March 12, 2009 
 
 

Dear NIST Measurement Services Customer, 
 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the agency of the United States Federal Government, Department of Commerce that is responsible for developing, maintaining and disseminating national metrology standards – realizations of the International System of Units (SI) - for the basic measurement quantities, and for many derived measurement quantities. Measurement results throughout the U.S., and indeed the world, are traceable to NIST's realizations of the SI. In turn, NIST establishes the traceability of its own measurement results and the values of its own standards while operating in accordance with the NIST Quality System (QS) {http://www.nist.gov/nistsystem}. The NIST QS is based on ISO/IEC 17025:2000 for its measurement and calibration functions. ISO REMCO Guide 34 is used as the relevant standard for functions specific to the development and production of Certified Reference Materials, called NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). The QS for the delivery of measurement services is based on ISO 9001. Conformance to these standards has been verified by NIST for laboratories and divisions performing and delivering measurement services using an accreditation process designed in part and reviewed by NIST's National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) {http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Accreditation/index.cfm}.  
 

As the primary agency for U.S. measurement standards, NIST does not employ third-party audits. NIST does not sign affidavits, acknowledgement forms, or other company-specific documents that may be required by any domestic or foreign entity governing the procurement of goods and services.  Such documents generally contain provisions that conflict with U.S. statutes and/or ask NIST to document how NIST fulfills the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 with regard to traceability to itself. We hope that this informati