What Association for Project Management does

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the only chartered membership organisation for the project profession globally, incorporated by Royal Charter RC000890 and registered as a UK charity (No. 1171112). Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Princes Risborough, UK, APM serves more than 40,000 individual members and 480+ corporate partners through a portfolio that combines professional qualifications (PFQ, PMQ, PPQ, PQ, and the Chartered Project Professional designation), continuing professional development, research, events, and publications. Its core proposition is the regulated, chartered standard for project, programme and portfolio management practitioners, anchored in proprietary content assets including the APM Body of Knowledge (8th edition) and the licensed APM Competence Framework.

APM operates a multi-sided platform underpinned by APM Learning (e-learning), the APM Community online platform, and remote-invigilated online examinations delivered through the Surpass platform with ProctorExam. Digital credentials are issued via Credly-powered digital badges, enabling members to display chartered status, qualifications, and volunteering achievements across LinkedIn and professional networks. Distribution runs through direct individual membership, corporate partnership sales, an accredited training provider network for qualifications, and a calendar of conferences (annual APM Project Management Conference, Women in Project Management Conference) plus regional events and webinars.

Revenue is generated through five streams: recurring individual membership subscriptions (Student, Associate, Full, Fellow tiers), recurring corporate partnership fees, one-time qualification fees, transactional event and conference income, and transactional publication/bookshop sales. APM reinvests surplus into the profession rather than distributing profit, and is governed by a Board of Trustees with elected and appointed trustees. Recent strategic activity has emphasised international credential pathways (UAE MoU with Abu Dhabi University, PCI Australia Diploma recognition), AI-related curriculum development (Prompt Engineering Learning Module), and brand reinforcement through a 2022 rebrand symbolising Royal Charter status.

Name

Association for Project Management

Legal name

Association for Project Management

Website

https://www.apm.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Project, Program & Portfolio Management Certifications (EDAAANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program & Portfolio Management (PPM) (EDABAHAB), Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)

Keywords

• Project management qualifications
• Chartered membership organisation
• Professional association services
• Project management credentials
• Corporate partnership programme

Headquarters

HQ city

Princes Risborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Fees: Subscription-based membership tiers including Student, Associate, Full, Fellow and Honorary Fellow grades with post-nominal letters (MAPM, FAPM, HonFAPM) and member benefits including publications, events access, and qualifications discounts
2. Corporate Partnership Programme: Annual corporate partnership fees providing organisations access to APM Competence Framework, training resources, and employee development tools. Over 480 corporate partners benefit from the programme
3. Qualifications and Training: Revenue from APM qualifications including Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ), Project Management Qualification (PMQ), Project Risk Management Certificate, and other professional certifications with member discounts available
4. Events and Conferences: Revenue from events including APM Project Management Conference, Women in Project Management Conference, webinars and regional events with member and non-member pricing
5. Publications and Bookshop: Sales of publications including APM Body of Knowledge 8th edition, guides, white papers, and Project journal with 10% discount for members on physical copies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APM operates as the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, delivering individual memberships (Student, Associate, Full, Fellow grades with post-nominals MAPM/FAPM), a tiered qualifications portfolio (PFQ, PMQ, PPQ, PQ), the Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) designation, an annual Corporate Partnership Programme with 480+ organisations, and engagement services including Project Magazine, APM Learning, mentoring, events/conferences, research publications, and digital credentials via Credly badges.

Product overview

APM (Association for Project Management) is the only chartered membership organisation for the project profession globally, operating as a professional body with a platform-plus-services model. The core offering centers on the Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) designation as the gold standard credential, supported by a qualifications portfolio spanning Foundation (PFQ), Practitioner (PQ), Professional (PMQ), and Advanced (PPQ) levels. Member engagement is delivered through multiple channels: Project Magazine as the quarterly journal, APM Learning as the e-learning platform, the APM Mentoring Programme for career development, APM Community for networking, plus Interest Networks (16 topic-focused groups) and Regional Networks (9 geographic groups). The organisation operates a Corporate Partnership Programme serving 480+ organisations with access to the Competence Framework. Digital credentials are managed through Credly-powered digital badges, and examinations are delivered via the Surpass platform with ProctorExam remote invigilation. The portfolio also includes events (annual conference, Women in Project Management Conference), awards (Volunteer Achievement Awards), research publications, and a new prompt engineering learning module launched in 2026 for AI skills development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) Chartered status for project professionals demonstrating the highest standard of expertise and proven exceptional project capabilities in managing projects, programmes or portfolios. Awarded by APM, the only chartered body for the project profession in the world.
• APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) Professional qualification for project managers providing credentials and competitive edge in career advancement, delivered through APM's accredited training provider network and assessed via Surpass with ProctorExam remote invigilation.
• APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) Foundational qualification covering core project management concepts and knowledge for those entering or new to the profession.
• APM Project Professional Qualification (PPQ) Advanced qualification for experienced project professionals seeking to demonstrate deeper competence.
• APM Practitioner Qualification (PQ) Professional practitioner-level qualification for project professionals.
• APM Individual Membership (Student, Associate, Full, Fellow) Subscription-based individual membership tiers providing post-nominal letters (MAPM/FAPM), publications access, member discounts on qualifications and events, access to APM Learning, APM Community, mentoring, Interest Networks and Regional Networks. Annual subscription.
• APM Corporate Partnership Programme Annual corporate membership programme providing 480+ organisations access to APM Competence Framework, training resources, qualifications, networking and staff development tools. Available in Corporate Partner and Corporate Affiliate categories.
• Project Magazine Official quarterly magazine of APM, circulated to members, providing latest news, opinions and insights for the project community. Available in print and digital formats; certain articles are exclusive to paying members.
• APM Body of Knowledge (8th Edition) Foundational reference resource providing the concepts, functions and activities that make up professional project management. The 8th edition reflects the developing profession across all sectors. Available for purchase from the APM bookshop with 10% member discount on physical copies.
• APM Learning Interactive e-learning platform available to Associate, Full and Fellow members for project management learning anytime, anywhere.
• APM Digital Badges Clickable digital badge credentials powered by Credly for displaying APM membership grades, qualifications, designations and volunteering achievements on social profiles, email signatures and websites.
• APM Community Secure online platform connecting members for networking, knowledge sharing and engagement; hosts mentoring and Interest Network discussions.
• APM Mentoring Programme Programme connecting members via the APM Community platform for professional relationship building, knowledge exchange, skill development and career guidance.
• APM Interest and Regional Networks 18 interest networks (Assurance, Benefits and Value, Built Environment, Contracts and Procurement, Defence Sector, Enabling Change, Governance, International Space Sector, Knowledge, Nuclear Sector, People, Portfolio Management, Risk, Sustainability, Systems Thinking, Women in Project Management) and 9 regional networks (Channel Islands, Greater Bay Area, KSA, North East, Northern Ireland, South East, Thames Valley, Wessex, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire) supporting knowledge sharing and thought leadership.
• APM Events Portfolio of virtual and in-person events including the annual APM Project Management Conference, Women in Project Management Conference, webinars and regional events; member preferential or free rates available.
• APM Prompt Engineering Learning Module Learning module designed to help project professionals bridge the gap between basic AI usage and strategic, responsible AI application, addressing the 33% of project professionals who identify critical gaps in ethical decision-making and data literacy.
• APM Research Publications Research publications and reports on project management topics, including partnership research such as the AI in Project Delivery survey conducted with Censuswide covering 1,000 UK project professionals.
• APM Volunteer Achievement Awards Annual awards recognising invaluable contributions of volunteers across categories including Volunteer Event of the Year, APM Interest Network of the Year, Regional Network of the Year, Education Volunteer of the Year, Special Achievement, and Volunteer of the Year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27% of UK project professionals report AI fully embedded in project workflows
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abu Dhabi UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The College of Engineering at Abu Dhabi University signed strategic MoU with APM to advance project management excellence in the UAE through strengthened professional education.
• National TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Trust participates in APM Corporate Partnership Programme. Project professionals from National Trust discuss qualifications and membership impact on delivered projects and individual careers at The Roundhouse, Birmingham & West Midlands.
• Project Controls Institute (PCI) AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPM announced recognition that the Diploma of Project Controls offered through PCI Australia has been accepted as a pathway qualification for MAPM Full Membership, strengthening project controls across Australia and Asia Pacific.
• Inspiring the FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPM works with Inspiring the Future to facilitate engagement with schools and inspire future project professionals through career outreach programmes.
• STEM LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPM partners with STEM Learning to facilitate schools engagement and engage future project professionals through STEM ambassador networks.
• Australian Institute of Project ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanre Adebayo writes blogs and articles for Australian Institute of Project Management as a partner with APM; supports international professional exchange.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE): UK chartered professional membership body for civil engineers with an infrastructure-delivery audience that heavily overlaps APM's project-professional membership, though focused on engineering rather than project management.
• CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development): UK chartered professional body for HR and people professionals; comparable business model (membership, chartered designations, qualifications, CPD) though a different professional discipline.

Broad incumbents

• Project Management Institute (PMI): The world's largest project management membership and certification body (PMP credential), directly comparable as a professional association serving project professionals globally, though far larger and US-headquartered.

Emerging players

• Scrum.org: Provides agile/Scrum professional certifications for project and delivery professionals, overlapping with APM's qualifications audience as agile methods reshape project management.
• Scaled Agile, Inc. (SAFe): Offers SAFe certifications and enterprise agile training to organisations and professionals, competing for the corporate training and certification budget APM targets via its partnership programme.

Direct peers

• Chartered Management Institute (CMI): UK chartered professional body offering management qualifications and chartered status; directly comparable as a Royal Charter membership body monetising membership, qualifications, and CPD.
• PeopleCert (AXELOS / PRINCE2): Owns and certifies PRINCE2 and other project management frameworks widely used in the UK; competes directly with APM for project management qualifications and certification revenue.
• International Project Management Association (IPMA): A federation of national project management associations offering competence-based certifications, directly comparable to APM's association-plus-certification model.
• APMG International: UK-based accreditation and examination body for project, programme and change management certifications, competing in the same qualifications and accredited-training space as APM.
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB): UK chartered membership body for the built-environment and construction management profession, closely comparable in structure (Royal Charter, membership grades, qualifications) and overlapping project-delivery audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/APMProjectMgmt
• Facebookfacebook.com/associationforprojectmanagement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-for-project-management
• Instagraminstagram.com/apmprojectmgmt/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@apmprojectmanagement
• Xx.com/apmprojectmgmt

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association for Project Management