ECIS - European Council of International Schools

What ECIS - European Council of International Schools does

ECIS (Educational Collaborative for International Schools), legally ECIS Limited, is a UK-registered nonprofit global membership organization founded in 1965 to serve K-12 international schools and the educators, school leaders, and partner institutions that support them. The organization, headquartered in London at The Stanley Building in King's Cross, operates a community of 500+ member schools and other membership communities representing 50,000+ educators and leaders across 100+ countries on six continents. Its offering combines tiered membership (School, Higher Education, and Commercial), a portfolio of professional certifications (Middle Leader Certificate, Global Pedagogy Certificate, Child Protection Certification), bespoke training, conferences and events, DEIJ programs including a year-long Leadership Development Cohort, Special Interest Groups, mentoring, grants and awards, school governance support, and thought-leadership publications such as Insightful Magazine, Spotlight On, and the co-produced UCL Leadership Connections.

ECIS does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its underlying capability is a curated, human-delivered professional-development stack (in-person workshops, multi-session cohorts, online webinars, and publications) layered onto a membership network. Recent product surface additions emphasize AI fluency in school leadership, with new modules on AI in Education within the Global Pedagogy Certificate and a dedicated 'Leading with Confidence in the Age of AI' Middle Leader track scheduled for late 2026.

The business model is subscription-driven at the core, with annual membership fees (pricing not publicly disclosed) from school, higher-education, and commercial members, supplemented by event registration fees (e.g., £240–£575 per seat), certification and training program fees (e.g., £312–£390 per Middle Leader track), and select free cohort-based programs such as the DEIJ Leadership Development Cohort. Distribution is primarily direct via the ecis.org website and in-person events held across European venues (Madrid, Lisbon, Berlin, Prague, Bratislava, Luxembourg) with growing activity in India. Go-to-market is community-led: acquisition and retention are driven by professional network value, recurring events, and word-of-mouth within the international-school sector.

Name

ECIS - European Council of International Schools

Legal name

ECIS Limited

Website

https://ecis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ECIS is a London-based, UK-registered nonprofit global membership organization founded in 1965, serving 500+ international schools and 50,000+ educators across 100+ countries with tiered memberships, professional certifications, conferences, bespoke training, and DEIJ programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Professional Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Services (61), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

ECE Leadership & Administration Training (Directors/Owners/Supervisors) (EDACAIAD), Teacher/Provider SEL Coaching & Implementation Training (ECE) (EDACAOAH)

Keywords

• International education membership
• Professional development certifications
• School governance services
• Educator networking community
• Child protection training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ECIS generates revenue through various membership tiers including School Membership, Higher Education Membership, and Commercial Membership, providing access to professional resources, networking, and member benefits.
2. Event Registration Fees: The organization charges registration fees for conferences and events such as the ECIS Early Childhood Conference, Multilingual Learning In Education Conference, Middle Leader Certificate programs, and Global Pedagogy Certificate courses. Pricing varies by event with ranges from £240 to £575.
3. Training and Certification Programs: Revenue generated from bespoke training services, certification programs including Middle Leader Certification and Global Pedagogy Certificates, and specialized courses offered to educators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ECIS is a non-profit global membership organisation that sells tiered memberships (School, Higher Education, Commercial) to international schools and education partners. It delivers professional development through certification programs (Middle Leader Certificate, Global Pedagogy Certificate, Child Protection Certification), annual conferences, bespoke training, DEIJ programs, mentoring, and grants/awards to educators and school leaders.

Product overview

ECIS (Educational Collaborative for International Schools) is a non-profit global membership organization founded in 1965, serving 500+ membership communities and 50,000+ educators across 80+ countries. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of professional development offerings centered around membership categories (School, Higher Education, and Commercial Membership). Its core educational products include the Global Pedagogy Certificate (covering AI in Education, Universal Design for Learning, Relational and Restorative Practices, Assessment for Learning, and Thinking and Learning) and the Middle Leader Certificate (covering assessment, leadership, team building, curricular design, teacher quality, coaching, and conflict management). Additional offerings include Child Protection Certification, Bespoke Training services, DEIJ Programs, Grants & Awards, Special Interest Groups, Mentoring, and the Insightful Magazine publication. ECIS also organizes major conferences including the Early Childhood Conference and Multilingual Learning In Education Conference. The organization positions itself as a professional network connecting educators and leaders rather than operating as a traditional SaaS or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Membership Annual membership tier for K-12 international schools providing access to professional development resources, networking, grants, awards, conferences, governance support, and events.
• Higher Education Membership Annual membership for universities and higher education institutions seeking engagement with the international school community, including admissions guidance and professional development.
• Commercial Membership Annual membership for commercial organizations in the education sector providing access to international school decision-makers and partnership opportunities.
• Global Pedagogy Certificate Multi-session professional certification program for educators covering pedagogical approaches; courses priced at £240-£300 per session.
• Middle Leader Certificate Multi-session certification program for middle-level school leaders, priced at £312-£390 per certification track.
• Child Protection Certification Certification program focused on safeguarding and child protection standards for educators in international school settings.
• Bespoke Training Customized training programs developed for individual school or organizational needs, delivered on-site or virtually.
• ECIS Events & Conferences Annual conferences and professional events for international educators, including the Early Childhood Conference, Multilingual Learning In Education Conference, Leadership Conference, and regional gatherings; conference pricing ranges from £360 to £575.
• DEIJ Programs & Courses Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice programs including the DEIJ Leadership Development Cohort (free for selected participants) and various educational resources.
• Special Interest Groups Member-only professional networking groups organized around specific educational topics and interests for focused collaboration among international educators.
• Grants & Awards Funding opportunities and recognition programs that provide grants and awards to educators and schools within the ECIS network.
• School Governance Services Support, training, and resources for effective school governance and leadership foundations at international schools.
• Mentoring Program Professional mentoring services that connect educators with experienced practitioners across the ECIS network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ membership communities served
• +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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 9ineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation technology and services partner featured on ECIS website partner section. 9ine provides safeguarding and child protection services relevant to ECIS member schools.
• Education PerfectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation technology partner featured on ECIS website. Education Perfect provides digital learning platforms for international schools.
• EdinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation services partner featured on ECIS website. Edina provides educational resources and services to international schools.
• Cambridge International Examinations (CIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge International is featured as a key partner. CIP provides international education programmes and qualifications (IGCSE, AS & A Level) widely used by ECIS member schools.
• CogniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCognia is featured as a key partner providing accreditation and quality assurance services for schools globally, relevant to ECIS member school improvement and accreditation needs.
• BlueSkyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation services partner featured on ECIS website. BlueSky provides school management and administrative solutions.
• GL EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation assessment partner featured on ECIS website. GL Education provides formative and summative assessment solutions for schools.
• Cambridge University Press & AssessmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as a key partner. Cambridge University provides educational resources, textbooks, and learning materials used extensively by international schools.
• PearsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor education publishing and services company featured as a key partner. Pearson provides educational materials, qualifications, and learning platforms for international schools.
• Let's Be RealminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health education organization and ECIS member. Let's Be Real delivers wellbeing workshops and certified Mental Health First Aid training for international schools across Europe. Based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
• FFT Education / Fischer Family FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiteracy education experts partnered with ECIS to share research on reading assessment. FFT developed the Reading Assessment Programme (RAP) and provided analysis data for ECIS publications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Council of International Schools (CIS): CIS is the closest direct peer: a Geneva-based non-profit membership organization offering accreditation, professional development, and recruitment services to international schools worldwide. It competes directly with ECIS for school memberships, leadership training, and conferences serving the same international school leadership buyer.
• Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE): AAIE is a US-headquartered non-profit professional association serving international school leaders globally. It mirrors ECIS's leadership training, annual conference, and peer network model, competing for the same head-of-school and senior administrator audience.
• International Schools Services (ISS): ISS is a non-profit that supports international schools through recruitment, governance, professional development, and operational services. It overlaps directly with ECIS on educator recruitment and school leadership development offerings.
• Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA): NESA is a non-profit membership association providing professional development, conferences, and learning resources specifically for international schools in the Near East and South Asia regions. It directly competes with ECIS for member schools in those geographies.

Regional players

• East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS): EARCOS is a non-profit membership organization serving international schools across East Asia, offering leadership workshops, conferences, and curriculum support. Comparable to ECIS in mission and offerings, but focused on the East Asia region rather than global.
• Association of Indian School Heads (AISH): AISH is a professional association for heads of international and progressive schools in India, offering leadership development and networking. It is comparable to ECIS in serving school leadership, but focused on the Indian market.
• Council of British International Schools (COBIS): COBIS is a UK-based non-profit membership association for British international schools globally, offering accreditation, professional development, and school support. It is a direct analogue to ECIS for British-curriculum international schools.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS): NAIS is a large US-based membership association for independent (private) schools, offering professional development, conferences, advocacy, and resources. It is comparable to ECIS in mission but operates at much larger scale in a different (US-centric) geography.
• ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development): ASCD is a large US-headquartered non-profit educator association providing professional development, publications, and conferences on curriculum and instruction. It overlaps with ECIS in teacher/leader PD content but serves a much broader K-12 audience globally rather than exclusively international schools.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): IB is a non-profit foundation offering four educational programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, CP) widely adopted by international schools. While not a membership association, IB competes for the same international school budget and provides complementary (and at times overlapping) professional development for educators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ECIS65/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecischools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/educational-collaborative-for-international-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecis_official
• Xx.com/ecischools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ECIS - European Council of International Schools