Principles for Responsible Management Education

What Principles for Responsible Management Education does

Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) is a United Nations-supported initiative founded in 2007 and operated under the UN Global Compact, headquartered at the Foundation for the Global Compact in New York. It serves as a global membership and framework organization for business and management schools, with 800+ Signatory Member institutions across 96 countries and an estimated 200,000+ affiliated faculty members. Its core offering is the Seven Principles framework (Purpose, Values, Teach, Research, Partner, Practice, Share), operationalized through a structured application and annual reporting regime, supported by 17 Regional Chapters, 17 thematic Working Groups, a Champions network, and a PRME Students movement.

PRME's product portfolio centers on the PRME Commons platform — a self-reporting database and global knowledge exchange hub hosting SIP (Sharing Information on Progress) reports, with more than 2,800 reports submitted since 2008 — alongside annual flagship convenings (PRME Global Forum, RME Week), professional development (Pedagogy Certification series), the Impactful Five (i5) project (a USD 6M LEGO Foundation-funded pedagogical initiative co-developed with Harvard Project Zero and Sulitest, producing the i5 Playbook in 8 languages, an i5 Toolbox, and an i5 Assessment Framework), and PRME Awards for recognition.

Revenue derives primarily from tiered annual membership contributions (priced by each institution's operating budget, with a percentage flowing to Regional Chapters via a Development Fund), event registration fees (e.g., $280-$410 for the Global Forum), and restricted programmatic grants. A 1-10 person Secretariat manages operations, relying on the UN Global Compact's operational infrastructure. In November 2023 PRME restructured its i5 governance, dissolving the i5 Advisory Board and forming a Transformational Programs Committee to streamline delivery.

Name

Principles for Responsible Management Education

Legal name

Principles for Responsible Management Education

Website

https://unprme.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PRME is a UN-supported non-profit initiative founded in 2007 that operates a global membership network of 800+ business and management schools across 96 countries, providing a Seven Principles framework, SIP reporting on the PRME Commons platform, regional Chapters, and pedagogical programs like the LEGO Foundation-funded i5 project.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Education / Sustainability Framework

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Event PR & Communications Support (BPAFADAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Event & Experiential PR (Launches, Stunts, Press Events) (MPAAADAM)

Keywords

• Responsible management education
• Sustainability in business schools
• UN Global Compact education
• SDG curriculum integration
• Business school accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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

Revenue model

1. Signatory Membership Annual Contribution: Annual fees from Signatory Member institutions based on tiered contribution model tied to each institution's operating budget. The tiers are adjusted annually to account for inflation. Revenue supports PRME's mission and the Secretariat team serving the community. A percentage of global fees funds the Development Fund redistributed to Regional Chapters for their activities.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from annual events including PRME Global Forum (USD $280-$410 registration) and RME Week components. Events include PRME Global Forum, AACSB Workshop, EFMD Workshop, PRME Student Summit, RRBM Workshop, and AFAM Workshop with varying fee structures for members and non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PRME is a United Nations-supported initiative that provides a Seven Principles framework (Purpose, Values, Teach, Research, Partner, Practice, Share) for embedding sustainability and responsible management into business and management schools. It operates a Signatory Membership program for degree-granting institutions, runs a self-reporting knowledge exchange platform (PRME Commons) for Sharing Information on Progress (SIP) reports, and delivers annual events, Working Groups, regional Chapters, and a Pedagogy Certification program. The Impactful Five (i5) project, funded by a USD 6 million LEGO Foundation grant, develops playful-learning pedagogy tools for business educators.

Product overview

PRME is a United Nations-supported initiative founded in 2007 that operates as a comprehensive platform for responsible management education. Its portfolio consists of multiple integrated offerings: PRME Commons serves as the central digital hub for self-reporting (SIP) and knowledge exchange; the Seven Principles framework provides the foundational values-based structure; PRME Chapters (17 regional) and Working Groups (17 topic-focused) build community and drive collaboration; and annual flagship events including the PRME Global Forum and RME Week convene the global community. The Impactful Five (i5) project, a USD 6 million three-year initiative funded by the LEGO Foundation, is a major programmatic offering that provides the i5 Playbook, i5 Toolbox, and i5 Assessment Framework to transform pedagogy in business schools through playful learning. PRME also offers Pedagogy Certification (Certificate of Participation and Certificate of Applied Practice), PRME Awards for recognition, and the PRME Students movement for student engagement. The network encompasses over 800 Signatory Members in 96 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• i5 (Impactful Five): A pedagogical program developed in partnership with the LEGO Foundation and Harvard Project Zero, focusing on five characteristics of playful learning: making learning meaningful, joyful, actively engaging, social, and iterative. The i5 project aims to transform leadership education through holistic skill development.

Products and services

• Signatory Membership Program Annual membership for business and management schools that commit to PRME's Seven Principles; tiered annual contribution based on institution operating budget, providing access to PRME Commons, Working Groups, Chapters, events, and SIP reporting.
• PRME Commons A self-reporting database and global knowledge exchange hub for Signatory Members to submit Sharing Information on Progress (SIP) reports, discover institutional practices, and contribute to shared learning on responsible management education.
• PRME Global Forum PRME's annual flagship event convening the global PRME community for knowledge exchange and good practices on responsible management education and the SDGs.
• Responsible Management Education (RME) Week Annual multi-day event series advancing responsible management education worldwide through convening and knowledge exchange, hosted collaboratively with partners such as AACSB, RRBM, and EFMD Global.
• PRME Pedagogy Certification Series A global five-week professional development program for educators seeking to certify their pedagogical practice in responsible management education, with two certificate pathways: Certificate of Participation and Certificate of Applied Practice.
• Sharing Information on Progress (SIP) Reporting Annual reporting framework for Signatory Members to reflect on, articulate, and share how responsible management education is being advanced in practice; transitioning to SIP 2.0.
• Impactful Five (i5) Project A three-year project funded by a USD 6 million grant from the LEGO Foundation that integrates playful learning into responsible management education and develops holistic skills (cognitive, emotional, creative, social, physical) in business school students.
• PRME Chapters 17 regional Chapters that advance the Seven Principles within specific geographic contexts, rooting PRME in different national, regional, cultural, and linguistic landscapes.
• PRME Working Groups 17 Working Groups deepening collaboration on specific sustainability issues, including Anti-Corruption, Climate Change and Environment, Humanistic Management, and Responsible Supply Chains.
• PRME Awards Awards recognizing innovative contributions advancing the SDGs and responsible management education, including Education Faculty Awards, PRME Students Sustainability Awards, and Recognition for Excellence in SIP Reporting.
• Blueprint for SDG Integration A practical step-by-step guide for broadening and deepening sustainability considerations within business schools, covering curriculum, research, and partnerships, and including a repository of inspirational examples.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ Signatory Members across 96 countries with 200,000+ faculty
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and regional.

• Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop the i5 Playbook for business educators, translating LEGO Foundation research on childhood and youth development into higher education context. Project Zero leads construction of the Playbook based on rigorous research and playful learning characteristics.
• SulitestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create assessment tools for the i5 Framework, developing sustainability literacy measurement tools aligned with the Playbook for digital assessment of pedagogical approaches among faculty and students.
• AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration during RME Week 2026. AACSB leads a Societal Impact Workshop focused on integrating and communicating societal impact across strategy, accreditation, and stakeholder engagement.
• RRBM (Responsible Research in Business and Management) NetworkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration during RME Week 2026. RRBM brings together scholars and institutional leaders to explore how responsible research aligned with RRBM Principles advances credible and relevant scholarship.
• EFMD GlobalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration during RME Week 2026. EFMD leads a workshop exploring how accreditation standards can drive meaningful transformation in business education regarding leadership, ethics, and responsibility.
• AFAM (Africa Academy of Management)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration during RME Week 2026 for a half-day program advancing research in African management and responsible education in African contexts, bringing together scholars, deans, policymakers, and practitioners.
• UN Global CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRME is a United Nations-supported initiative operating under the UN Global Compact. The partnership provides PRME with entry point to the UN ecosystem and distinguishes Signatory Members as leaders upholding UN values.
• UN FoundationcoreOthersPRME Secretariat is housed at the Foundation for the Global Compact, providing operational support and infrastructure for the initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AACSB International: Global accreditation body for business schools. AACSB is a Flagship partner of PRME (co-runs workshops during RME Week) and addresses overlapping institutional audiences, but with a standards/accreditation remit rather than a values-based membership framework.
• EFMD Global: European-based management education network and EQUIS accreditor. EFMD is a Flagship PRME partner (co-runs RME Week workshops) and serves a directly overlapping community of business schools and faculty across Europe and globally.
• Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM): Network of scholars and institutional leaders promoting responsible research in business and management. RRBM is a Flagship PRME partner (RME Week 2026 workshop host) and shares PRME's values-based orientation toward responsible business scholarship.
• GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council): Association of business schools focused on graduate management education, including the GMAT. GMAC serves a directly overlapping business school membership base and addresses adjacent concerns around program quality and admissions.

Broad incumbents

• UN Global Compact: Parent initiative under which PRME operates. The UN Global Compact addresses corporate sustainability commitments broadly; PRME is its higher-education arm. Direct overlap in mission but distinct audience (corporations vs. business schools).

Emerging players

• Aspen Institute Business & Society Program: Program convening business leaders and educators around values-driven leadership and stakeholder capitalism. Shares PRME's mission of embedding purpose and responsibility into business education, but with a US-centric, executive-leaning scope.
• Net Impact: Student and professional network focused on using business skills for social and environmental impact. Mirrors PRME Students in its focus on student-led sustainability engagement within business schools, but with a more student-club-led model.
• B Lab (B Corporation): Global certification body for businesses meeting social and environmental performance standards. While focused on companies rather than schools, B Lab shares PRME's values-driven, framework-based approach and could intersect in curriculum content.

Others

• GRI (Global Reporting Initiative): Provider of sustainability reporting standards used by thousands of organizations. GRI is a thematic peer in the broader sustainability ecosystem and is occasionally referenced in PRME's curriculum resources, though it serves corporate reporters rather than educators.
• Sulitest: Provider of sustainability literacy assessment tools for educators and learners. Sulitest is a Core PRME partner (co-developed the i5 Assessment Framework) and operates as an enabling technology/data vendor within PRME's programmatic offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prmesecretariat
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PRMEUN/feed
• Facebookfacebook.com/unprme
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/principles-for-responsible-management-education-prme-
• Instagraminstagram.com/prmesecretariat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Principles for Responsible Management Education