Reliable microbiological testing is the foundation of effective antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance. External Quality Assessment (EQA) programmes help laboratories produce accurate and comparable results, identify performance gaps, and support continuous improvement. To strengthen sustainable, nationally led EQA systems in low- and middle-income countries, the EQAsia programme was launched under the UK’s Fleming Fund Regional Grant and led by DTU in partnership with IVI and Chulalongkorn University (CU-Vet). A central EQAsia Phase 2 component is the NEQA initiative, supporting National Reference Laboratories to transition from EQA participants to EQA providers—enabled by the NEQTrack platform.