Institute for Human Resource Professionals

What Institute for Human Resource Professionals does

Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) is Singapore's nationally designated HR professional body, established in 2014 as a tripartite initiative by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). The organization administers a four-tier HR certification framework (IHRP Certified Associate, Certified Professional, Senior Professional, and Master Professional by invitation), backs it with the Body of Competencies (BOC) national standards framework, and publishes diagnostic and transformation tooling including the Human Capital Diagnostic Tool (HCDT), the Job Redesign Evaluation Tool, and the Job Redesign Centre of Excellence (JRCoE) operated in partnership with Workforce Singapore. Core technology infrastructure is concentrated in the IHRP Connect digital platform, which hosts the public Certification Registry and serves as the operational backbone for member services, recertification tracking, and course enrollment.

The organization generates revenue through four streams: certification and recertification fees across its four tiers (annual subscription model), Corporate Partner Programme membership fees from enterprises, government agency support fees for national workforce development mandates including SkillsFuture and JRCoE programs with Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore, and SkillsFuture-approved skills badge and course transaction fees. Customer segmentation is hybrid: individual HR professionals are served via self-serve certification and course enrollment, enterprises via direct sales through the Corporate Partner Programme (with named logos including DHL, UPS, Igloo, and NUS), and Singapore government agencies via managed services arrangements. Distribution is exclusively domestic (Singapore), supported by a marketing stack spanning the ih rp.sg website, IHRP Connect portal, social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), published playbooks, and an event-driven go-to-market comprising workshops and webinars.

IHRP is structured as Institute for Human Resource Professionals Limited, a private non-profit governed by its tripartite founders; it is not publicly traded and discloses no funding rounds or external investment. Operating headcount is in the 11-50 range, anchored in Singapore with no disclosed international offices. Current leadership comprises CEO Aslam Sardar (appointed September 2022) and Deputy CEO Shirley Lim (on secondment from Workforce Singapore, February 2025 to January 2027), with functional heads across Professional Practices & Certification, Assessment & Insights, Finance, People & Admin, and a CIO leading transformation and digital strategy.

Name

Institute for Human Resource Professionals

Legal name

Institute for Human Resource Professionals Limited

Website

https://ihrp.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) is Singapore's tripartite-backed national HR professional body, delivering tiered HR certification, competency standards, job redesign services, and human capital diagnostic tools to HR professionals, enterprises, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Professional Certification Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Core HR & HRIS (BPACAPAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

HR Technology (HRIS/HCM) Advisory & Implementation (BPAHAGAG)

Keywords

• HR professional certification
• Human capital development
• Workforce transformation services
• Job redesign consulting
• HR competency frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HR Certification Fees: Fees collected from HR professionals for certification (IHRP-CA, IHRP-CP, IHRP-SP, IHRP-MP tiers) and recertification processes
2. Corporate Partner Programme: Annual partnership fees from organizations joining the Corporate Partner Programme for exclusive benefits and HR best practice access
3. Government Agency Support: Funding and program management fees from Singapore government agencies for national workforce development initiatives including SkillsFuture and SkillsFuture Singapore
4. Skills Badge and Course Fees: Fees associated with skills badges and approved courses under the HR certification framework

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IHRP is Singapore's nationally authorized HR professional body that delivers a tiered HR certification framework (IHRP-CA, IHRP-CP, IHRP-SP, IHRP-MP), the Body of Competencies standards framework, workforce transformation services through the Job Redesign Centre of Excellence, and the Human Capital Diagnostic Tool for organizational assessment. Its offerings also include the IHRP Connect digital platform, SkillsFuture-aligned Skills Badges and Courses, the Corporate Partner Programme for organizational membership, and the IHRP Playbooks resource library for HR best practices.

Product overview

Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) offers a unified portfolio of HR professional development and certification products anchored by the national IHRP Certification framework (IHRP-CA, IHRP-CP, IHRP-SP, IHRP-MP tiers). The ecosystem includes the Body of Competencies (BOC) as the foundational standards framework, supported by tools including the Human Capital Diagnostic Tool (HCDT) for organizational assessment and the Job Redesign Centre of Excellence (JRCoE) for workforce transformation. Digital access is provided through IHRP Connect, while supplementary offerings include Skills Badge & Courses (SkillsFuture-aligned), IHRP Playbooks (practical toolkits), and the Corporate Partner Programme for organizational membership. The overall architecture is platform-plus-modules: a certification core backed by BOC, with specialized tools and resources as integrated components for different user segments (individuals, organizations, community).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IHRP Certification: National HR certification framework with tiers: IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA), IHRP Certified Professional (IHRP-CP), IHRP Senior Professional (IHRP-SP)
• IHRP Connect
• Job Redesign Centre of Excellence (JRCoE)
• Human Capital Diagnostic Tool (HCDT)
• Body of Competencies (BOC)
• IHRP Master Professional (IHRP-MP)

Products and services

• IHRP Certification

Quantifiable outcome

• National HR certification framework implemented across Singapore
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Manpower (MOM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTripartite founding partner that established IHRP to professionalize HR practice in Singapore. MOM provides ongoing support for national HR initiatives and certification framework implementation.
• National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTripartite founding partner representing Singapore's labour movement. NTUC collaborates on workforce development and fair employment practices.
• Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTripartite founding partner representing employers. SNEF supports IHRP's mission to elevate HR professional standards.
• Workforce Singapore (WSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency partnering with IHRP for the Job Redesign Centre of Excellence (JRCoE), a one-stop hub for workforce transformation through job redesign.
• SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency supporting IHRP's enhanced subsidy for HR certification and alignment with national skills frameworks.
• Singapore Business Federation (SBF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber of commerce partner supporting business network and HR best practice dissemination.
• Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHR professional institute partner for thought leadership and HR community engagement.
• Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SM Federation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerManufacturing industry association partner for JRCoE ecosystem.
• Singapore Furniture Industries Association (SFMA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrade association partner for industry-specific HR and job redesign support.
• Singapore Chamber of Commerce (SCCCI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerChinese chamber partner for business community outreach.
• National University of Singapore (NUS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademic institution partner for HR education and professional development.
• Temasek Polytechnic (TP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPolytechnic partner for HR education and skills development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): SHRM is the largest HR professional membership body in the United States, offering the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications that are the closest international analog to IHRP's four-tier certification framework. Both organizations monetize HR professional certification, continuing education, and resources for HR practitioners and corporate HR functions.
• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): CIPD is the UK-based chartered professional body for HR and people development, offering tiered HR credentials, body of competency standards, and professional membership. Its nationally mandated role mirrors IHRP's tripartite-backed Singapore mandate, making it the most structurally comparable peer.
• Australian HR Institute (AHRI): AHRI is Australia's national HR professional association offering the AHRI Certified HR Professional credential, competency standards, and corporate accreditation. As a regional professional body in Asia-Pacific, it is a relevant peer for benchmarking IHRP's certification approach.
• Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI): SHRI is a Singapore-based HR professional institute listed as an IHRP ecosystem partner. It serves overlapping HR professional audiences in Singapore, making it the closest domestic peer for membership and HR community engagement.

Regional players

• Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM): HKIHRM is the regional HR professional body for Hong Kong, offering IHRP-equivalent membership and professional development for HR practitioners. It is highly comparable in structure and is also listed as a potential mutual-recognition partner on IHRP's international recognition page.

Broad incumbents

• Association for Talent Development (ATD): ATD is the largest international professional association for talent development practitioners, offering certifications (CPLP, APTD) and learning resources that overlap with IHRP's skills badge/course offerings and workforce transformation focus.
• Mercer: Mercer is a global consulting firm offering HR advisory, workforce transformation, and human capital consulting services that overlap with IHRP's JRCoE and HCDT advisory offerings to enterprise clients.

Others

• World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA): WFPMA is the global federation of national HR associations, of which IHRP is a member affiliate. It is relevant as the umbrella body under which IHRP's international recognition ambitions operate.

Emerging players

• Coursera: Coursera offers HR-related professional certificates and specializations (including from SHRM and other providers) that compete with IHRP's skills badge and course offerings for individual HR professional upskilling spend in Singapore.
• LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning provides on-demand HR and people management courses with globally recognized completion certificates, representing a digital alternative to IHRP's certification-adjacent skills badge ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@instituteforhumanresourcep8048
• Facebookfacebook.com/IHRPsg
• LinkedInsg.linkedin.com/company/ihrp
• Instagraminstagram.com/ihrpsg/?hl=en
• Xx.com/IHRPsg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Human Resource Professionals