
Certification as Currency: How AS9100, ITAR, and NADCAP Are Repricing Mid-Market Industrial Deals
In mid-market industrials, certification status is doing as much work as EBITDA in setting valuation. Capstone Partners reports the average precision manufacturing M&A multiple has risen to 10.1x EV/EBITDA across 2023 to Q1 2026, with buyers prioritising qualification-ready capacity and secured specialised processes. AS9100, ITAR, and NADCAP each remove a specific piece of buyer qualification risk, but the premium is paid on the audit history, corrective action record, and customer approvals behind the certificate, not on the certificate itself.


