How an AI TrustMark assessment works

AI TrustMark assurance is a defined evidence-based assessment process. Paying for an assessment does not buy a particular score, Bronze/Silver/Gold outcome, directory position, review score or procurement status.

1. Preliminary application

The supplier submits structured information about the product, organisation, intended use, deployment model and assessment requirements.

2. Automated scope and eligibility decision

The submitted information is evaluated against the applicable methodology and commercial rules. The workflow determines the applicable assessment scope, evidence depth and price. AI may assist defined decision gates, but it operates within the assessment rules. Avery Shore manages the Assurance product and commercial operation; Avery does not manually choose a more favourable scope, price or assessment result. Exceptions are escalated for controlled review.

3. Scope, price and engagement documents

The supplier receives the confirmed scope and price. The engagement agreement and associated commercial/scope schedules are generated from the approved engagement data so that the contracted assessment matches the assessment record.

4. Electronic signature

The authorised parties electronically sign the engagement documents. The signed scope is retained as part of the engagement audit trail.

5. Invoice, purchase order and payment

The commercial workflow records the applicable invoice and, where relevant, purchase-order information. The evidence assessment does not open until the required commercial gate has been satisfied.

6. Evidence collection

The supplier is asked for the evidence required by the applicable methodology and assessment depth. Evidence requests are tied to the controls being assessed rather than left to assessor preference.

7. Evidence validation and testing

Submitted evidence is checked for relevance, sufficiency and consistency against the applicable controls. Where the methodology specifies hard gates, a material failure cannot simply be averaged away by stronger performance elsewhere.

8. Scoring and assessment outcome

The applicable methodology determines how validated evidence contributes to the Assurance score and assessment outcome. Bronze, Silver and Gold describe the depth of assurance and evidence examination; they are not purchasable favourable outcomes and do not determine directory ranking.

9. Remediation and retest

Where the methodology permits remediation, the supplier can address identified gaps and submit additional or corrected evidence. Retesting follows the same control requirements and is recorded in the audit trail.

10. Result and publication

Once the applicable assessment steps and gates have been completed, the result can be finalised and published in accordance with AI TrustMark's methodology and publication rules. No certificate or favourable result is created merely because an assessment has been purchased.

11. Validity and reassessment

Assurance represents an assessed state at a point in time and is subject to the applicable validity, change and reassessment rules. Material changes to the product, evidence or risk profile may require further assessment.

Three separate lanes

AI TrustMark keeps its principal services distinct. Verity Reed manages the directory and customer-evidence lane. Avery Shore manages Assurance and verification. Perry Chase manages the procurement lane. A supplier can use one lane without buying the others.

Directory participation or payment cannot purchase a review score or directory position. Assurance payment cannot purchase a favourable assessment result. Procurement services do not create an invented procurement approval or government endorsement.

Procurement relationship

AI TrustMark does not replace a buyer's procurement process. Its procurement proposition is to organise structured, reusable supplier evidence and map it to recognised procurement requirements, including public-sector requirements where applicable, so buyers and suppliers can reduce duplicated due diligence while the buyer retains its own procurement decision.