9ine Certified Vendor Programme
Partner with us and demonstrate your commitment to data protection in an evolving digital landscape, showcasing your excellence in AI compliance, data privacy and cyber security.

About the Certified Vendor Programme
EdTech vendors face a maze of data protection laws and standards – from GDPR in Europe and the UK to FERPA and COPPA in the U.S., and emerging regulations like the EU AI Act. Schools and regulators now demand that EdTech providers demonstrate robust compliance before allowing their products in the classroom. In response, 9ine has developed a comprehensive Certified Vendor Programme to streamline a vendor’s path to compliance. Through independent expert assessments of a vendor’s policies, practices, and technical controls, 9ine certifies alignment with key privacy, cyber and AI frameworks and best practices. For schools, a 9ine certification is a clear, authoritative assurance that an EdTech product meets necessary standards – greatly reducing the need for schools to conduct lengthy privacy and security reviews on their. In short, the programme bridges the trust gap between schools and vendors, making procurement safer and faster for all parties.
9ine’s certification instills confidence in schools that a vendor has been thoroughly vetted for compliance. A certificate from 9ine is an independent seal of approval – backed by 9ine’s reputation as a leading data protection and cybersecurity consultancy – that the vendor takes its legal responsibilities seriously and upholds high standards of data privacy and security. This independent verification builds trust with not only school leadership, but also with parents and broader educational communities, who can feel assured that student data is handled properly. By leveraging 9ine’s strong reputation, certified vendors gain credibility with accreditation bodies, school associations, and other stakeholders in education. In essence, the programme offers schools a reliable shortcut to identify vendors who meet compliance benchmarks, eliminating uncertainty and fostering trust in vendor partnerships.
Who we work with
Certified Vendor compliance service offering
Certified Vendor - Privacy
9ine supports your vendor documentation in aligning with privacy laws and provides schools with the resources needed to demonstrate compliance.
This includes a review of your contract, privacy notice, and other related policies such as information security.
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Outputs
- Comprehensive review of contracts, privacy notices, and supporting documentation.
- Clear guidance on achieving compliance with privacy laws.
- Template Vendor Assessment for your school clients to access/
- Customised DPIA templates to manage privacy risks.
- Template entry for the Application Library to support school use.
- Certificate evidencing award of 9ine Certified Vendor for Privacy.
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Benefits
- Demonstrate compliance upfront, reducing sales friction.
- Provide clients with confidence in your independent approach to privacy.
- Streamline client compliance with readily available documentation.
- Showcase your certified status in newsletters and webinars, reaching over 10,000 subscribers.
- Promote your product through the Application Library, increasing visibility among schools.
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Process
- Document review and assessment by 9ine.
- Recommendations shared with you.
- Vendor updates documentation with 9ine’s guidance.
- Certification status promoted via newsletters and webinars.
- Schools gain access to compliance materials in the Application Library.
Certified Vendor Privacy & Artificial Intelligence
All the above plus…
AI compliance services to ensure your solutions align with emerging regulations like the EU AI Act, UK AI Principles, Bill C-27 in Canada, and those emerging at a State and Federal level in the USA.
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Outputs
- All the above plus.
- Input, review, and assurance for AI-related functional and technical documentation; required by law for schools trading in the EU.
- Unlimited email and virtual 15-minute consultation for vendor and client AI and privacy queries.
- One hour of breach response support for data protection and cybersecurity incidents.
- Certificate evidencing award of 9ine Certified Vendor for Artificial Intelligence
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Benefits
- All the above plus.
- Build trust by showcasing your ethical approach to AI.
- Demonstrate compliance with the UK ICO, Ofsted, and international AI laws.
- Support for cross-border privacy, AI, and cybersecurity compliance.
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Process
- All the above plus.
- Onboarding to our service desk.
Certified Vendor Privacy & Artificial Intelligence - Advanced
All the above plus.
Unlimited review, edit and assurance of all privacy and AI related supported questions, queries and issues you have yourself, or that are received from your clients.
30minutes information rights support for all received information rights requests / subject access requests.
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Outputs
- All the above plus.
- Assurance, review and contribution to all other privacy and AI outputs, or client based questions.
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Benefits
- All the above plus.
- Provides confidence that any external facing communications or responses have been reviewed and assured by 9ine prior to being sent out.
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Process
- All the above plus.
- Quarterly reviews of your compliance obligations.
Certified Vendor Privacy, Artificial Intelligence & Cyber
All the above plus integrates privacy and AI compliance with comprehensive cybersecurity assessments, including OWASP Penetration Testing.
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Outputs
- All the above plus.
- OWASP Top 10 cybersecurity vulnerability and penetration testing of your software.
- Detailed PDF report with proof of vulnerabilities and remediation steps.
- Governance process within 9ine’s platform for tracking remediation tasks.
- Re-testing of critical vulnerabilities post-remediation.
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Benefits
- All the above plus.
- Ensure robust security of software products.
- Build confidence among clients with verified vulnerability remediation.
- Evidence compliance with both AI and cybersecurity standards for schools.
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Process
- All the above plus.
- Scoping of your software products for tailored costs for the penetration testing.
Complaints
If you have a complaint against an organisation on the 9ine Recognition program you can submit information and evidence here. Once received we will investigate their adherence to the respective principles.