UNI/PdR 125: how to obtain gender equality certification
Gender equality certification under UNI/PdR 125:2022 measures six areas with qualitative and quantitative indicators. Here is how it works, how long it lasts and what advantages it brings in 2026, from the contribution exemption to tenders.
Gender equality certification attests that a company has concrete policies and results to reduce the gap between women and men. It is obtained from an accredited body by scoring at least 60% on the indicators of the UNI/PdR 125:2022 reference practice. It is voluntary, lasts three years with annual audits and in 2026 still entitles companies to a social security contribution exemption and to extra points in public tenders.
What UNI/PdR 125:2022 is
UNI/PdR 125:2022 is a reference practice published by UNI, the Italian standards body, in 2022: the “Guidelines on the management system for gender equality”. It defines how an organisation should manage equality and which indicators (KPIs) to use to measure it.
The legal basis is Law no. 162 of 5 November 2021, which added Article 46-bis on gender equality certification to the Equal Opportunities Code (Legislative Decree 198/2006), active since 1 January 2022. The minimum parameters were then set by a decree of the President of the Council of Ministers, which named UNI/PdR 125 as the reference.
The 2022 practice is still the one in force. In January 2026 UNI and Accredia published a new edition of the application FAQs, which replaces the previous ones and clarifies, in particular, the indicators in the culture and strategy area.
The six areas and how the score is calculated
The practice measures equality across six areas, each with a weighting in the overall score. To obtain certification you need at least 60%.
| Area | Weight | What it measures, for example |
|---|---|---|
| Culture and strategy | 15% | Strategic plan, internal communication, training on bias |
| Governance | 15% | Roles, responsibilities and resources dedicated to equality within the organisation |
| HR processes | 10% | Recruitment, appraisal and career paths free from discrimination |
| Growth opportunities and inclusion | 20% | Women in the company, in management roles and in roles with budget responsibility |
| Pay equity | 20% | Pay differences for equal roles and rebalancing policies |
| Parenthood protection and work-life balance | 20% | Services and leave beyond the legal minimum, flexibility, return after maternity |
There are more than thirty indicators, some qualitative (whether a policy or procedure exists) and some quantitative (percentages and ratios). Their number varies with size: micro and small companies apply a reduced subset.
Who can obtain it
Any organisation, public or private, in any sector and of any size. The practice distinguishes four bands based on headcount:
- micro: 1 to 9 employees;
- small: 10 to 49 employees;
- medium: 50 to 249 employees;
- large: 250 employees or more.
The smaller the organisation, the leaner the process. For an SME the difficulty is not so much the number of indicators as having reliable data on headcount, pay and leave, broken down by gender. This is the same data needed for the social metrics of the VSME standard, described in the guide to the VSME ESG report.
The incentives available in 2026
The main incentives introduced by Law 162/2021 and by the Public Contracts Code are still active as of October 2026:
| Incentive | What it provides | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution exemption | Up to 1% of employer social security contributions, capped at 50,000 euros a year per company | Application to INPS during an annual window, within a budget of 50 million euros a year; the last one closed on 30 April 2026 for certifications obtained by 31 December 2025 |
| Public tenders | Higher score in tenders for certified companies (Art. 108(7), Legislative Decree 36/2023) | Certification is a personal requirement of the bidder: according to administrative case law it cannot be borrowed through reliance on another company’s capacities (avvalimento) |
| Tender guarantees | Reduction of the guarantee required to bid | The amount depends on the rules of the Code and of the individual tender: always check the tender rules |
| State aid calls | Extra points in the assessment of projects co-financed with European, national and regional funds | Applies if the certification is held on 31 December of the previous year |
Once authorised, the exemption applies for the period of validity of the certification. If the budget is not enough to cover all applications, the amount may be reduced proportionally: it is therefore best seen as an additional benefit, not the main reason to get certified.
The advantage in tenders adds to that of environmental criteria, which we discuss in environmental criteria in public tenders. Banks and ESG rating agencies also regard the certification as a concrete signal on the social pillar.
Beyond public incentives, certification helps with recruitment and with large clients that also assess suppliers on social criteria. Communicate it precisely: what it attests, how long it is valid and which body issued it, without turning it into a generic slogan.
How to obtain it: the steps
- Initial assessment: compare the company’s situation with the KPIs for your size band and estimate your starting score.
- Management commitment: adopt a gender equality policy and appoint a steering committee to oversee the system.
- Strategic plan: set targets, actions, responsibilities, resources and timeframes for the weakest areas.
- Data and procedures: organise the collection of data by gender (headcount, roles, pay, training, leave) and update HR procedures.
- Internal audit and review: check that the system works before the external visit.
- Certification audit: choose a body accredited by Accredia for UNI/PdR 125, which assesses documents, KPIs and staff interviews.
- Maintenance: the certificate lasts three years, with a surveillance audit every year and renewal on expiry.
Timeframes depend mainly on how ready your data is. A company that already has a certified management system, for example for quality or the environment, can integrate the new system into its existing procedures.
The most common mistakes
- Treating it as a paperwork exercise: policies and procedures are needed, but the audit also looks at the actions in the strategic plan and the results on the indicators.
- Calculating KPIs with inconsistent data: for example comparing annual and monthly pay, or not pro-rating part-time staff. Set clear calculation rules first and always apply them the same way.
- Not involving people: staff are interviewed during the audit, so the policy and initiatives must be known, not just published.
- Choosing a non-accredited body: for the contribution exemption and for tenders, only certification issued by accredited bodies counts.
- Stopping after the first certificate: at the annual audits the indicators must stay above the threshold and the plan must be updated with new targets.
How it links to other obligations and to the ESG report
Certification does not stand alone. Companies with more than 50 employees must already prepare, every two years, the report on the situation of male and female staff required by Article 46 of the Equal Opportunities Code. Since 7 June 2026 the legislative decree transposing Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency has also been in force, introducing new pay information obligations for all employers.
Much of the data overlaps: pay gap, workforce composition, training, leave. Collecting it once, with consistent definitions, lets you use it for the certification, for the two-yearly report and for the sustainability report. Workplace inclusion policies thus become measurable, and the topic also lends itself well to the impact report of benefit corporations.
If you prepare the VSME report, for example with Envify, the same data on headcount and training goes into the social section of the document you hand to banks and clients.
UNI/PdR 125:2022 measures gender equality across six areas and requires at least 60% of the score for certification, valid for three years with annual surveillance. In 2026 the incentives remain: a contribution exemption of up to 1% (maximum 50,000 euros) and extra points in tenders and calls for funding. The most demanding part is having reliable data by gender.
