IHBC

What IHBC does

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) is the UK's lead specialist professional body for historic building conservation practitioners. Registered as a charity in England and Wales (No.1061593) and Scotland (No.SC041945), and constituted as a Company Limited by Guarantee (No.3333780), IHBC operates from Jubilee House in Tisbury, Wiltshire. It serves architects, surveyors, engineers, archaeologists, and conservation specialists through individual membership conferring the IHBC post-nominal, and serves heritage service businesses through the HESPR (Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition) register, which functions as a quality-assured business directory with Designated Service Advisers. The institute also serves property owners, developers, local authorities, and homeowners seeking accredited conservation expertise.

IHBC's core offerings include the HESPR searchable directory (68 listed businesses across conservation, planning, archaeology, and climate adaptation), the IHBC Toolbox (research and guidance notes), the Climate Change Hub, the Conservation Wiki hosted on Designing Buildings Wiki, and the IHBC-branded laminated edition of BS 7913 'Guide to the Conservation of Historic Buildings'. The platform is supported by approximately 30,000 website pages attracting around 200,000 monthly visits, a daily NewsBlogs platform, and a 5,000+ circulation Yearbook. The institute operates 13 regional branches across the UK and runs flagship Annual Schools (Swansea2023, Reading2024, Shrewsbury2025, Newcastle2026, Bristol2027).

IHBC generates revenue through four primary streams: recurring individual membership subscriptions (£3.08 per week / £160+ annually), tiered HESPR business subscriptions (£145–£1,300 per year plus a £50 application fee), publications and standards sales (including BS 7913 at £112), and events and CPD programmes. Commercial operations are housed in wholly-owned subsidiary IHBC Enterprises Ltd. The institute has signed Memoranda of Understanding with CIfA (May 2016), COTAC (February 2018), ALGAO UK (June 2020), and ICOMOS-UK (April 2024), and maintains partnerships with BSI, the Climate Heritage Network, and Fit for the Future.

Name

IHBC

Legal name

Institute of Historic Building Conservation

Website

https://ihbc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IHBC is the UK's lead specialist professional body and registered charity for historic building conservation practitioners, serving individual professionals, heritage businesses, and clients through membership accreditation, the HESPR business directory, publications, and annual schools across 13 regional branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Heritage Conservation Membership Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Historical Sites (71212)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Historic Home Renovation & Preservation (HSAPAEAG)

Keywords

• Historic building conservation
• Professional membership body
• Heritage services directory
• Conservation accreditation
• Continuing professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tisbury

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: IHBC generates revenue primarily through membership subscriptions. IHBC membership costs £3.08 per week (£13.33 per month). Membership tiers include Supporter (free trial via CIfA/COTAC partnership), Full Member (with post-nominals IHBC), and various categories with associated benefits including CPD access, HESPR directory listings, and publications.
2. HESPR Subscriptions: Historic Environment Service Providers' Recognition (HESPR) is a subscription service for businesses working in historic environment conservation. Tiered by organisation size from £145 (Tier 1, micro) to £1,300 (Tier 5, very large) per year, plus a non-returnable £50 application fee. Includes web listing, tender notification service, and Yearbook publication.
3. Publications and Standards Sales: IHBC sells publications including its IHBC-branded BS 7913 laminated standard (Guide to the Conservation of Historic Buildings) at £112 plus £8 UK p&p, Context journal, Yearbook, and member publications. Also offers Conservation Professional Practice Principles and other guidance documents.
4. Events and CPD: Revenue generated from Annual Schools (e.g., Newcastle2026, Swansea2023), course connection days, and CPD provider accreditation. The Virtual School for #IHBCReading2024 was offered from £30+VAT for online attendance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) is the UK's lead specialist professional body for historic building conservation practitioners. It sells individual professional memberships conferring the IHBC post-nominal, runs the HESPR (Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition) subscription directory of approved heritage service businesses, hosts Annual Schools and CPD events, and publishes conservation standards and journals including the IHBC-branded BS 7913 laminated guide.

Product overview

IHBC is a professional membership body (not a software product company) offering a portfolio of services for historic building conservation practitioners. Core offerings include HESPR (a searchable business directory for heritage service providers), the IHBC Toolbox (research and guidance resources), Climate Change Hub (sustainability resources), publications (Context, Yearbook, BS 7913), CPD/learning programs, and Annual Schools (conferences). These are knowledge resources and membership services, not software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HESPR: Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition - a quality assurance scheme for commercial heritage services
• Climate Change Hub

Products and services

• IHBC Membership Annual subscription membership for individual conservation practitioners priced at £3.08 per week (£13.33 per month), conferring IHBC post-nominals, CPD access, and HESPR eligibility.
• HESPR (Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition) Subscription-based recognition scheme for heritage service provider businesses, tiered by organisation size from £145 (Tier 1, micro) to £1,300 (Tier 5, very large) per year, plus a £50 application fee.
• IHBC Annual Schools Annual conference-style events held regionally (e.g., Newcastle2026, Swansea2023, Reading2024), combining lectures, practical skill-shares, networking, and the IHBC Marsh Awards.
• IHBC Publications Paid publications including the Context journal, IHBC Yearbook (5,000+ circulation), Membership Matters newsletter, and the IHBC-branded BS 7913 laminated standard at £112 + £8 UK p&p.
• IHBC Toolbox Online resource portal hosting guidance notes, research notes, standards and guidelines, and self-starter tools for conservation practice.
• CPD and Learning Programmes Continuing professional development courses, IHBC-recognised courses, MATE accreditation support, and the CPD provider registry serving conservation practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• IHBC website receives ~200,000 page visits per month; HESPR pages receive 7,000+ hits per month; Yearbook has 5,000+ circulation.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Council on Monuments and Sites UK (ICOMOS-UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2024MoU signed on 3rd April 2024 between IHBC Chair David McDonald and ICOMOS-UK President Clara Arokiasamy OBE. Establishes closer ties and cooperation in the field of heritage conservation. Both organisations intend to work co-operatively to promote conservation and interdisciplinary conservation professionals. Commitments include regular informal meetings, complementarity in work, cooperation on key events and marketing, and increasing mutual awareness of roles. First major activity: ICOMOS-UK conference on retrofit in Liverpool, 17 June.
• Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers (ALGAO) UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2020MoU signed on 24 June 2020. Underpins joined-up support for developing high-quality skills and learning environments for archaeologists and conservation professionals; promoting good practice in Local Authority Historic Environment and Conservation Services; influencing legislation and policy; and securing investment in areas of common interest.
• Council on Training in Architectural Conservation (COTAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2018MoU signed in London on 21 February 2018. Both organisations affirm operational and ethical ties to ICOMOS 1993 training guidelines. Strategic commitments include annual representative meetings, cross-publication of articles, IHBC business planning support, online conservation training, mutually discounted member rates, and developing a standard for BIM for conservation practice. COTAC members can join IHBC free for one year.
• Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2016MoU signed in London on 12 May 2016. Inspired reciprocal offers of 1-year free taster memberships between organisations, as well as universal member rates to events for both organisations' members. CIfA members can join IHBC free for one year under this agreement.
• Fit for the Future (FftF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIHBC is a member and active participant of Fit for the Future, an environmental sustainability network facilitating knowledge-sharing across organisations on decarbonisation and climate adaptation.
• Climate Heritage Network (CHN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIHBC is a member and active participant of the Climate Heritage Network, which brings the power of arts, culture, and heritage to climate action.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Historic England: The UK government's statutory advisor on the historic environment; publishes guidance used by IHBC members, runs its own training, and operates Good Practice Advice notes — providing a parallel (non-membership) source of authoritative conservation guidance.
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA): The UK's chartered professional body for architects; RIBA offers its own accreditation, CPD, specialist registers, and policy advocacy that overlap with IHBC's conservation-architect membership base and compete for the same CPD and accreditation spend.
• National Trust for England and Wales: Major heritage owner-operator and listed as a past HESPR tender issuer; while not a professional body, it operates in-house conservation teams and publishes guidance that competes for attention with IHBC's Toolbox and publications.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Global chartered body for surveying professionals, including those working on heritage assets; its accreditation, CPD, and Red Book standards overlap with IHBC's surveyor members and offer an alternative home for built-environment professionals.

Direct peers

• Council on Training in Architectural Conservation (COTAC): Specialist body aligned with ICOMOS 1993 training guidelines; IHBC's 2018 MoU partner, providing parallel conservation training and accreditation pathways that overlap with IHBC's learning, recognised-courses, and CPD programmes.
• Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings (ASCHB): Academic and practitioner association focused on the study and conservation of historic buildings; runs conferences and publications that overlap with IHBC's Annual Schools and Context journal as touchpoints for conservation professionals.
• Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB): Founded 1877 to champion traditional building repair; runs CPD courses (Lime Days, Repair Days) and publishes technical guidance on traditional building care, overlapping directly with IHBC's Toolbox, CPD, and conservation practitioner audience.
• International Council on Monuments and Sites UK (ICOMOS-UK): UK national committee of the global ICOMOS heritage body; IHBC's 2024 MoU partner, providing international heritage policy reach and overlapping on conservation philosophy, training guidelines, and policy advocacy.
• Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA): UK chartered body for archaeologists with whom IHBC holds a 2016 MoU and reciprocal 1-year free trial membership; serves an overlapping heritage professional audience and operates a parallel accreditation and standards framework.

Emerging players

• Building Conservation Directory: Long-running UK directory and information service for products, services, and courses in building conservation; overlaps with HESPR as a discovery tool for clients sourcing heritage service providers and suppliers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IHBCtweet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Institute-of-Historic-Building-Conservation/130283247052771?ref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3297985

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 IHBC