National Environmental Health Association

What National Environmental Health Association does

The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1937 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, serving more than 7,000 environmental health professionals across governmental, private, academic, and uniformed services sectors in the U.S., its territories, and internationally. The organization operates a multi-stream product portfolio anchored by three professional credentials: the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS), recognized as the gold standard for the field and accepted in 15+ states; the Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS); and the Certified in Comprehensive Food Safety (CCFS). NEHA also delivers certifications and training programs including Professional Food Manager and Professional Food Handler certificates, HACCP courses accredited by the International HACCP Alliance, FSPCA-PCQI training, the Body Art Facility Inspector Training (BAFIT), and the Environmental Health and Land Reuse certificate program with ATSDR. Content and event assets include the peer-reviewed Journal of Environmental Health published 10 times per year (reaching 20,000+ professionals), two newsletters (EH In Focus at 34% open rate, Body Art at 57% open rate), and the Annual Educational Conference (AEC) drawing 1,000-1,500 attendees.

NEHA's underlying technology comprises a Learning Management System for self-paced e-learning, a MemberSuite platform powering the ShopNEHA storefront and credentialing workflow, Zoom for virtual instructor-led training, and Pearson VUE testing centers for credentialing exam delivery. The organization monetizes through a diversified revenue model: recurring membership dues with discounted member pricing across services, one-time credentialing application and exam fees ($525-$670 REHS/RS package, $375-$425 CP-FS), biennial credential renewals ($180 member/$345 non-member), conference registration and exhibit/sponsorship sales, course and study guide sales ($149-$795 per course), advertising in the Journal and newsletters, job board postings, and tax-deductible donations plus the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model grant program. GTM is hybrid: event-driven via the AEC and Pearson VUE testing center footprint, plus subscription-recurring through membership dues that bundle discounts across credentials, renewals, conferences, and courses. Distribution leverages Pearson VUE's global testing network, the NEHA Food Safety Instructor Network as a reseller channel, and a state-level affiliate ecosystem that extends grassroots reach.

Name

National Environmental Health Association

Legal name

National Environmental Health Association

Website

https://neha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association, founded in 1937 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, that credentials, trains, and advocates for 7,000+ environmental health professionals in governmental, private, academic, and uniformed services sectors across the U.S. and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Credentialing & Training

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAO

Environmental, Health & Safety / Sustainability (EHS, Environmental Compliance CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDAOAKAG

Food Safety, Sanitation & HACCP Training

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Culinary Arts, Baking & Food Service Training

SECONDARYAFALADAG

Recall Readiness, Crisis Management & Regulatory Liaison

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Regulatory Compliance Testing & Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA, HACCP)

Keywords

• Environmental health credentials
• Professional food safety certification
• HACCP training programs
• Continuing education professionals
• Public health workforce

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NEHA generates recurring revenue through membership subscriptions. Members receive discounted rates on credentials, renewals, conferences, courses, and access to exclusive resources.
2. Credentialing and Certification Fees: Revenue from credential exams, applications, and renewals for REHS/RS, CP-FS, and CCFS credentials. Exam fees range from $225-$335 for non-members, plus Pearson VUE testing fees. Renewals are $180 for members and $345 for non-members every two years.
3. Conferences and Events: Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition generates revenue through registration fees, exhibit space sales, and sponsorship opportunities. The conference attracts 1,000-1,500 environmental health professionals.
4. Courses and Training Materials: Revenue from sale of study guides, online courses, practice exams, and certificates for food safety, environmental health, and professional development programs. Prices range from $149 for individual courses to $375+ for instructor-led training.
5. Journal and Newsletter Advertising: Advertising opportunities in the Journal of Environmental Health (reaching 20,000+ professionals), EH In Focus Newsletter (7,000+ subscribers with 34% open rate), Body Art Newsletter (700+ subscribers with 57% open rate), and website (12,000 monthly visitors).
6. Job Postings: NEHA operates a job board at jobs.neha.org where employers can post positions. Members receive one free posting per year.
7. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, NEHA accepts tax-deductible donations supporting scholarships, the endowment fund, and general operations. The NEHA-FDA RFFM grant program provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial retail food regulatory agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NEHA is a nonprofit professional association that issues and renews the REHS/RS, CP-FS, and CCFS credentials, delivers food-safety and environmental-health certifications and training courses (HACCP, BAFIT, EHLR, FSPCA-PCQI, FDA Food Code, Professional Food Manager/Handler), publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Environmental Health, and hosts the Annual Educational Conference for environmental health practitioners. Its members and credential holders serve governmental, private-sector, academic, and uniformed-services roles across the U.S., its territories, and internationally.

Product overview

NEHA offers a comprehensive portfolio of professional credentials, certifications, training programs, and publications for environmental health professionals. The credentialing suite includes three-tiered credentials (REHS/RS as the premier broad environmental health credential, CP-FS for food safety professionals, and CCFS for food manufacturing specialists). Certifications span food safety (Professional Food Manager, Professional Food Handler, HACCP programs), specialized training (Body Art Facility Inspector Training, Environmental Health and Land Reuse, FSPCA-PCQI), and continuing education. NEHA also publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Environmental Health (10x/year) and hosts the Annual Educational Conference. The organization operates grant programs (NEHA-FDA RFFM) and scholarship/internship opportunities to support the environmental health workforce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEHA SC: NEHA brand logo used throughout the website.
• Journal of Environmental Health
• MyNEHA
• AEC

Products and services

• Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) Credential

Quantifiable outcome

• NEHA credentials are recognized by regulatory agencies across 15+ states for state credentialing requirements.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEHA and FDA partner to administer the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model (RFFM) Grant Program, providing funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) retail food regulatory agencies to advance conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Environmental Health and Land Reuse (EHLR) Certificate Program was created in partnership with ATSDR to build capacity within communities to help remediate and redevelop brownfields sites around the country.
• International HACCP AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEHA's HACCP courses are recognized and accredited by the International HACCP Alliance, meeting FSMA and GFSI standards for food safety training.
• Micro Essential LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEHA hosts the 'Sanitization for Food Safety: Using Sanitizer Test Strips' webinar in partnership with Micro Essential Laboratory, providing training on cleaning and sanitizing protocols.
• American Academy of Sanitarians (AAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEHA and AAS jointly fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships called NEHA/AAS Scholarships, established to encourage students to pursue careers in environmental health.
• Environmental Health Accreditation Council (EHAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEHA collaborates with EHAC to accredit environmental health degree programs. Candidates with EHAC-accredited degrees may qualify for Track A of the REHS/RS credential without work experience requirement.
• State Environmental Health AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEHA's affiliate network represents state-level environmental health organizations forming a grassroots network connected through a shared mission of empowering and educating environmental health professionals.
• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationNEHA partners with Pearson VUE for delivery of credentialing exams at testing centers throughout the U.S. and internationally, with candidates receiving immediate unofficial scores.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Restaurant Association (ServSafe): The dominant commercial provider of food handler and food manager certification in the U.S. Directly competes with NEHA's Professional Food Handler and Professional Food Manager certificate programs in the same retail food regulatory space, with similar ANAB/CFP-aligned curriculum.
• International Association for Food Protection (IAFP): A peer professional association serving food safety and quality professionals through certifications, a peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Food Protection), and an annual meeting — closely analogous to NEHA's structure for the food safety subset of environmental health.
• American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA): A membership association for occupational/environmental health and safety professionals offering credentials, conferences, and continuing education — directly comparable to NEHA in mission, member-funded model, and credentialing focus.
• Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL): A membership association serving public health laboratory professionals with training, advocacy, and a peer-reviewed journal — structurally analogous to NEHA's model, serving a closely adjacent environmental/public health workforce.
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): A membership association representing local public health departments with advocacy, training, and grant-administration functions. Comparable to NEHA in mission and affiliate-network structure serving the local-government EH workforce.
• National Environmental Health Science & Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC): Accredits environmental health academic degree programs that feed directly into NEHA's REHS/RS Track A eligibility pathway. Functions as a closely aligned peer accreditation body that reinforces NEHA's credentialing value chain.

Broad incumbents

• NSF International: A much larger standards and certification organization operating across food safety, water, and consumer product sectors. Overlaps NEHA's food safety training and credentialing footprint but as part of a broader commercial testing and certification portfolio.
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL): A global safety science organization offering training, certification, and standards development. Operates adjacent to NEHA's food safety and environmental health certification space as a much larger, more diversified incumbent.

Emerging players

• 360training (StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve): A commercial online regulatory training platform with food handler/manager and alcohol safety courses. Competes with NEHA's Professional Food Handler and Professional Food Manager certificate programs on price and online delivery convenience.
• International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI): A workforce development organization focused on food protection training and serves as NEHA's content partner for FSPCA-PCQI Part 1. Operates adjacent training programs in the same regulatory compliance category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nehaorg

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 National Environmental Health Association