What Coffee Quality Institute does

Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, with a stated mission of improving coffee quality and the livelihoods of people who produce it. The organization operates a global education, certification, and grading platform anchored on the Q Coffee System — a database-backed evaluation framework covering both Arabica (specialty) and Robusta (fine) coffees — and three core programs: Q Grader (now transitioned to SCA effective October 2025), Q Processing (post-harvest processing certification), and a four-tier structured course progression spanning 100-level introductory classes through a 400-level invitation-only Processing Expert program. Supporting infrastructure includes the CQI Database (database.coffeeinstitute.org, powered by Eximware) for course registration and Q evaluation scheduling, the CQI Coffee Corps volunteer program (reactivated in 2026), the CQI Insider annual membership at USD $100, and the Global Coffee Fund grant and matching-grant mechanism targeting $500,000 in 2026.

CQI monetizes primarily through course and evaluation fees (one-time course pricing ranging $105-$475), Insider memberships, the Annual Luncheon held at World of Coffee with sponsors including Starbucks, Keurig Dr Pepper, Stumptown, Dunkin, Nescafé, and StoneX, donations through PayPal Giving Fund, and merchandise sales via Bonfire. Go-to-market is community-led and channel-partner driven: a network of 40+ In-Country Partners (ICPs) such as DMCC Coffee Centre (UAE), Yunnan International Coffee Exchange (China), Taiwan Coffee Laboratory, and IHCAFE (Honduras) deliver local Q evaluations and host courses, while a multilingual educator network of Instructors, Assistant Instructors, and Lecturers teaches directly. Distribution spans 40+ countries across North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The Q Grader transition to SCA in October 2025, coupled with an SCA revenue-share grant to a CQI Development Fund, marks a significant structural reorientation of the certification revenue base toward processing education, grants, and membership programs.

Strategically, CQI is leveraging its 30th anniversary in 2026 to expand the Global Coffee Fund with a new dollar-for-dollar Matching Grant component, reactivate Coffee Corps with field-based and remote tracks, and execute partnership-led initiatives like the AFCA Coffee Safari in Guji, Ethiopia. CQI's customer base is broadly diversified across coffee producers and smallholders (primary), Q graders and processing professionals, educators and instructors, roasters/retailers/baristas, and ICPs, with no single customer accounting for a disclosed share of activity. The organization is controlled by a Board of Trustees and managed by CEO Michael Sheridan and Managing Director of Programs T.J. Ryan.

Name

Coffee Quality Institute

Legal name

Coffee Quality Institute

Website

https://coffeeinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that operates a global education, certification, and grading platform for the specialty coffee industry, delivering processing courses, Q Coffee evaluations, and grant programs through 40+ In-Country Partners across 40+ countries serving coffee producers, processors, and coffee professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee Quality Certification and Education

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Quality Management Systems (QMS) & ISO Training (ISO 9001/IATF/AS9100) (EDABAKAD)

Keywords

• Coffee quality certification
• Post-harvest processing education
• Q grading programs
• Specialty coffee training
• Nonprofit coffee standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Aliso Viejo

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

Revenue model

1. Education and Training Courses: CQI offers a progression of processing courses from introductory (100-level) to expert (400-level) with associated fees. Courses include Introduction to Processing ($105), Processing Generalist ($200), Processing Professional ($325), Processing Expert ($475), and various specialized courses.
2. CQI Insider Membership Program: Annual membership program at USD $100 providing networking event access, discounted admission to events, CQI Insider pin, digital badge, and early registration to CQI online talks.
3. Certification and Evaluation Services: Revenue generated through Q Coffee evaluations conducted at In-Country Partner locations, and certification processing fees.
4. Donations and Fundraising: CQI operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting donations through PayPal to support the Global Coffee Fund and mission activities.
5. Global Coffee Fund: CQI mobilizes funds ($500,000 target for 2026) including Project Awards (up to $100,000) and Matching Grants (up to $200,000) to support coffee quality education initiatives.
6. Luncheon Sponsorships: Annual Luncheon held during World of Coffee events generates sponsorship revenue from companies including Keurig Dr. Pepper, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Atlas Coffee Importers, Dunkin, Atlantic Specialty Coffee, Farmer Brothers Coffee, Mastercol, Masteroast, Nescafé, Pinhalense, Starbucks, and StoneX Specialty Coffee.
7. Merchandise Sales: CQI sells wearables and merchandise through Bonfire marketplace to support the organization and mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

CQI is a nonprofit organization that delivers standardized coffee quality certification and post-harvest processing education to producers and professionals across the global coffee value chain. Its core offerings are the Q Coffee System for quality evaluation, the Q Processing Program for processing certification, and a tiered curriculum of 100–400 level processing courses, delivered through a worldwide network of In-Country Partners and certified educators. The Q Grader Program is scheduled to transition to the Specialty Coffee Association in October 2025.

Product overview

Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) operates as a nonprofit organization offering a unified platform for coffee quality certification and education. The core offerings center on the Q Coffee System for coffee quality evaluation and certification, the Q Grader Program for professional evaluator certification, and the Q Processing Program for post-harvest processing certification. These are supported by a structured course portfolio ranging from introductory (Intro to Processing) through expert-level (Processing Expert) courses, all delivered through a global network of CQI Educators. The Global Coffee Fund provides grant and matching fund mechanisms to expand access to education, while programs like CQI Insider (membership), CQI Coffee Corps (volunteer), and the Annual Luncheon (event) engage the broader coffee community. The CQI Database platform manages certifications, course registrations, and evaluations. The portfolio operates as a platform-plus-programs model where the Q certification systems serve as the foundational framework, with educational courses and community programs designed to build capacity and support the certified professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Q Coffee System / Q Certification Comprehensive coffee quality evaluation and certification system that provides a standardized framework for assessing Arabica and Robusta coffees using industry-recognized protocols, enabling producers to verify and market their coffee quality.
• Q Grader Program Professional certification program for coffee quality evaluators that trains and certifies individuals to assess coffee quality using standardized cupping protocols through a 19-test process; management transitioned to SCA in October 2025.
• Q Processing Program Scientific and technical approach to post-harvest processing certification that improves quality, standardizes procedures, increases competitiveness, reduces risk, and creates a trustworthy system throughout the supply chain.
• Global Coffee Fund Grant and matching fund program that mobilizes investments to expand access to coffee quality education and benefit coffee-growing communities, including Project Awards and Matching Grants components.
• Intro to Processing (Course 105) 100-level, 5-hour online or one-day in-person class covering basic processing methods including history of coffee processing, harvesting methods, pre-cleaning measures, and standard post-harvest processing methods. Non-certificate course priced at $105.
• Processing Generalist (Course 200) 200-level short processing course for consuming countries that empowers coffee professionals (roasters, retailers, baristas) to understand processing methods and their impact on coffee flavor and chemistry; certificate awarded upon passing multiple-choice exam, priced at $200.
• Processing Professional (Course 325) 300-level six-day field-based certificate course deepening theoretical knowledge of processing methods, best practices, and hands-on experience with quality control systems; requires Processing Generalist as prerequisite, priced at $325.
• Processing Expert (Course 475) 400-level invitation-only year-long course for experienced processing professionals consisting of Remote Semester, in-person Field Intensive, and Capstone Project; requires Processing Professional certificate, priced at $475.
• CQI Insider Program Annual membership program at USD $100 offering networking event access, discounted admission to events, CQI Insider pin, digital badge, and early registration to CQI online talks.
• CQI Coffee Corps Volunteer program matching experienced coffee professionals with organizations working in coffee communities for peer-to-peer education on coffee quality, reactivated in 2026 with field-based and remote opportunities.
• CQI Database / Q Coffee Database Platform Online platform for managing certifications, course registrations, grading assignments, and Q Coffee evaluations, powered by Eximware and accessible at database.coffeeinstitute.org.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coffees scoring 86+ points command 2-4x the price of 79-point coffee
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• African Fine Coffee Association (AFCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026CQI partnered with AFCA for the Coffee Safari, an educational post-harvest processing trip during African Fine Coffee Week. The two-day field-based training at Lulo Farms in Guji, Ethiopia featured CQI's Post-Harvest Processing Good Practices course. The program was underwritten through the Global Coffee Fund.
• Idealist.comminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026CQI Coffee Corps volunteer applications are managed through Idealist.com account. The program was reactivated in 2026 for 30th anniversary celebrations.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2025SCA and CQI partnership evolved with two announcements at Specialty Coffee Expo Houston: Q Grader Program transitions from CQI to SCA starting October 1, 2025, based on SCA's Coffee Value Assessment framework. Additionally, SCA announced a grant agreement contributing a percentage of its annual education revenues to CQI's Development Fund.
• LallemandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLallemand partnered with CQI to develop the Coffee Fermentation: From Microbes to Flavors course, covering what the coffee industry needs to know about fermentation. Lallemand is a company specializing in yeast and bacteria products.
• TECNiCAFEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTECNiCAFE (Technological Innovation Park for Coffee) in Cauca, Colombia is a valued partner of CQI. CEO Javier Hoyos García serves as CQI Instructor since 2019 and was named CQI Educator of the Year 2026.
• In-Country Partners (40+ globally)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCQI works with In-Country Partners (ICPs) to provide local representation worldwide. ICPs provide Q evaluation services, host courses, and serve as ambassadors for CQI programs. Partners include Yunnan International Coffee Exchange (China), DMCC Coffee Centre (UAE), Taiwan Coffee Laboratory, Specialty Coffee Institute of Thailand, IHCAFE (Honduras), Anacafé (Guatemala), Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica, METAD (Ethiopia), Kenya Coffee Traders Association, and many others in 40+ countries.
• BonfireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBonfire fulfills CQI merchandise store orders. CQI sells wearables and merchandise through Bonfire to support the organization.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Rainforest Alliance: Major sustainability certification body for coffee (and other commodities); adjacent to CQI in certifying producer practices, though focused on sustainability rather than cup quality.
• International Coffee Organization (ICO): Intergovernmental body for coffee-producing and consuming countries; comparable as a global coffee standards and policy organization, though operating at a governmental rather than practitioner level.
• Fairtrade International: Operates the Fairtrade certification standard for coffee and other commodities; comparable as a globally recognized certification scheme benefiting producers, but with a different value proposition than cup-quality certification.
• National Coffee Association (NCA) USA: Long-standing US trade association for the coffee industry; broader remit than CQI, but overlaps on industry education, conventions (NCA Convention), and quality-related programming.

Others

• Lallemand: Yeast and bacteria specialist partnered with CQI to co-develop the Coffee Fermentation course; comparable as an enabling technology partner in coffee processing innovation rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE): Operates the Cup of Excellence competition and quality awards program, serving as a parallel quality-recognition platform for premium coffees—closely comparable to CQI's Q Coffee evaluation and certification work.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): The largest specialty coffee education and standards body globally; the most direct peer to CQI, and as of October 2025 it absorbed CQI's flagship Q Grader Program under its Coffee Value Assessment framework.
• World Coffee Research: Nonprofit agricultural research organization focused on coffee variety innovation and quality; comparable as a mission-driven, donor-supported entity advancing coffee quality through scientific programs.
• Global Coffee Platform: Multi-stakeholder sustainability initiative for the coffee sector; comparable to CQI as a global, producer-focused nonprofit advancing industry standards and capacity-building across origins.

Emerging players

• Coffee Science Foundation: Foundation focused on coffee science research and education; smaller and more research-oriented than CQI, but overlapping in advancing technical knowledge and quality standards in the specialty coffee community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thecqi
• Facebookfacebook.com/coffeeinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coffee-quality-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecqi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Coffee Quality Institute