources were last verified; and
• •Any outstanding compliance conditions from the prior certification.

Where a targeted reassessment is conducted, Data Bureau will specify which criteria have been re-evaluated. Criteria not re-evaluated carry forward the prior assessment outcome.

4.3 Renewal Fees

Renewal fees are set at the rate applicable at the time of the Renewal Application. Current fees are published in the Data Bureau Certification Catalogue. Data Bureau reserves the right to adjust fee schedules with a minimum of 60 days' written notice to Certificate Holders. Fees paid are non-refundable where a Renewal Application fails assessment, except where the failure is attributable solely to a Data Bureau administrative error.

5.1 Grounds for Suspension

Data Bureau may suspend a certificate, with immediate effect and without prior notice, where it has reasonable grounds to believe that one or more of the following conditions exist:

• 1A Material Change has occurred that may render the Certificate Holder non-compliant, and investigation is required to determine the impact on certification status.
• 2A complaint, enforcement action, or adverse signal has been received that, if substantiated, would constitute grounds for revocation.
• 3The Certificate Holder has failed to provide information requested by Data Bureau within the specified timeframe.
• 4False or misleading information is suspected to have been submitted in the certification application or any subsequent notification.
• 5The certificate is subject to an ongoing appeals or dispute process that requires interim status management.

5.3 Duration of Suspension

Suspension shall not exceed 60 calendar days from the date of the Suspension Notice. Where a resolution has not been reached within 60 days, Data Bureau will either proceed to revocation or extend the suspension by a further period, not exceeding 30 days, with written notice to the Certificate Holder. A certificate may not be suspended indefinitely.

6.1 Grounds for Revocation

Data Bureau may revoke a certificate, with immediate effect, upon any of the following grounds:

• 6The Certificate Holder submitted false, misleading, or materially incomplete information in the certification application or any subsequent notification.
• 7The Certificate Holder provided a false declaration in connection with any criterion assessed by signed declaration.
• 8A Material Change has occurred that renders the Certificate Holder non-compliant with the applicable certification standard, and the Certificate Holder has failed to remediate within the period specified by Data Bureau.
• 9The Certificate Holder has failed to notify Data Bureau of a Material Change within the required timeframe under Section 3.2.
• 10A regulatory authority has taken enforcement action against the Certificate Holder, or the Certificate Holder's operating licence has been suspended or revoked, in a manner material to the certification scope.
• 11The Certificate Holder has been wound up, placed under judicial management, or has become insolvent, and the circumstances are material to the certification scope.
• 12The Certificate Holder has failed to pay the applicable renewal fee within 30 days of the due date.
• 13The Certificate Holder has misrepresented their certification status or misused the Data Bureau certification mark in a manner that brings the certification programme into disrepute.
• 14The Certificate Holder has refused or obstructed a Data Bureau audit or investigation.

6.3 Immediate Revocation

Notwithstanding Section 6.2, Data Bureau may effect immediate revocation — without a Show Cause Notice — where:

• •The grounds for revocation involve fraud or deliberate misrepresentation;
• •A Singapore regulatory authority has ordered revocation or taken action that makes continued certification untenable; or
• •Continued display of the certification mark poses an immediate risk of consumer harm.

In cases of immediate revocation, the Certificate Holder retains the right to appeal under Section 7.

6.4 Consequences of Revocation

A revoked Certificate Holder may not apply for any Data Bureau certification for a period of 12 months from the effective date of revocation, unless the revocation was subsequently overturned on appeal.

Where revocation was on the grounds of fraud or deliberate misrepresentation, a 24-month exclusion period applies, and any new application will be subject to enhanced assessment.

7.1 Appealable Decisions

• •A denial of a certification application (initial or renewal);
• •A suspension decision;
• •A revocation decision; and
• •A decision on the scope or conditions attached to a conditional certification.

7.3 Effect of Appeal on Status

The filing of a Notice of Appeal does not automatically suspend the effect of the decision under appeal. Where the decision is a revocation, the certificate remains revoked during the appeal period unless the appeals panel grants an interim stay in writing.

An interim stay may be granted by the panel where the appellant demonstrates a prima facie arguable case and that continued suspension or revocation would cause disproportionate harm pending appeal.

10.1 Integrity of the Certification Process

All persons and entities participating in the Data Bureau certification process — including applicants, Certificate Holders, Appointed Verification Agencies, and Data Bureau staff — are required to maintain the integrity of that process. The following conduct is prohibited:

• •Submitting false, falsified, or misleading documents or declarations in connection with any certification application, renewal, notification, or appeal;
• •Attempting to influence the outcome of a certification decision through improper means, including inducements, threats, or misrepresentation;
• •Impersonating another entity or person in any certification-related communication;
• •Applying for certification on behalf of an entity that does not meet the eligibility criteria;
• •Displaying a certification mark in respect of a lapsed, suspended, or revoked certificate; and
• •Misrepresenting the scope, meaning, or implications of a Data Bureau certificate to customers, regulators, or counterparties.

10.3 Confidentiality

Assessment records, internal review notes, and appeals panel deliberations are confidential. Data Bureau will not disclose the substantive content of assessment records to third parties without the consent of the Certificate Holder, except where required by law, by a Singapore regulatory authority, or where the public interest so requires.

Certificate Holders may request a copy of their own assessment record by writing to certify@databureau.com.sg. Assessment records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of assessment.