QA Consulting

What QA Consulting does

QA Limited (trading as QA Consulting) is a UK-headquartered technology and digital training provider founded in 1984. The company delivers a multi-modal learning ecosystem combining instructor-led classroom and virtual training (MyQA), a self-paced online learning platform (Cloud Academy, operated via QA USA, Inc.), blended learning, and structured apprenticeship programmes from Level 3 to Level 6 degree apprenticeships across AI, cloud, cybersecurity, data, DevOps, digital marketing, IT, product, project management, and software development. It holds formal partner or accredited status with approximately 40 technology vendors and certification bodies (Microsoft, AWS, NVIDIA, Google Cloud, Databricks, BCS, ITIL, PRINCE2, CompTIA, Cisco, OffSec) and offers both certification exam preparation and proctored examination services.

The company operates four primary revenue streams: one-time sales of instructor-led courses (priced £260-£5,395 +VAT per seat), recurring self-paced e-learning subscriptions on the Cloud Academy platform, multi-year apprenticeship contracts (Apprenticeship Levy-funded in England, Skills Development Scotland-funded in Scotland), and enterprise managed services including Skills Licence subscriptions and bespoke Managed Learning Services. Pricing for instructor-led courses scales with duration, level, and certification body.

QA serves three customer segments: large corporate and enterprise clients (Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Centrica, Cognizant, Capgemini, Costa Coffee), UK public sector bodies (NHS England, Ministry of Justice, local councils, emergency services, education), and individual learners (including ELCAS-funded military service leavers). Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise field sales, inside sales, e-commerce/PLG via Cloud Academy, partner co-marketing, and an event-led demand generation programme. The company is privately held with no identified parent or institutional investors, and operates from a registered office in London with Americas headquarters in New York.

Name

QA Consulting

Legal name

QA Limited

Website

https://consulting.qa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

QA Limited is a UK-headquartered technology and digital training provider delivering instructor-led, self-paced, and apprenticeship programmes across AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and data to over 7,000 enterprises, public sector bodies, and individual learners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Technology Training & Education

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

QA, Test Automation & Software Quality (Manual/Automated Testing, Performance) (EDABAFAL)

Keywords

• Technology training services
• Professional certification courses
• Apprenticeship programmes
• Cloud skills training
• Cybersecurity training

Headquarters

HQ city

Slough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Instructor-Led Course Sales: One-time purchase model for instructor-led classroom or virtual courses. Individual courses range from £260 to £5,395 +VAT depending on duration, level, and certification. Includes Agile, AI, Cloud, Cyber Security, Data, Leadership, Project Management, Software Development courses.
2. Self-Paced Learning Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to the Cloud Academy online learning library providing unlimited access to technology content. Includes individual course purchases for specific certification preparation.
3. Apprenticeship Services: Apprenticeship programs for employers ranging from Level 3 to Level 6, including degree apprenticeships. Duration 12-42 months covering AI, Cloud, Cyber Security, Data, DevOps, Digital Marketing, IT, Product, Project Management, Software Development.
4. Managed Learning Services: Tailored programmatic learning at scale including custom courses, labs, and learning paths for enterprise clients. Skills Licence for organizations requiring flexible training access.
5. Certification & Exam Fees: Partnership with certification bodies (AWS, Microsoft, BCS, ITIL, PRINCE2, Cisco, CompTIA, etc.) to deliver certification exam preparation and proctored examination services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

QA Consulting provides technology and digital skills training services through instructor-led classroom and virtual courses, self-paced online learning via the Cloud Academy platform, blended learning experiences, and structured apprenticeship programmes. The portfolio spans AI, Cloud, Cyber Security, Data, DevOps, Agile, Leadership, Project Management and Software Development, with vendor certification preparation for AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, NVIDIA and approximately 40 other partners, plus enterprise Skills Licence subscriptions and Managed Learning Services for large organisations and UK public sector bodies.

Product overview

QA Consulting operates as a technology and digital training provider offering a multi-modal learning ecosystem consisting of instructor-led classroom/virtual training via MyQA, self-paced online learning through Cloud Academy, and blended learning experiences combining both modalities. The portfolio includes structured apprenticeship programs across technology domains (AI, Cloud, Cyber Security, Data, DevOps, Software Development), professional certification preparation, TAP Learning trainer development programs, and enterprise services including Skills Licence subscriptions and Managed Learning Services. The company partners with approximately 40 technology and certification providers including Microsoft, AWS, Google, NVIDIA, and others to deliver vendor-certified training content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cloud Academy: Self-paced online learning platform operated by QA USA, Inc. (formerly Cloud Academy, Inc.) offering technology and digital skills courses.
• QA Higher Education

Products and services

• Instructor-led Learning (MyQA) In-person or virtual classroom training delivered by QA's 450+ in-house experts, offering scheduled courses across technology, digital and human skills.
• Online Learning Platform (Cloud Academy) Self-paced digital learning platform providing unlimited subscription access to QA's technology content library, including video courses, learning paths and hands-on labs.
• Blended Learning Experience Combines instructor-led and self-paced modalities in one seamless experience, allowing learners to switch between classroom and online learning.
• Apprenticeships

Quantifiable outcome

• Ofsted 'Good' rating in all aspects for apprenticeship provision
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft partnership providing Azure, Microsoft 365, and Copilot training. Microsoft Copilot training and certification preparation. Joint case study on Microsoft Copilot early adoption. Microsoft Azure certification courses from AZ-900 to AZ-104 and beyond.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationAdvanced AWS partner offering AWS certification preparation. Courses include Architecting on AWS, AWS Certified AI Practitioner, FinOps Practitioner, and AWS Cloud Support Specialist apprenticeships.
• NVIDIAcoreTechnology or IntegrationNVIDIA accelerated training and apprenticeships for AI skills. NVIDIA AI Engineer Level 6 apprenticeship. Joint NVIDIA x QA training initiatives for building secure, scalable AI solutions.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Cloud training partner providing GCP certification preparation including Professional Data Engineer exam preparation.
• DatabrickscoreTechnology or IntegrationDatabricks partnership providing data engineering and AI training. Featured trending skills partner. Databricks Engineer Level 5 apprenticeship.
• CompTIAcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorised CompTIA Platinum training partner providing CompTIA certification courses.
• BCScoreTechnology or IntegrationBCS Accredited Training Partner offering BCS certification courses including BCS Essential Certificate in AI, BCS Business Analysis certifications, and BCS diplomas.
• ITILcoreTechnology or IntegrationITIL certification provider offering ITIL 4 Foundation, Specialist, Leader, and Strategist courses. ITIL 5 Version 5 training for digital and AI-driven environments.
• PRINCE2coreTechnology or IntegrationAPMG-approved PRINCE2 training partner offering PRINCE2 Agile, PRINCE2 7 Foundation and Practitioner courses.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationCisco training partner providing networking and infrastructure certification preparation.
• SAFe (Scaled Agile)coreTechnology or IntegrationSAFe partner providing AI-Empowered SAFe and SAFe for Teams training. Platinum partner status.
• APM (Association for Project Management)coreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial training provider of APM offering APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) and APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ).
• APMGcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial APMG training partner providing Agile Project Management, Change Management, and MSP certifications.
• OffSeccoreTechnology or IntegrationOffSec training partner providing PEN-200 (OSCP) cybersecurity certification courses.
• ICAgilecoreTechnology or IntegrationICAgile training partner offering Agile Fundamentals (ICP), Foundations of AI (ICP-FAI), and Product Management (ICP-PDM) certifications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Firebrand Training: UK-headquartered accelerated IT training provider offering vendor certification courses via intensive bootcamp-style delivery. Same UK enterprise and public-sector buyer base as QA and overlapping vendor certification portfolio.
• Udemy Business: Self-paced enterprise learning marketplace competing for the same L&D budget as QA's Cloud Academy. Strong in software development, cloud, data, and AI content with broad multi-language coverage.
• Pluralsight: Direct competitor in technology skills training with a self-paced platform (Pluralsight Skills) plus instructor-led and assessment products. Competes head-on with QA in cloud, AI, cybersecurity, and software development certification prep, especially with enterprise buyers.
• Learning Tree International: Long-established instructor-led IT training provider with similar course catalogue across cloud, cybersecurity, Agile, and project management. Closest comparable to QA in business model—classroom/virtual courses plus enterprise contracts.
• Global Knowledge: Global IT and professional skills training provider delivering vendor-authorised courses (AWS, Cisco, Microsoft) via classroom and virtual modalities. Directly comparable to QA on enterprise IT training scope and delivery model.
• Coursera for Business: Enterprise arm of Coursera offering courses, Specializations, and credentials from top universities and tech vendors. Directly competes with QA on AI, cloud, data, and cybersecurity upskilling for corporate buyers.

Broad incumbents

• General Assembly (Adecco): Workforce reskilling provider (now part of Adecco's LHH) offering bootcamps and enterprise programs in data, software engineering, and digital marketing. Comparable buyer segment (corporate L&D) but with a heavier bootcamp orientation than QA.
• Skillsoft: Large incumbent enterprise learning provider covering technology, leadership, and compliance training through Skillsoft CAISY, Percipio, and Codecademy/Codefinity. Overlaps with QA on tech and digital skills content, but offers a much broader catalogue across human and compliance topics.
• Kaplan (Kaplan UK): Diversified education and training group with UK IT/digital and apprenticeship offerings through Kaplan Financial, Kaplan Altior, and partnerships. Comparable apprenticeship and professional training revenue mix to QA.

Emerging players

• Netskope / SANS Institute (cybersecurity training comparison): SANS Institute is a cybersecurity training specialist with deep instructor-led and GIAC certification programs; relevant partial competitor to QA's cyber security portfolio. Listed as adjacent given QA's cybersecurity is one course category rather than its core focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qa-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 QA Consulting