Asbestos Removal Contractors Association

What Asbestos Removal Contractors Association does

The Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA) is a UK trade association founded in 1980 and headquartered in Burton Upon Trent, representing over 50% of the UK's licensed asbestos removal contractors through a membership of more than 200 contractor firms. It operates as the industry's principal standards body, delivering four unannounced site audits per member per year, publishing guidance, and providing direct representation to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), CITB, RSPH, and CSCS.

ARCA's core products span membership subscriptions, training courses (operative, supervisor, senior manager, and director programmes delivered across four UK training centres in Bristol, Leeds, Southampton, and Burton Upon Trent, plus remote and Saturday options), RSPH and NVQ qualifications (Levels 3 and 4), CSCS card issuance under the AMI Skills Card Scheme (over 6,000 cards issued cumulatively), and the ALFA workforce rating app (over 1,000 agency operatives registered). The technology stack includes an e-Learning hub (asbestoselearning.uk), a member portal, a mobile site-audit application, and a quarterly ARCA News magazine. Revenue is generated through annual membership subscriptions, course fees, qualification fees, additional paid site audits, and CSCS card issuance, with pricing not publicly disclosed and distributed across a fragmented base of UK and Ireland contractor members, commercial property owners, and domestic clients.

Name

Asbestos Removal Contractors Association

Legal name

Asbestos Removal Contractors Association

Website

https://arca.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ARCA is a UK trade association representing over 50% of licensed asbestos removal contractors, delivering membership, training, RSPH qualifications, CSCS cards, and site audits to 200+ member firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Compliance, Permitting & Project Management (HazMat Abatement) (BPALALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Asbestos, Lead & Mold Abatement (IMAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Asbestos removal training
• Trade association membership
• Contractor certification
• Health and safety compliance
• Asbestos site auditing

Headquarters

HQ city

Burton Upon Trent

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions for asbestos removal contractors and associated businesses. Includes access to member portal, site audits, and association benefits.
2. Training Courses: Fees for operative, supervisor, senior manager, and director training courses. Includes centre-based, remote, and Saturday training options.
3. Qualifications: Fees for RSPH qualifications including Level 3 Surveying, Level 3 Air Monitoring, Level 3 Dutyholders, Level 4 Contract Managers, and NVQ assessments.
4. Site Audits: Additional site audits beyond membership requirements, charged separately to members.
5. CSCS Cards: Issuance of CSCS cards for asbestos removal operatives, supervisors, and managers under the AMI Skills Card Scheme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ARCA is a UK trade association, founded in 1980, representing over 50% of the country's licensed asbestos removal contractors. It offers membership services, accredited training courses, qualifications, site audits, CSCS cards, e-Learning, the ALFA app for digital site records, a member portal, a knowledge base, industry awards, and a contractor directory to support licensed asbestos removal firms with compliance, training, and operational tools.

Product overview

ARCA (Asbestos Removal Contractors Association) is the UK's leading trade association representing licensed asbestos removal contractors. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of member services including membership with unannounced site audits (four per year), ARCA Training Courses (operative, supervisor, senior manager and director courses), ARCA Qualifications (NVQs and RSPH qualifications), CSCS card issuance under the AMI Skills Card Scheme, and the ARCA e-Learning Hub for online training. Additional offerings include the ARCA Site Audit Member Portal for performance management, the ALFA (Asbestos Labour Feedback App) for rating agency labour competence, the Find a Contractor Directory, and the quarterly ARCA News Magazine. The organization also provides the ARCA Gold Awards program recognizing excellence in training and site audits. ARCA partners with Assure360 for personal monitoring record keeping. The portfolio functions as a unified membership value proposition supporting compliance, training, and professional development across the licensed asbestos removal industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALFA (Asbestos Labour Feedback App): Performance rating application for asbestos labour, allowing members to rate agency operatives and track workforce performance.
• ARCA e-Learning Hub

Products and services

• ARCA Membership
• Training Courses
• Qualifications
• Site Audits
• CSCS Cards
• e-Learning
• ALFA App Digital application that captures and stores asbestos removal site records, supporting on-site documentation and compliance.
• Member Portal
• Knowledge Base
• ARCA Awards
• Contractor Directory Public directory listing ARCA-accredited asbestos removal contractors for use by clients and specifiers.

Quantifiable outcome

• ARCA members score 22% higher on average than non-accredited organisations in HSE research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mesothelioma UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025ARCA achieved Silver Corporate Partner status with Mesothelioma UK, supporting asbestos cancer research and patient support. Members raise funds for the charity through various initiatives.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCA joined the CITB Training Provider Network in 2025. CITB provides grants and funding for training. ARCA supports members with CITB funding applications and has claimed over £26,000 in grants for members.
• RSPH (Royal Society for Public Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCA delivers RSPH qualifications including Level 3 Surveying, Level 3 Air Monitoring, Level 3 Dutyholders, and Level 4 Contract Managers. ARCA received Centre of Excellence Award from RSPH in 2019.
• CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorARCA issues CSCS cards for asbestos removal operatives, supervisors, and managers under the AMI Skills Card Scheme. Over 6,000 cards issued.
• ATaC (Asbestos Testing and Consultancy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCA and ATaC co-host webinars on asbestos-related topics including cancer burden research. ATaC is a related organisation under ARCA's umbrella.
• AMI (Association of Asbestos Management Professionals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMI manages the Skills Card Scheme through which ARCA issues CSCS cards. ARCA supports AMI's Annual General Meeting and industry initiatives.
• Specialist Risk GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance partner providing coverage options for ARCA members.
• CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorARCA provides a streamlined application process for CHAS accreditation for members.
• Build UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCA joined Build UK in 2016, working together to promote exemplary standards in the construction industry.
• HSE (Health and Safety Executive)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSE is the regulator for asbestos removal licensing. ARCA works with HSE on licensing procedures, guidance development, and industry standards. Provides updates at regional meetings.
• Asbestos Information CICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the National Strategy Report for asbestos. ARCA participated in parliamentary launch of the strategy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme): UK-wide skills card scheme for construction workers. ARCA issues cards under CSCS via the AMI Skills Card Scheme; CSCS is the broader incumbent scheme that defines card issuance standards and creates the ecosystem ARCA operates in.
• Build UK: UK construction industry representative body that ARCA joined in 2016. Comparable as a trade/industry association for contractors, though with a broader construction remit than ARCA's asbestos focus.
• BOHS (British Occupational Hygiene Society): UK-based professional body for occupational hygienists, with overlap in air monitoring, hazardous materials exposure assessment, and qualification pathways that intersect with ARCA's RSPH Level 3 Air Monitoring qualification.
• CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme): UK-wide health and safety accreditation scheme for contractors. ARCA offers a streamlined CHAS application for members and competes in part with CHAS for accreditation-driven contractor credentials in the construction sector.
• IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health): The UK's leading professional body for occupational safety and health practitioners. IOSH serves a much broader remit than ARCA but is comparable as a membership-driven, training/qualification-focused safety association, and is a potential competitor for EHS training budgets.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board): Statutory training board for the UK construction industry that funds training and apprenticeships. ARCA joined the CITB Training Provider Network in 2025; CITB is a partner but also a much larger training-funding competitor with comparable grant programmes.

Direct peers

• UKATA (UK Asbestos Training Association): UK not-for-profit association for asbestos training providers and asbestos awareness training. Comparable as a UK trade association that accredits training organisations in the asbestos sector, making it a direct competitor to ARCA's training accreditation business.
• AMI (Association of Asbestos Management Professionals): UK association that manages the Skills Card Scheme under which ARCA issues CSCS cards. Direct peer in the asbestos management professional space and a Core strategic partner to ARCA.
• ATaC (Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association): Related UK trade association for asbestos analysts, surveyors, and consultants. Listed in ARCA's own data as a subsidiary/related organisation under ARCA's umbrella, making it the closest comparable peer in the UK asbestos professional services ecosystem.
• RSPH (Royal Society for Public Health): UK awarding body whose qualifications (Level 3 Surveying, Level 3 Air Monitoring, Level 3 Dutyholders, Level 4 Contract Managers) ARCA delivers under partnership. RSPH is both a strategic partner and a comparable awarding/qualification body.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ARCALtd
• Xx.com/arca_org_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asbestos-removal-contractors-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Asbestos Removal Contractors Association