FAQ — Applicants

Yes. Creating and submitting requests is free for applicants. Providers may respond with paid offers depending on scope, timelines, and required work. You stay in control: you can compare responses and decide whether to proceed. ECP does not set provider prices.

No. If you're unsure, describe the product, intended use, and target EU market scenario, and submit what you know. Providers may ask clarifying questions, and the request can be refined as the scope becomes clearer. Starting early often saves time—especially for testing and documentation planning. If you already know the directive/regulation, include it to speed up routing.

A short product description (what it is, how it's used), target market, and what outcome you need (testing, certification route, documentation review, representation, consulting). Attach any documents you already have—drawings, labels, manuals, previous reports or certificates—if available. If you don't have documents yet, you can still submit; providers can respond with a list of what's needed. The more specific the scope, the fewer irrelevant questions you'll get.

Yes. Many real projects require multiple steps (e.g., consulting + testing + certification). You can describe the full goal and ECP can dispatch parts to the relevant provider types. This reduces coordination overhead for you. Providers may also recommend sequencing (what to do first).

ECP covers 11 representative and compliance service types: EU Authorized Representative (MDR/IVDR/RED/LVD), UK Representative (UKCA/UK MDR), PRRC Services (MDR/IVDR Art. 15), GPSR Responsible Person, EU Cosmetics Responsible Person, GDPR Article 27 Representative, DSA Article 13 Legal Representative, REACH Only Representative, VAT Fiscal Representative, WEEE/EPR Compliance, and Swiss FADP Representative. Different products and markets require different representative types — submit your request and ECP will match you with relevant providers.

That can happen when the scope is unclear, too niche, or missing basic information. The fastest fix is to update the request with a clearer product summary, target directive/regulation (if known), and key documents. You can also broaden the scope or request type (e.g., start with consulting/gap analysis). If needed, resubmitting a refined request usually improves response rate.

ECP dispatches your request to providers based on service category, scope, and provider coverage. Different provider types may be involved depending on your request (e.g., labs for testing, certification bodies for certain schemes, consultants for documentation). Providers then respond with questions, next steps, timelines, or offers. If the request is too broad, you'll get mixed responses—refining the scope usually improves quality.

It depends on your category and how widely providers cover your scope. Some requests can be routed to several providers to increase response rate; niche scopes may go to fewer. If needed, you can adjust the request to broaden or narrow the routing. The goal is to balance speed (more providers) and relevance (fewer, more targeted providers).

Often yes, but not always immediately. Many providers will first confirm key details (scope, documents, target markets, deadlines) and then provide an offer or plan. For testing and certification routes, timelines can vary greatly depending on complexity and capacity. Expect an iterative process: clarify → propose → proceed.

No. Certification, testing results, and regulatory outcomes depend on your product and evidence. ECP is a platform to connect you with qualified providers and streamline communication. Providers will guide you on feasibility and requirements. Think of ECP as the "routing + workflow layer," not the certifying authority.

Only providers who receive your application can see the information you included. We recommend sharing the minimum needed to start and expanding details after you see a relevant response. If you have sensitive materials, you can start with high-level descriptions and add documents later. This approach works well even without NDA automation.

Applications go through a simple lifecycle: draft → submitted → (admin review if applicable) → sent to providers → provider responses. In your dashboard you see a single clear status, plus provider response statuses (accepted/declined/in review/completed) when available.

After submission, an application may be under administrative review. During review, editing can be temporarily restricted to keep the scope stable. If changes are needed, you can update the application after review or follow the instructions shown in the dashboard.

Yes. Providers can respond with statuses and may include a short message (for example, a decline reason or next steps). When available, you will see the status and the provider note in your dashboard.