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ISB Prescribed Quality Assurance and Annual Fee Rules 2026

The rules relating to ISBs

These Rules are made under section 452(1)(h) and (i) of the Education and Training Act 2020 by the Board of NZQA and the Minister of Education.

If you prefer you can download these rules as a PDF:

ISB Prescribed Quality Assurance and Annual Fee Rules 2026 [PDF, 423 KB]

1. Title

These are the ISB Prescribed Quality Assurance and Annual Fee Rules 2026.

2. Commencement

These Rules come into force on 19 January 2026.

3. Interpretation

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires,—

Act means the Education and Training Act 2020

ISB means an Industry Skills Board established under section 362 of the Act

NZQA means the New Zealand Qualifications Authority

NZQCF means the Qualifications and Credentials Framework described in section
436 of the Act.

On this page

4. Prescribed quality assurance requirements

  1. ISBs must have arrangements in place for:
    1. undertaking strategic workforce analysis and planning for their specified industries:
    2. developing, setting and maintaining skills standards and capstone assessments:
    3. mantaining unit standards:
    4. developing industry qualifications and micro-credentials for listing on the NZQCF, and maintaining them after listing:
    5. developing and maintaining national curricula for qualifications for which it is the responsible standard-setting body where it intends to create national curricula:
    6. deciding whether to endorse programmes:
    7. carrying out moderation activities in relation to standards and capstone assessments it sets:
    8. participation and cooperation in monitoring by NZQA, following the processes and guidance that NZQA from time to time publishes on its website:
    9. complying with its obligations as a standard setting body.
  2. Annually, ISBs must:
    1. review the effectiveness of the arrangements they have in place and produce an improvement plan:
    2. provide a report to NZQA on their improvement plan and complete a template available on NZQA's website for providing national external moderation data:
    3. engage in a discussion with NZQA following provision of the report:
    4. address the improvements within a timeframe agreed with NZQA.

5. Annual Fee

  1. The method of determining the annual fee for an ISB is to multiply the number of hours in a calendar year that NZQA spends monitoring the ISB in relation to its prescribed quality assurance requirements by the hourly rate set by NZQA under section 457 of the Act.
  2. NZQA will issue an invoice to each ISB after the end of each calendar year.
  3. Each ISB must pay the invoice within one month of receiving the invoice by direct credit to the bank account of NZQA disclosed in the invoice.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of these Rules but is intended to indicate their general effect.

These Rules set out:

  1. the prescribed quality assurance requirements for ISBs; and
  2. the method of determining the annual fee payable by ISBs to NZQA and when and how that fee is payable.

About this secondary legislation

This is secondary legislation issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2019 (external link).

Title ISB Prescribed Quality Assurance and Annual Fee Rules 2026
Principal or amendment Principal
Consolidated version No
Empowering Act and provisions Education and Training Act 2020, section 452(1)(h) and (i)
Replacement empowering Act and provisions Not applicable
Maker name Board of NZQA and the Minister of Education
Administering agency New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)
Date made 19 December 2025
Publication date 22 December 2025
Notification date Not applicable
Commencement date 19 January 2026
End date (when applicable) Not applicable
Consolidation as at date Not applicable
Related instruments Not applicable
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