How Certification Works

Introduction

The CPD Register operates a voluntary certification scheme for CPD Accreditation Organisations under UK Intellectual Property Office Certification Mark status granted in January 2025.

This page provides a public overview of how our certification scheme works — who can apply, what's assessed, how the process unfolds, and what certification means for certified organisations and the consumers who rely on them.

The detailed rules governing the scheme are set out in our Certification Mark Regulations, filed with the UK Intellectual Property Office under the Trade Marks Act 1994, which are open to public inspection. The commercial terms of certification are set out in the Certification Agreement, which is issued to each applicant organisation.

What certification means

Certification with The CPD Register is a voluntary third-party standard. It indicates that a CPD Accreditation Organisation has been independently assessed against our published criteria and has demonstrated that it meets the standards required for certification.

Certification is structurally similar to other voluntary certification schemes, such as ISO certification, B Corp certification, or the FSC certification system. It is not a statutory regulatory function, and the UK has no statutory regulator of CPD accreditation. Certification does not replace regulatory oversight; it provides a transparent, independent standard that certified organisations have chosen to meet.

Certification does not guarantee the quality of any specific course or activity accredited by a certified organisation. It indicates that the accreditation organisation itself operates in accordance with our published standards of transparency, governance, and professional practice.

Who can apply for certification

Certification is open to CPD Accreditation Organisations operating in the UK market. Applicants must:

• •Be a legally identifiable entity — typically a UK registered company, limited liability partnership, or equivalent
• •Provide CPD accreditation, course accreditation, or training accreditation services to CPD Training Providers, courses, or practitioners
• •Be willing to be assessed against the published criteria
• •Be willing to commit to annual recertification and compliance monitoring between renewals

Certification is not available to organisations that are:

• •Dissolved, in liquidation, or subject to a winding-up petition
• •Currently subject to unresolved regulatory findings, court orders, or enforcement actions that would be incompatible with the standards of the scheme
• •Unable or unwilling to provide the evidence required for assessment

What we assess

The certification assessment evaluates CPD Accreditation Organisations against published criteria covering:

• •Legal and commercial transparency — Companies House filings, identification of directors and persons with significant control, publication of trading address, and compliance with UK commercial transparency requirements
• •Published accreditation framework — publication of the criteria and methodology against which the organisation accredits training providers, courses, or practitioners
• •Assessment process — evidence that each accredited course or activity is individually assessed, not granted blanket approval
• •Pricing transparency — clear publication of the costs of the organisation's accreditation services
• •Terms and conditions — publication of clear contractual terms governing the organisation's accreditation services
• •Review and renewal — defined processes for reviewing accredited content over time, so that accreditation remains meaningful
• •Independence and commercial relationships — transparent disclosure of affiliate relationships, sponsorships, and ownership or control relationships with training providers the organisation accredits
• •Complaints and appeals — published mechanisms for handling complaints from training providers, consumers, and other stakeholders
• •Data protection and GDPR compliance — registration with the Information Commissioner's Office where required, and published policies governing the handling of personal data

The full assessment framework is set out in the Certification Mark Regulations filed with the UK Intellectual Property Office and in the Certification Agreement issued to applicants.

How the assessment process works

Certification cycle

Certification is granted on an annual basis. Certified organisations are subject to recertification each year, supported by compliance monitoring between renewals.

Annual recertification

Each year, certified organisations undergo a recertification assessment to confirm continued compliance with the published criteria. Recertification is based on reviewing changes since the previous certification, any matters identified through monitoring, and any material developments in the organisation's operations.

Compliance monitoring between renewals

Between annual recertifications, we monitor certified organisations through:

• •Periodic review of public-facing information (websites, marketing material, published criteria)
• •Review of any complaints received through our Investigation Service or other channels
• •Tracking of any regulatory findings, rulings, or enforcement actions
• •Ad-hoc reviews where material changes are notified or observed

Where compliance monitoring identifies matters that may affect certification status, we raise these with the certified organisation and provide an opportunity to respond before any decision is taken about the certification.

What certification entitles an organisation to

Certified CPD Accreditation Organisations are entitled to:

• •Use The CPD Register Certification Mark in accordance with the terms set out in the Certification Agreement, including on their website, marketing materials, and certificates issued to training providers
• •Appear on our public Register as a Certified CPD Accreditation Organisation, clearly distinguished from non-certified organisations listed on the Register under our Listing Policy
• •Submit their accredited training providers and CPD activities to us via our API, for inclusion in the searchable database maintained on our Website
• •Be referenced in our public communications and marketing material as part of the sector of certified organisations we recognise
• •Have access to our Research and Development outputs, including work conducted in partnership with Middlesex University, where those outputs are relevant to their operations

What certification requires of an organisation

Certified organisations commit, for the duration of certification, to:

• •Continue to meet the published criteria of the scheme
• •Use the Certification Mark only in accordance with the Certification Agreement
• •Cooperate with compliance monitoring and annual recertification
• •Notify us promptly of material changes in their operations, legal status, ownership, or regulatory standing
• •Handle complaints from training providers, consumers, and other parties in accordance with their published procedures
• •Comply with applicable UK law, including the Companies Act 2006, UK GDPR, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the UK advertising codes administered by the Advertising Standards Authority
• •Pay any fees due under the Certification Agreement on the agreed schedule

Suspension and withdrawal of certification

Certification may be suspended or withdrawn in specific circumstances, including:

• •Material breach of the Certification Agreement
• •Failure to meet the published criteria on annual recertification
• •Regulatory findings or enforcement actions incompatible with the standards of the scheme
• •Misuse of the Certification Mark
• •Material changes in the organisation (such as dissolution, insolvency, or significant change of ownership) that affect its continued eligibility for certification

The detailed grounds and procedures for suspension and withdrawal are set out in the Certification Mark Regulations filed with the UK Intellectual Property Office and in the Certification Agreement. Suspension or withdrawal is subject to a right of appeal, also set out in those documents.

Where certification is suspended or withdrawn, the organisation's status on the public Register is updated accordingly.

Fees and commercial terms

The commercial terms of certification, including application fees, annual recertification fees, and any other charges, are set out in the Certification Agreement issued to applicants. The Certification Agreement is a commercial contract between The CPD Register and the applicant organisation and is not published.

Prospective applicants may request an indicative fee schedule before beginning the application process.

How certification is different from our public Register

The public Register at https://thecpdregister.com/cpd-accreditation-organisation-ranking lists CPD Accreditation Organisations operating in the UK market, compiled from publicly available information. Inclusion on the Register is based on our Listing Policy and is not contingent on the listed organisation's consent. Most organisations on the Register are not certified by The CPD Register.

Certified CPD Accreditation Organisations are a distinct category, clearly marked on the Register. Certification is a voluntary, third-party standard that organisations apply for and undergo assessment against. Certification is not the same as inclusion on the Register.

The distinction matters because:

• •Inclusion on the Register is a matter of factual record about organisations operating in the sector
• •Certification is a positive finding that an organisation has met our published standards

Further information about the Register, what listings record, and how organisations can engage with it, is set out in our Listing Policy.

How to apply

Organisations interested in applying for certification should contact us at [email protected] or via our Certification page. We respond to initial enquiries within five working days.

Related documents

• •Certification Mark Regulations — filed with the UK Intellectual Property Office, open to public inspection. These are the statutory rules governing use of the Certification Mark.
• •Certification Agreement — the commercial contract issued to applicants. This is a private document issued during the application process.
• •About — general information about The CPD Register.
• •Methodology — detailed methodology governing our public Register.
• •Listing Policy — the legal framework governing the public Register.
• •Website Terms of Use — the legal framework governing use of our Website.

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