We add a new machine to our certified Gold Standard project. By when must we ask for approval?
Within one year of the start date of the new technology or measure. Gold Standard requires a design change request for it in that time. If you miss it, that new component is not eligible for certification, though the rest of the project stays.
The rule
A project with a certified design that wants to include a new technology or measure must send a request for approval of a design change to Gold Standard within one year of the start date of the proposed technology or measure.
What happens if you are late
The design change component is not eligible for certification. Only that component is lost.
Where the clock starts
At the start date of the new component, not at commissioning or first output. Gold Standard's start date is explained on the project start date page linked below.
A simple habit
- Write the date you sign the purchase order for any new equipment.
- Put a reminder at ten months.
- Send the request before the one-year mark, not on it.
Example with made-up dates
- Start date of the new line: 10 August 2026.
- Request due: by 10 August 2027. Reminder set for 10 June 2027.
Example only.
What Senseible does here
Senseible is not a registry or an auditor. Its dated invoices help show when a new machine was first ordered and paid for.
Sources: Gold Standard for the Global Goals, Principles and Requirements v2.1 (January 2025), 4.1.49(c)
Last reviewed 2026-11-03. Read from version 2.1 (31 January 2025), which listed an update for 5 December 2025. Check for a newer version before relying on it.