Becoming an ACP is a regulatory process, not a quick form. It is worth it if you will create a steady flow of NSW certificates, and not worth it for a few jobs a year.
The usual path
- Pick your activities. Decide which ESS or PDRS activities you will deliver, such as efficient hot water, appliance replacement or battery-related PDRS activities.
- Read the requirements. Each activity has rules on products, evidence, who can do the work and what must be recorded.
- Prepare your application. Business details, ownership, systems for evidence and record-keeping, and anything the application asks to show you are a fit and proper person.
- Apply to IPART. Submit through the scheme’s process, and respond to questions.
- Set up your registry account and processes once accredited.
- Create certificates for eligible work, and keep the evidence ready for audit.
What the regulator looks at
IPART assesses whether you can do the activity properly and keep records. Expect questions on staffing, quality control, who performs the work and how you collect customer consent and photos.
Costs and trade-offs
You take on compliance risk: audits can lead to certificates being cancelled and obligations to correct. A smaller business may prefer to work under an existing ACP, in exchange for a slice of the certificate value. Compare the net outcomes before committing.
Before you apply
Prepare a one-page overview of your business and a flowchart of how a job moves from quote to certificate. Think through who checks photos, who holds records and where they are stored, how you obtain customer consent, and how you handle a failed audit. Having that on paper makes the application stronger and gives you an operating manual afterwards. If you are not sure, talk to an existing ACP or a consultant who works in the scheme.
What this means for installers
Check IPART’s current guidance for the exact forms and fees, since they change. Related reading: what an ACP is and how long ESCs take to pay. Federal STCs follow a different path, see the STC trading page, how it works and the resources hub.