Magnet JQS: the supplier profile that decides who gets invited

Operators on the Norwegian shelf look for suppliers in Magnet JQS before they send out enquiries. If your profile is thin or out of date, you get skipped, and nobody tells you.

What is Magnet JQS?

Magnet JQS is the energy industry's shared supplier register and qualification system. It is owned and run by Offshore Qualific AS in Stavanger, a wholly owned subsidiary of the industry association Offshore Norge.

It used to be called EPIM JQS. Registration opened on 1 October 2018, and the operators stopped using Achilles JQS on 31 December 2018. In 2021 EPIM JQS was renamed Magnet JQS. Same service, new name.

Legally, it is a qualification system under the EU utilities directive 2014/25/EU. Buyers use it to pick which suppliers get to bid on contracts and framework agreements. They can still publish separate notices for special cases, but the register is the main way in.

Who uses it?

The operators are quite direct about it.

  • Equinor calls Magnet JQS its preferred qualification system and uses it to search for, assess and qualify suppliers.
  • Aker BP requires suppliers to register and keep their profile updated, because it is the system Aker BP uses to select possible suppliers.
  • Vår Energi requires a registered, up-to-date Magnet JQS profile for work in the petroleum sector.
  • Large contractors such as Aker Solutions use it to source and monitor their own suppliers.

The tenders you never see

Buyers search and filter Magnet JQS by services, location and certificates, and compare suppliers side by side, including financial figures and a risk score from Creditsafe.

If you are not registered, or your profile lacks the right product codes and certificates, you do not show up in the search. No enquiry, no rejection. Just silence.

If you are in, but your management system answers are thin, that can count against you when a buyer compares you with others. For high-risk contracts, Equinor also requires the supplier's management system to be qualified.

What the profile covers, and where environment fits

The profile holds company details, contacts, products and services classified by UNSPSC codes, references and uploaded certificates. At its core is the Management System Questionnaire, which feeds a capability assessment.

That assessment is built on the principles of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Your answers are visible to every user of the system. So environmental management is part of what buyers read.

The questionnaire must be reviewed at least once a year. It was overhauled in early 2025, and suppliers were notified which answers needed updating. The profile also has an indicator showing how complete it is.

Offshore Qualific carries out around 300 management system audits a year, and registered suppliers can be selected. The audit checks against standards including ISO 14001, and whether your capability assessment answers hold up.

On top of that come the operators' own requirements. Equinor expects suppliers to have net zero ambitions and near-term emission reduction targets, and to disclose scope 1 and 2 emissions plus a scope 3 estimate.

How Vyve helps

Vyve does not fill in Magnet JQS for you, and we do not certify anyone. You do that, together with an accredited auditor. We produce the content the environmental part of the profile asks for.

You upload what you already have: HSE policy, procedures, nonconformities, annual report. Vyve builds a gap analysis against the ISO 14001 clauses, environmental objectives with KPIs, an action plan with owners and deadlines, and traceable documentation. From the same data you also get a VSME report under EFRAG's voluntary SME standard, which covers energy use and scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions among other things.

So you answer the questionnaire with documents that exist, not good intentions. The action plan stays live in the platform, so the annual review or a surprise audit does not start from scratch. We estimate 90% less time spent on gap analysis, strategy, processes and documentation. You still have to show up for the audit.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Magnet JQS registration cost?

The basic subscription, Magnet JQS Basic, costs NOK 8,000 a year. To stay active you pay the annual fee and keep your company information up to date.

Is Magnet JQS the same as Achilles JQS?

No. The operators stopped using Achilles JQS at the end of 2018 and moved to EPIM JQS, which was renamed Magnet JQS in 2021. An Achilles registration does not make you visible in Magnet JQS.

Do we need ISO 14001 certification to register in Magnet JQS?

We have not found a general requirement for it. But the capability assessment is built on ISO 14001 principles, and buyers can filter on certificates. Without a certificate, your environmental management answers have to carry the weight on their own.

How often must a Magnet JQS profile be updated?

The information must always be accurate, and the Management System Questionnaire must be reviewed at least annually. That is why the deadline is ongoing. There is no finish line, only a profile that gets older.

How does Equinor use Magnet JQS?

Equinor calls it its preferred qualification system and uses it to search for, assess and qualify suppliers. For high-risk contracts, the supplier's management system has to be qualified.

Can we be audited through Magnet JQS?

Yes. Registered suppliers can be selected for a management system audit. A full audit takes one day and checks, among other things, whether your capability assessment answers hold up.

Want to see how it's done?

Book a demo and we'll walk through it on your own documents.

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