International Marine Contractors Association

What International Marine Contractors Association does

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is a London-based, non-profit trade association founded in 1972 that serves the offshore marine contracting industry. It operates as a membership organisation representing more than 800 member companies across 65+ countries, spanning marine contractors, offshore survey, diving, ROV operators, offshore wind developers, and equipment suppliers. IMCA's purpose is to develop and disseminate technical guidance, safety standards, and certification programmes that underpin safe and sustainable offshore marine operations, while representing the industry's interests before regulators including the International Maritime Organization (IMO observer since 1999), the EU, and national governments.

IMCA's core platform comprises the Technical Library (460+ Guidance and Information Notes, Codes of Practice, and Technical Guidance documents developed over 52 years), the eCMID electronic vessel inspection database (1,896 inspections in 2024/25, +16% YoY), and the IMCA Skills learning platform, which hosts the DP CPD mobile app (~10,000 Dynamic Positioning officers), Diving CPD service (1,500+ supervisors, expanded to IMCA Diving CPD Mix for the broader diving industry in 2025), and certification schemes for DP Practitioners, Accredited Diving System Inspectors (ADSI), and Diving Supervisors. Supporting services include Safety Flashes (21 flashes covering 99 incidents in 2025), an Annual Safety Report based on 1bn+ hours of data from ~200 contributing companies, ProjectGHG emissions tracking, an Environmental Sustainability Self-Assessment (ESSA) tool, and IMCA Market Intelligence (powered by Spinergie). A global events programme — including the biennial Global Summit (470 delegates from 37 countries in 2025), annual DP Conference, Lifting & Rigging Seminar, and 26 regional meetings — anchors member engagement.

IMCA generates revenue through recurring membership subscriptions (including a new IMCA Partner tier introduced in 2026), event ticket sales (Global Summit from £395), annual certification revalidation fees (£125/year for DP Practitioner and ADSI), Diving Supervisor CPD subscriptions (£100/year), and printed logbook sales. The organisation is governed by a Board composed of senior representatives from the largest global offshore contractors (DEME, Van Oord, Heerema, Saipem, Subsea7, Allseas, Jan De Nul, Fugro, Boskalis, TechnipFMC, Simwave, G+) and is structured through Core, Divisional, and Regional committees covering Competence & Training, Environmental Sustainability, Lifting & Rigging, Marine Policy, Diving, Offshore Survey, Remote Systems & ROV, and five global regions.

Name

International Marine Contractors Association

Legal name

International Marine Contractors Association Trading Ltd

Website

https://imca-int.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMCA is a London-based non-profit trade association founded in 1972, serving 800+ member companies across 65+ countries in offshore marine contracting. It provides technical guidance, safety standards, certification programmes, and policy advocacy for the global offshore energy industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Navigational Services to Shipping (48833)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Hazardous Materials (IMDG) & Dangerous Goods Compliance Services (TLAHANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Surveying, Inspection & Claims (EDAOANAO), Marine Engineering & Engine Room Operations (EDAOANAB), Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Marine contracting association
• Offshore safety standards
• Vessel inspection services
• DP certification programs
• Marine technical guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IMCA is a membership organisation. Companies join IMCA to access Technical Library guidance, safety resources, certification programmes, networking events, and advocacy. Member companies receive discounted rates at paid events and free access to regional meetings. A new 'IMCA Partner' tier was introduced in 2026 for strategic collaborators.
2. Event Tickets: IMCA organises paid events including the Global Summit (from £395 including gala dinner), DP Conference, technical seminars, and training courses. Members receive discounted rates. Some events (regional meetings) are free to members.
3. Certification and Accreditation: IMCA runs certification programmes for DP Practitioners (initial application £550, annual revalidation £125), Accredited Diving System Inspectors (initial £600, annual revalidation £125), Diving Supervisors, and other personnel. Annual revalidation fees apply.
4. CPD Subscriptions: Diving Supervisor CPD annual subscription at GBP 100 per supervisor. Diver training instructors pay GBP 50 annually for CPD access. DP CPD app is provided as a membership benefit.
5. Logbook and Publication Sales: IMCA sells printed logbooks for crane operators and other key offshore personnel via its online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

IMCA is a membership-based trade association serving the offshore marine contracting industry, providing technical guidance (460+ documents in its Technical Library), safety incident reporting, vessel inspection services via eCMID, and professional certification and CPD programs for Dynamic Positioning officers and Diving Supervisors. It also convenes the industry through global events including the biennial Global Summit, regional meetings, and seminars, while advocating with regulators such as the International Maritime Organization.

Product overview

IMCA operates as a membership-based trade association offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services for the offshore marine contracting industry. The core offerings include the Technical Library (500+ guidance documents), the eCMID vessel inspection system, and the IMCA Skills training/certification platform. IMCA Skills encompasses specialized CPD programs for Dynamic Positioning (DP CPD) and Diving professionals, alongside certification schemes for DP Practitioners and Accredited Diving System Inspectors. Supporting services include Safety Flashes, Safety Statistics reporting, ProjectGHG emissions tracking, the ESSA environmental self-assessment tool, IMCA Market Intelligence (powered by Spinergie), and physical Logbooks. The association also organizes a global events program including the annual Global Summit, regional meetings, and technical seminars. The system architecture follows a platform-plus-modules approach, with IMCA Skills serving as the central hub for competency and training, and the member portal providing authenticated access to services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eCMID: Electronic Contractor Marine Inspection Database - global safety management health check system for offshore vessels
• IMCA Skills
• IMCA CPD App

Products and services

• IMCA Technical Library

Quantifiable outcome

• 1bn+ hours of safety data analysed annually
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• International Maritime Organization (IMO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999IMCA has held observer status at the United Nations' International Maritime Organization, headquartered in London, since 1999. IMCA engages extensively on the IMO's emerging net-zero framework, as well as on regulations covering safety, environmental protection, operational standards, and support for offshore workers.
• Oceantic NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOceantic Network is listed as a partner organisation on IMCA's website under 'Working in Partnership'. Oceantic Network focuses on offshore wind energy development.
• Asia Wind Energy Association (AWEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation on IMCA's website. AWEA promotes wind energy development across the Asia-Pacific region.
• World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. WFO is a global forum dedicated to offshore wind energy development.
• International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. IOGP represents the oil and gas industry's interests in safety, environmental protection, and regulatory affairs.
• The Nautical InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. The Nautical Institute is involved in DP certification, with IMCA's DP CPD programme facilitating compliance with The Nautical Institute certification scheme.
• OPITOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. OPITO is the global standards organisation for the energy industry, focused on safety and competence.
• Global Wind Safety Organisation (GWO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. GWO develops training standards for wind energy industry personnel.
• Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. OCIMF is a voluntary association of oil companies focusing on maritime safety and environmental prevention.
• The Workboat AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. Represents workboat operators and has a new membership category with IMCA.
• Centre of Decommissioning Australia (CODA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation. CODA focuses on offshore decommissioning in Australia, aligning with IMCA's work on decommissioning guidance.
• SpinergiecoreTechnology or IntegrationIMCA Market Intelligence is powered by Spinergie, a maritime data platform providing offshore vessel and market insights to IMCA members free of charge.
• The Nautical Institute (DP Certification)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCA's DP CPD programme addresses the Continuing Professional Development obligations of personnel certified under The Nautical Institute's DP certification scheme. The two organisations work together on DP competence standards.
• G+ (Offshore Wind)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerG+ is a joint venture between IMCA and offshore wind developers (including RWE, Vattenfall, Windanker, and others) focused on developing good practice guidance for mechanical lifting operations in the offshore wind industry.
• Diving Medical Advisory Committee (DMAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCA provides secretariat services to DMAC, which holds professional contact details for diving medicine professionals and operates an approval system for training in diving medicine.
• Offshore Mechanical Handling Equipment Committee (OMHEC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCA provides secretariat services to OMHEC, which holds professional contact details for its members and publishes them on omhec.com.
• International Offshore Marine Operations Organisations Forum (IOMOOF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCA provides secretariat services to IOMOOF, a forum for international offshore marine operations organisations.
• Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCA joined the CAFA Collective, a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to accelerating climate action across industries and professions, to access climate action best practice.
• Nature Positive ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCA joined the Nature Positive Forum and shared an Information Note exploring marine biodiversity, supporting the biodiversity impact guidance published in 2025.
• ClassNKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCA & ClassNK Joint Seminar scheduled for Tokyo on 26 August 2026, focused on marine and offshore standards.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP): IOGP is a global trade association representing the upstream oil and gas industry on safety, environmental, and operational standards. Like IMCA, IOGP develops guidance referenced by regulators and serves as the industry's principal voice with international bodies, but it represents operators rather than contractors.
• OPITO: OPITO is the global standards organisation for the energy industry's workforce competence, providing training frameworks and certification across offshore and energy skills. It overlaps directly with IMCA's IMCA Skills platform, DP CPD, and Diving CPD offerings, particularly as OPITO expands into offshore wind competence.
• The Nautical Institute: The Nautical Institute runs the Dynamic Positioning certification scheme that IMCA's DP CPD programme directly supports. The two organisations are deep partners but also serve overlapping audiences of marine professionals, making The Nautical Institute both a collaborator and a peer in maritime certification.
• Society for Underwater Technology (SUT): SUT is an international learned society for underwater technology, covering subsea engineering, diving, and offshore operations. It shares IMCA's marine and subsea membership base and develops complementary guidance, education, and policy outputs for the underwater sector.
• Marine Technology Society (MTS): MTS is a global professional society for ocean engineering and marine technology, with strong overlap to IMCA's subsea, ROV, and offshore survey communities. It hosts technical committees, conferences, and publications comparable to IMCA's divisional committees and events.

Emerging players

• Global Wind Organisation (GWO): GWO sets industry-recognised safety training standards for the wind sector, including offshore wind. It is one of the strongest competing standards bodies in IMCA's growth vertical of offshore wind, and was added to IMCA's partner list — an explicit signal of overlapping influence.

Broad incumbents

• Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF): OCIMF is a voluntary association of oil companies focused on maritime safety and environmental prevention, including tanker and terminal operations. It overlaps with IMCA's maritime safety, vessel inspection, and regulatory advocacy work but serves a broader shipping and terminal operator constituency.
• Energy Institute (EI): The Energy Institute is a UK-based chartered professional body covering the energy sector, including offshore, with a remit spanning oil and gas, renewables, and energy management. It overlaps with IMCA on competence standards, safety guidance, and policy advocacy, but covers a broader cross-energy remit.

Regional players

• International Marine Contractors Association of Asia Pacific (IMCA AP equivalent bodies): IMCA itself covers Asia-Pacific via its regional committee structure, so no exact regional peer exists, but bodies such as the Asia-Pacific chapter of related associations like AWEA (Asia Wind Energy Association) compete for offshore wind thought leadership in the same geography.

Others

• Diving Medical Advisory Committee (DMAC): DMAC provides medical and training guidance for commercial diving operations. IMCA actually provides secretariat services to DMAC, making it both an adjacent body and a dependent partner; it competes implicitly for influence in the diving standards arena.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imcaint
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ5ptexAS3sE7xj5QfFz9JQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imca-international-marine-contractors-association-
• Facebookfacebook.com/imcaint

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Marine Contractors Association