International Life Saving Federation

Name

International Life Saving Federation

Legal name

International Life Saving Federation

Website

https://ilsf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Health, Trauma Care & Public Health Response (BPAGAAAF)

Keywords

• Drowning prevention
• Lifesaving sport
• Water safety standards
• Lifeguard certification
• Aquatic rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Leuven

HQ country

Belgium

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 Dues: National lifesaving organizations pay membership dues to join ILS. The federation has grown to 166 member federations across Full Members, Associate Members, and Corresponding Members categories.
2. Event Registration Fees: ILS generates revenue through registration fees for Lifesaving World Championships (LWC), Masters Championships, World Games participation, and World Masters Games inclusion.
3. Training Materials and Certification: ILS provides certification programs, instructor courses, and training materials through member federations. The Academy section offers educational resources for lifesaving professionals.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) is a non-profit international federation headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, that globally coordinates drowning prevention efforts and lifesaving sport. It develops water safety standards, hosts the Lifesaving World Championships and World Conference on Drowning Prevention, delivers ILS certification and training programs, and represents 166 national member federations across Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

Product overview

The International Life Saving Federation operates a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on drowning prevention and competitive lifesaving. Core offerings include the biennial Lifesaving World Championships (LWC), the World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP), and the annual World Drowning Prevention Day (WDPD). Supporting infrastructure includes the ILS Academy for professional training, ILS Certification Programs for international credential recognition, and the ILS Library for research resources. The LWC Results Database provides historical competition records. The federation also coordinates lifesaving sport participation in The World Games Series. The Patrons Program engages distinguished supporters including former heads of state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 166 national federations served globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and flagship.

• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026ILS joined the WHO Global Alliance for Drowning Prevention in May 2026. The UN Resolution invites WHO to assist Member States in drowning prevention efforts and coordinate actions within the UN system. ILS commits to working in partnership with WHO, UN specialized agencies including UNICEF, and other organizations to raise awareness and increase global drowning prevention action.
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026ILS joins WADA in championing clean, fair, and doping-free sport. ILS supports Play True Day (April 17) and promotes anti-doping education and awareness among its athletes, coaches, and national federations. WADA's 2026 theme 'Play True – It Starts With You' encourages all participants to foster doping-free environments.
• The Princess Charlene of Monaco FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2026The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation provided exceptional support enabling the Japan Lifesaving Association to implement its first Water Safety Program for children in Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia. The foundation's support focuses on initiatives within Japan and enabled this pilot project in the Asia-Pacific region.
• World Conference on Drowning Prevention 2029 BiddersminorOthers · 23 December 2025ILS issued an invitation to bid for the rights to host the World Conference on Drowning Prevention 2029 (WCDP 2029). Bid submissions due June 15, 2026.
• United NationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2021The first-ever UN Resolution on Global Drowning Prevention (A/75/L.76) was passed at the UN General Assembly's 75th session on April 28, 2021. Proposed by Bangladesh and Ireland and co-sponsored by over 25 member states. The resolution proclaims July 25 as World Drowning Prevention Day and invites WHO to coordinate drowning prevention actions within the UN system.
• International Military Sports Council (CISM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017ILS is recognized by CISM and lifesaving sport is part of the Military World Championships program. The ILS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CISM in 2017. CISM has 120 defense force member countries and organizes around 20 world championships annually.
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 1996ILS received recognition from IOC in July 1996 at the 105th session in Atlanta. ILS is a full and voting member of ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations). This recognition establishes ILS as the governing body for lifesaving sport internationally.
• International World Games Association (IWGA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS lifesaving sport is included in The World Games program. Lifesaving was introduced as a World Games sport at the 1985 World Games in London. Lifesaving events at TWG 2022 were held in Birmingham, Alabama, and TWG 2025 in Chengdu, China.
• Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNLI, a UK lifesaving charity and ILS Associate Member, was a driving force in support of the UN Resolution on Drowning Prevention. ILS acknowledges RNLI's leadership and thanks them for their tireless efforts in achieving UN recognition.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• World Health Organization (WHO): UN specialized agency that partnered with ILS on the 2021 UN Resolution and the Global Alliance for Drowning Prevention; comparable as a multilateral institution shaping global health policy and is ILS's principal institutional partner for scaling drowning-prevention programming.
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR): UN system entity coordinating disaster risk reduction, including flood and water-related hazards that ILS addresses through water-safety programming; comparable as a multilateral institution ILS engages through UN drowning-prevention policy frameworks.
• Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation: Foundation focused on water safety and drowning prevention that funds ILS member-federation water-safety programs (e.g., Micronesia pilot); operates as a complementary funder and advocacy partner in the same drowning-prevention mission space.

Broad incumbents

• World Aquatics (FINA): International federation governing aquatic sports including swimming, water polo, and open water; shares IOC recognition and an aquatic-sport ecosystem with ILS, and represents the closest Olympic-aligned peer in the broader water-safety category.
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): UK maritime rescue charity that was instrumental in supporting the UN Drowning Prevention Resolution; operates overlapping water-safety and rescue missions and is an ILS Associate Member with comparable global drowning-prevention advocacy.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Global humanitarian network that, like ILS, delivers first aid, rescue training, and disaster response through a federated national-society model; comparable in membership structure, UN/WHO engagement, and volunteer-driven service delivery.

Direct peers

• Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK): UK-based lifesaving and drowning prevention organization that is itself an ILS member federation; operates comparable certification, training, and water-safety education programs and is one of ILS's most established national counterparts.
• Lifesaving Society Canada: Canadian national ILS member federation offering comparable lifeguard certification, swim training, and water-safety public education; represents the typical national federation structure ILS federates across the Americas.
• Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA): Australia's peak coastal lifesaving body and one of ILS's largest member federations; runs comparable surf rescue, lifeguard training, and competitive lifesaving sport programs and exemplifies the national-federation distribution model ILS coordinates globally.
• International Surfing Association (ISA): IOC-recognized international federation governing surfing that co-delivers the ISA/ILS Surf and SUP Water Safety Course; operates a comparable IOC/ARISF-aligned governance model and shares the open-water discipline overlap with ILS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ils_life_saving
• Facebookfacebook.com/ILSForg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-lifesaving-federation---european-region

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Life Saving Federation