Scheme requirements for Registered CPD Accreditation Organisations
Part A — The Scheme
Part B — The Conditions
Part C — Assessment Methodology
1.1. The CPD Register Ltd ("The CPD Register") is a Certification Body and the holder of UK Certification Mark UK00004068444 ("Certified by The CPD Register"). The CPD Register operates a certification scheme for CPD Accreditation Organisations under its Conditions of Recognition and Conditions of Certification.
1.2. This document sets out the Conditions of Registration: the requirements which an organisation must meet, and must continue to meet, in order to be Registered with The CPD Register.
1.3. Registration is a voluntary scheme. It provides a proportionate, independently assessed standard open to CPD Accreditation Organisations of any age and size, and to organisations established outside the United Kingdom. Registration sits above inclusion in The CPD Register's public Directory of CPD Accreditation Organisations, and below full Certification.
1.4. Registration is designed as a staged pathway towards Certification, but progression is encouraged rather than compelled. Registration operates in Registration Cycles of three Registration Periods (see section 6): at the end of each cycle an organisation may progress to Certification or re-register for a further cycle. There is no limit on the number of cycles.
1.5. These Conditions should be read together with the companion documents listed at Annex A, including the Registration Application Form and the Badge Licence Agreement.
2.1. Registration attests that, at the date of assessment and at each subsequent Surveillance Review, the organisation met the Conditions in Part B — that is: (a) the identity of those operating the organisation has been verified; (b) the transparency information required by these Conditions is published and accessible; and (c) the organisation's advertising and marketing complied with Condition R4.
2.2. Registration is not Certification. A Registered Organisation is not certified by The CPD Register, is not licensed to use the Certification Mark, and must not represent or imply that Registration is, or is equivalent to, Certification.
2.3. Registration verifies that required information is published; it does not evaluate the content or quality of that information. In particular, Registration does not include any assessment of: the content, quality or application of the organisation's accreditation criteria, framework or standards; the competence of its personnel; its insurance arrangements; or its financial standing, solvency or resilience. These matters are assessed under Certification only.
2.4. Registration is not an endorsement by The CPD Register of any individual CPD activity accredited by the Registered Organisation.
2.5. Registration does not confer, and must not be represented as conferring, any statutory, governmental or regulatory status. The Register is a voluntary register maintained by The CPD Register Ltd, a private Certification Body.
2.6. Inclusion in The CPD Register's Directory does not constitute Registration, and organisations listed in the Directory must not describe themselves as registered with, listed on, or otherwise recognised by The CPD Register. Only Registered and Certified organisations appear on the Register.
2.7. The distinction between the tiers, in short: Registration verifies who is behind an organisation, what it publishes, and how it advertises. Certification additionally evaluates how well it accredits — its framework, competence, insurances and financial standing.
2.8. Certification also carries operational access which Registration does not. Certified organisations may submit their client training providers and accredited CPD activities to The CPD Register's verification database, by API or by manual entry, so that those activities are publicly verifiable through The CPD Register. Registered Organisations do not have database submission access, and CPD activities accredited by a Registered Organisation cannot be verified through The CPD Register until the organisation progresses to Certification.
In these Conditions:
4.1. The applicant must be a CPD Accreditation Organisation.
4.2. The applicant must have a defined legal form, being one of: (a) a company, limited liability partnership or community interest company registered with Companies House, or a body corporate registered with the applicable companies registry in its jurisdiction of establishment; (b) a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or with the equivalent charity regulator in its jurisdiction; (c) a sole trader; (d) a partnership; or (e) an unincorporated association, including an industry or membership body. Organisations established outside the United Kingdom are eligible. In every case, the applicant's Responsible Individuals must be identified and identity-verified in accordance with Condition R1.
4.3. Certified organisations are not eligible for, and do not require, Registration.
4.4. An organisation which has been Removed from the Register may not reapply within twelve (12) months of the date of removal. An application from any organisation whose Responsible Individuals include a person who was a Responsible Individual of an organisation Removed within the preceding twelve (12) months is treated in the same way, whatever the legal form of the new applicant.
4.5. The CPD Register may decline to assess an application where a conflict of interest exists or arises. In that event, the application fee will be refunded in full.
5.1. Stage 1 — Application. The applicant submits the completed Registration Application Form together with the assessment fee of £500 (plus VAT where applicable). The fee is payable for the assessment, not for the outcome. It is payable regardless of the result of the application and is non-refundable, except in the circumstances described at 4.5.
5.2. Stage 2 — Desk-Based Public Audit. The CPD Register carries out (a) the Criterion Check described at C.2 and (b) the Advertising Compliance Audit described at C.3, using publicly available information.
5.3. Stage 3 — Identity and Declarations Review. The CPD Register reviews the identity evidence and declarations described at C.4.
5.4. Stage 4 — Findings Report. The CPD Register issues a Findings Report within 20 Working Days of receipt of a complete application. Each finding is classified as a Mandatory Finding or an Advisory Finding and is referenced to the numbered Condition engaged.
5.5. Stage 5 — Closure. The applicant has 45 days from the date of the Findings Report to close all Mandatory Findings and to submit closure evidence. The manner in which a Mandatory Finding is closed is a matter for the applicant: The CPD Register identifies the non-conformity and the Condition engaged, but does not provide consultancy and does not specify or design the remedy. One closure review is included in the assessment fee; each further closure review is charged at £100 (plus VAT where applicable). The closure window may be extended once by written agreement.
5.6. Stage 6 — Decision. Registration is granted where no Mandatory Findings remain open. Registration is refused where Mandatory Findings remain open at the end of the closure window, or where required evidence has not been provided. Refusals are confirmed in writing with reasons. A refused applicant may reapply at any time by way of a new application and fee.
5.7. Stage 7 — Registration. On grant, the organisation is entered on the Register with a unique registration number (format TCR-R-NNNN), the Badge is licensed under the Badge Licence Agreement, and the Registration Period begins.
5.8. The CPD Register aims to complete Stages 2 to 4 within 20 Working Days of a complete application. The overall time to grant is typically four to eight weeks, depending on the closure of findings.
6.1. Registration is granted for a Registration Period of twelve months.
6.2. Renewal. Within a Registration Cycle, Registration is renewed for the second and third Registration Periods on (a) payment of the renewal fee of £150 (plus VAT where applicable) and (b) satisfactory completion of the Surveillance Review described at C.5. Renewal is granted where no Mandatory Findings remain open; the closure mechanism at 5.5 applies to Surveillance Review findings.
6.3. Re-registration. Registration operates in Registration Cycles of three consecutive Registration Periods. At the end of the third Period of a cycle, the organisation may: (a) progress to Certification; or (b) re-register for a further cycle by completing a re-registration assessment at the assessment fee then in force (currently £500 (plus VAT where applicable)). The re-registration assessment repeats the components at Part C — the Criterion Check, the Advertising Compliance Audit and the Identity and Declarations Review, with identity evidence refreshed where Responsible Individuals have changed and all declarations made afresh — and the process at clauses 5.4 to 5.7 applies, including the Findings Report and closure mechanism. Where the organisation does neither, Registration lapses. There is no limit on the number of Registration Cycles: an organisation may remain Registered indefinitely, and Certification, while encouraged, is never compulsory.
6.4. Progression. A Registered Organisation may apply for Certification at any time. Registration continues in effect until the Certification decision is made. On the grant of Certification, the organisation's Register entry converts to Certified status, and the organisation gains database submission access under clause 2.8 — in practice, the strongest commercial reason to progress, since a Registered Organisation's clients cannot have their accredited activities verified through The CPD Register until it does.
6.5. Progression benefit. Where a Registered Organisation is granted Certification, its first annual Certification fee (£650) is waived. The Certification application fee (£3,000) remains payable in accordance with the Certification fee schedule.
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration assessment | £500 (plus VAT where applicable) | Includes one closure review. Non-refundable (see 5.1). |
| Additional closure review | £100 (plus VAT where applicable) | Per further review (see 5.5). |
| Annual renewal (including Surveillance Review) | £150 (plus VAT where applicable) | Payable in the second and third Periods of each cycle (see 6.2). |
| Re-registration assessment (every third year) | £500 (plus VAT where applicable) | Full re-assessment; begins a new Registration Cycle; includes one closure review (see 6.3). |
| Progression benefit | First annual Certification fee (£650) waived | Applied on the grant of Certification (see 6.5). |
7.1. All fees are stated exclusive of VAT. VAT is charged at the prevailing rate to applicants established in the United Kingdom. Fees charged to applicants established outside the United Kingdom are treated as outside the scope of UK VAT under the place-of-supply rules.
7.2. Fees are reviewed annually. Fee changes take effect from the organisation's next renewal and do not apply mid-Registration Period.
7.3. Failure to pay a fee when due is grounds for suspension and, if unremedied, removal (see D.4).
To be granted and to retain Registration, the organisation must meet each of the following Conditions. Findings Reports reference these Conditions by number.
R1.1 The organisation has a defined legal form within clause 4.2. Where the organisation is registered with Companies House, a United Kingdom charity regulator or an overseas registry, its registered details (including company or charity number, registered office and officers) are accurately recorded and kept up to date. Where the organisation is an unincorporated association, its governing document (constitution, rules or equivalent) has been provided to The CPD Register together with the names of its officers.
R1.2 The Responsible Individuals of the organisation have been identified to The CPD Register, and the identity of each has been verified by passport or driving licence.
R1.3 Enhanced identity verification. Where the organisation is not registered with Companies House or a United Kingdom charity regulator — that is, sole traders, partnerships, unincorporated associations, and organisations established outside the United Kingdom — The CPD Register cannot corroborate identity against a UK public register. Accordingly, for each Responsible Individual, photographic identification must be accompanied by proof of address dated within the last three months.
R1.4 All trading and business names are disclosed to The CPD Register. Where a company trades under a name different from its registered name, the registered name and company number are published on its website. Where a sole trader or partnership trades under a business name, the name of the proprietor or of each partner and an address for service of documents are stated on business documents — as required by Part 41 of the Companies Act 2006 in the United Kingdom, or by equivalent local requirements elsewhere — and are in any case also published on the organisation's website.
R1.5 The organisation has declared to The CPD Register any finding by a court or by any professional, regulatory or government body that the organisation or any of its Responsible Individuals has been in breach of any provision of Competition Law, Equalities Law or Data Protection Law, and any instance of insolvency or corporate financial restructuring to which the organisation or its Responsible Individuals is or has been subject. A disclosed matter does not automatically bar Registration, but will be taken into account in the Registration decision.
R1.6 The organisation has declared all organisations with which its Responsible Individuals are associated (as director, person with significant control or owner) and all connected businesses it or its owners operate, with company numbers or trading names, including whether it accredits the CPD activities of any connected entity. The discovery of an undisclosed associated organisation or connected business is grounds for refusal, suspension or removal.
R2.1 The organisation publishes a postal address at which it can reliably receive correspondence and at which service of documents is effective. A PO Box alone does not satisfy this Condition. An address for service provided by a third party (for example an accountant or registered agent) is acceptable, provided correspondence is reliably received and monitored. Physical office premises are not required: an organisation may operate remotely.
R2.2 The organisation publishes a telephone number which is monitored during normal business hours.
R2.3 The organisation publishes an email address which is monitored.
R2.4 The organisation names at least one Responsible Individual whom a CPD consumer or client can contact in the event of a complaint, dispute or legal matter. The name is published on the organisation's website or provided promptly on first request, and the complaints policy required by R3.2 identifies how a matter is escalated to that individual.
The CPD Register verifies that each of the following is published and accessible. It does not evaluate the content or quality of what is published (see 2.3).
R3.1 The organisation operates a professional website with a valid SSL certificate.
R3.2 The following are published and accessible on the website: a privacy policy; terms and conditions; and a complaints policy.
R3.3 Pricing for the organisation's accreditation services is published, or, where pricing is bespoke, the basis of pricing is clearly published.
R3.4 The organisation's accreditation criteria, framework or standards are published and accessible to prospective clients and to CPD consumers. The published material must set out the actual criteria or framework against which CPD is assessed. A general claim to accredit against unspecified "standards", without the underlying criteria or framework being published, does not satisfy this Condition.
R3.5 The organisation issues a unique accreditation identifier (such as an accreditation number) for each CPD activity it accredits, and provides a public means — a published list or a verification mechanism — by which a CPD consumer can use that identifier to verify that the specific activity holds current accreditation.
R3.6 The published criteria, framework or standards (or accompanying published information) state that CPD activities are individually assessed before accreditation, and state the validity or renewal cycle of an accreditation.
R3.7 The organisation holds a current registration with the Information Commissioner's Office or, where it is established outside the United Kingdom and not required to register with the ICO, it complies with the data protection law of its jurisdiction and holds any registration that law requires.
R4.1 All of the organisation's advertising and marketing — including its website, paid search and social advertising, organic social media, print and email marketing — complies with the CAP Code — applied under these Conditions as the scheme benchmark for all of the organisation's marketing, wherever published — including the rules on misleading advertising (rule 3.1), substantiation (rule 3.7), comparisons, and endorsements and testimonials.
R4.2 The organisation makes no unsubstantiated superiority or leadership claims (for example "the UK's leading…", "largest", "No. 1" or "official"), whether express or implied. Documentary substantiation is held before any such claim is published.
R4.3 Descriptions of the organisation's services do not mislead as to their nature or status. Terms such as "accredited", "certified", "approved", "regulated", "endorsed" or "official" are not used in a way that states or implies statutory, governmental or regulator-conferred status where none exists.
R4.4 Statistics and research claims used in marketing are substantiated, and the supporting evidence is held and available.
R4.5 The organisation does not claim or imply approval or endorsement by any government body or statutory regulator, or by The CPD Register beyond the organisation's actual status under these Conditions.
R4.6 Where the Advertising Standards Authority — or an equivalent advertising regulator in the organisation's jurisdiction — upholds a complaint against the organisation, or compliance action is taken, the organisation complies promptly with the outcome and notifies The CPD Register under R5.2.
R5.1 All information provided to The CPD Register is accurate, complete and not misleading.
R5.2 The organisation notifies The CPD Register of any Material Change within 28 days. Material Changes are:
R5.3 The organisation cooperates with Surveillance Reviews and with any for-cause review, and provides requested evidence within 15 Working Days.
R5.4 The organisation complies with the Badge Licence Agreement and with Part D of these Conditions.
R5.5 The organisation pays fees when due.
R5.6 The organisation maintains compliance with all of these Conditions throughout each Registration Period, not only at the point of assessment.
C.1.1 Assessment is desk-based and comprises three components: the Criterion Check (C.2); the Advertising Compliance Audit (C.3); and the Identity and Declarations Review (C.4). All findings are recorded in a Findings Report referenced to the Conditions in Part B.
C.1.2 The Criterion Check and the Advertising Compliance Audit account for the substantial majority of assessment effort. The applicant's own burden is deliberately light: identity evidence, a small set of declarations, and the URLs of its published information. A complete application should take under thirty minutes.
C.2.1 The CPD Register verifies the following using publicly available information:
| Check | What is verified |
|---|---|
| Legal identity records | Companies House, UK charity register or overseas registry record where applicable; consistency with the disclosed legal form and Responsible Individuals (R1). |
| ICO register | Current ICO registration, or equivalent overseas registration where R3.7 applies (R3.7). |
| Published address | Published postal or service address meeting R2.1; not solely a PO Box. |
| Contact channels | Published telephone number and email address (R2.2, R2.3). |
| Website and SSL | Professional website with valid SSL certificate (R3.1). |
| Published policies | Privacy policy, terms and conditions, complaints policy (R3.2). |
| Published pricing | Pricing or pricing basis published (R3.3). |
| Published framework | Actual accreditation criteria/framework published and accessible — not a bare reference to unspecified "standards" (R3.4). Publication is verified; content is not evaluated. |
| Verifiability | Unique accreditation identifier per activity, plus a public means to verify a specific activity by that identifier (R3.5). |
| Assessment and cycle statements | Published statements of individual assessment and of validity/renewal cycle (R3.6). |
| Name transparency | Proprietor / partner names and service address published where R1.4 applies. |
| Provider volume | Not assessed for Registration. The number of accredited providers measures maturity rather than conduct and is recorded as not applicable for organisations at this stage. |
C.3.1 The CPD Register audits the organisation's advertising and marketing against Condition R4. The audit covers:
C.3.2 Non-conformities identified by the Advertising Compliance Audit are recorded in the Findings Report referenced to R4.
C.4.1 The applicant provides:
C.5.1 The Surveillance Review comprises:
C.5.2 Where the Surveillance Review identifies non-conformities, a Findings Report is issued and the closure mechanism at 5.5 applies.
C.6.1 A Mandatory Finding records a non-conformity with a numbered Condition and must be closed before Registration is granted or renewed. An Advisory Finding records an opportunity for improvement and is not a bar.
C.6.2 The CPD Register identifies the non-conformity and the Condition engaged. It does not provide consultancy to applicants or Registered Organisations, and does not specify or design remedies. The manner of closure is a matter for the organisation; The CPD Register reviews the closure evidence and decides whether the finding is closed.
D.1.1 Each Registered Organisation has a public Register entry recording: its registered and trading name(s); its legal form; its registration number (format TCR-R-NNNN); its current status; the date first registered; the expiry date of the current Registration Period; the version of these Conditions against which it was assessed; a link to the organisation's website; an identity-verification statement ("The CPD Register has verified the identity of the individual(s) operating this organisation"); and the standard scope statement at D.1.2.
D.1.2 Scope statement: "Assessed against the Conditions of Registration (version as stated). Registration verifies the identity of those operating this organisation, the publication of the transparency information required by the Conditions, and the compliance of its advertising at assessment and at annual surveillance. Registration is not certification. It does not evaluate the content or quality of the organisation's accreditation criteria, its competence, its insurance or its financial standing, and is not an endorsement of any individual CPD activity accredited by this organisation."
D.2.1 Registered — the organisation holds current Registration and is in good standing.
D.2.2 Suspended — Registration is temporarily suspended pending a review or the closure of findings. Use of the Badge must cease for the duration of the suspension, and the Register entry displays the Suspended status.
D.2.3 Lapsed — Registration has ended through non-renewal, non-completion of the Surveillance Review, or the end of a Registration Cycle without re-registration or progression to Certification. The Register entry displays the Lapsed status for 12 months and is then archived.
D.2.4 Removed — Registration has been withdrawn for cause under D.4. The Register entry displays the Removed status, the date of removal and a brief categorised reason, and the same information is recorded on the organisation's Directory listing thereafter. Reasons are drawn from a fixed list: failure to close Mandatory Findings; breach of the Conditions or the Badge Licence Agreement; false, incomplete or misleading information; non-compliance with an upheld advertising ruling; non-payment of fees; insolvency; or conduct likely to bring the Register into disrepute.
D.3.1 The Badge is licensed to the Registered Organisation on a non-exclusive, non-transferable basis under the Badge Licence Agreement, for the duration of the Registration Period only.
D.3.2 The Badge must always be used in its full anchored form — "Registered with The CPD Register" — together with the year. The free-standing form "CPD Registered" must not be used in any materials.
D.3.3 Where the Badge is used digitally, it must link to the organisation's Register entry.
D.3.4 The Badge must not be presented as, or in any manner likely to cause confusion with, Certification or the Certification Mark "Certified by The CPD Register".
D.3.5 The Badge must not be used on or in any materials which do not comply with Condition R4.
D.3.6 On suspension, lapse or removal, all use of the Badge must cease: digital use must be removed within five (5) Working Days, and distribution of printed materials bearing the Badge must cease immediately.
D.4.1 The CPD Register may suspend or remove Registration where:
D.4.2 Process. The CPD Register gives written notice of the grounds. The organisation may make written representations within 14 days, after which a decision is made and confirmed in writing with reasons. Where urgent consumer-protection considerations require it, The CPD Register may suspend Registration with immediate effect pending the outcome of this process.
D.5.1 An organisation may appeal a decision to refuse, suspend or remove Registration by written notice within 21 days of the decision.
D.5.2 Appeals are reviewed on the papers in the first instance by Emma Owen, and on escalation by the Director, Chris Aitken, whose decision is final. No person reviews an appeal against a decision in which they were involved; where that would occur, the two reviewers exchange stages.
D.5.3 An appeal does not lift a suspension while the appeal is pending.
D.6.1 The CPD Register accepts complaints about Registered Organisations. A complaint may trigger a for-cause review under D.4. The complainant is informed of the outcome in general terms.
D.7.1 The CPD Register may publish Register entries and status changes. Assessment materials and evidence are treated as confidential, save as required for enforcement of these Conditions, appeals, or compliance with law.
E.1.1 The CPD Register makes Registration decisions impartially. It does not provide consultancy to applicants or Registered Organisations in relation to meeting these Conditions.
E.2.1 The CPD Register may amend these Conditions. Registered Organisations are notified of amendments, which apply from the organisation's next Surveillance Review, save that an amendment required urgently for consumer protection may be applied on 28 days' notice.
E.3.1 Registration reflects assessment at a point in time together with annual surveillance. The CPD Register does not guarantee a Registered Organisation's compliance between reviews, and Registration does not constitute financial, legal or professional advice to any person.
E.4.1 These Conditions and the Registration scheme are governed by the law of England and Wales.
