Portable Appliance Safety Services

What Portable Appliance Safety Services does

Portable Appliance Safety Services Limited (PASS Ltd) is a UK-based vocational training and test equipment company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Stockton-on-Tees. It delivers over 80 accredited courses spanning electrical, high voltage, gas, plumbing, pressure and steam, thermography, and ultrasound disciplines, primarily leading to City & Guilds, LCL Awards, and ITC First qualifications. Customers range from individual trade professionals and career changers to enterprise teams in sectors including electrical contracting, offshore wind, and construction; pricing is per-course (typically £175–£1,650, ex-VAT) with a £125 deposit option, and bespoke business training is available on-site, at PASS venues, or internationally. ELCAS accreditation (Provider No. 3388) extends reach to armed forces personnel.

The company's underlying platform is a venue-based training operation: 13 owned/operated training centres across the UK (Aldershot, Birmingham, Chesterfield, Gateshead, Gloucester, Hamilton, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Newcastle, Stevenage, Stockton-on-Tees, Watford), supported by expert tutors with on-the-tools experience and hands-on practical facilities. Course content is kept current with UK regulatory changes such as BS 7671 Amendment 4 and IET Code of Practice updates. The business holds ISO 9001 and Maritime Coastguard Agency approvals.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) training course fees (professional services, unit pricing per enrolment), (2) test equipment and tool sales via the tester.co.uk e-commerce platform offering 20,000+ products from brands including Fluke, Megger, FLIR, Seaward, and Mitutoyo (hardware sales), and (3) calibration services for test instruments (professional services). Distribution is direct via the website, phone, and enquiry forms, with same-day dispatch and multi-centre collection for hardware. The company completed one acquisition, GES Ltd (June 2024), expanding its gas training capability and adding the Stevenage centre.

Name

Portable Appliance Safety Services

Legal name

Portable Appliance Safety Services Limited

Website

https://pass.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Portable Appliance Safety Services (PASS Ltd) is a UK-based vocational training and test equipment provider, founded in 2001, delivering 80+ accredited electrical, gas, high voltage, and thermography courses across 13 training centres to trade professionals and enterprise teams, supplemented by test instrument sales and calibration services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Trade Training and Test Equipment

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM), Test, Measurement & Lab Equipment Retail (CRACAKAH)

Keywords

• Vocational training courses
• Test equipment supply
• Calibration services
• Electrical safety training
• Gas safety training

Headquarters

HQ city

Thornaby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Training Courses: PASS Ltd generates revenue primarily through delivering accredited vocational training courses across multiple trade disciplines. Courses are offered at various price points from £175 to £1,650, with typical durations ranging from 1 to 6 days. They provide City & Guilds and LCL Awards accredited qualifications.
2. Test Equipment Sales: The company sells test equipment including thermal cameras, multimeters, PAT testers, flue gas analysers, and other measurement instruments through their tester.co.uk platform. They offer over 20,000 instruments, books, and tools from leading brands such as Fluke, Megger, FLIR, Seaward, and Mitutoyo.
3. Calibration Services: PASS Ltd provides calibration services for test equipment, supporting their equipment sales business and providing an ongoing service revenue stream for their customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Portable Appliance Safety Services Limited (PASS Ltd) delivers accredited vocational training courses for electrical, high voltage, gas, plumbing, pressure, thermography, and ultrasound trade professionals at 13 UK training centres. The company also sells test equipment through tester.co.uk and provides calibration services for that equipment, creating an integrated training, equipment, and calibration offering for trade professionals and the businesses that employ them.

Product overview

PASS Ltd operates as a training, test equipment supply, and calibration services company serving professionals from individuals to multinational firms. The core offering consists of over 80 accredited vocational training courses across Electrical, High Voltage, Gas, Plumbing, Pressure & Steam, Thermography, and Ultrasound disciplines, leading to City & Guilds and LCL Awards qualifications. This is complemented by a test equipment supply division offering over 20,000 instruments from leading brands via tester.co.uk, and calibration services for test equipment. The company has operated since 2001 and maintains 13 training centres throughout the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accredited Vocational Training Courses Programme of over 80 accredited vocational training courses spanning electrical, high voltage, gas, plumbing, pressure & steam, thermography, and ultrasound disciplines, delivered by expert tutors and leading to City & Guilds and LCL Awards qualifications. Sold to individual trade professionals and businesses on a per-course basis at £175–£1,650 per course.
• PAT Testing Competency Course Practical training course in inspection and testing of portable electrical appliances, covering visual checks, earth continuity, insulation resistance tests, and record-keeping, priced at £349 excluding VAT. Aimed at individuals seeking hands-on PAT/EET competence for professional use.
• City & Guilds 2382-26 18th Edition Wiring Regulations Course Course on the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) including Amendment 4 updates covering battery energy storage systems, Power over Ethernet, ICT earthing, and medical locations, priced at £495 excluding VAT. Targeted at practicing electricians needing regulatory currency.
• LCL Awards CCN1 Core Domestic Natural Gas Safety Course LCL Awards accredited core domestic natural gas safety qualification including CENWAT1, CKR1, HTR1 components, priced at £995 excluding VAT. Required for Gas Safe registration in domestic gas work.
• City & Guilds HVSO2 Safe Access to High Voltage Substations & Switchrooms Course Entry-level accredited programme on safe access procedures for high voltage substations and switchrooms, priced at £350 excluding VAT. Aimed at personnel newly authorised to enter HV substations.
• City & Guilds HVSO4 Safe Switching Operation of HV Power Systems (SAP) Course Advanced City & Guilds accredited programme for Senior Authorised Persons on safe switching operations of high voltage power systems, listed at £1,495 excluding VAT. Targeted at senior HV personnel.
• ITC Cat I Thermography Course (ISO18436 Level 1) Four-day certification course in infrared thermography aligned with ISO18436-7, covering thermal camera operation, fault identification, and report generation for condition monitoring, priced at £1,650 excluding VAT. Aimed at thermography practitioners.
• City & Guilds 2377-77 EET/PAT Testing In-Service Inspection & Testing Course Two-day Level 3 City & Guilds certificate covering theory and practical skills for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment aligned with the IET Code of Practice and Electricity at Work Regulations, priced at £449 excluding VAT. Aimed at practicing electricians and testers.
• City & Guilds 2391-52 Combined Initial Verification / Periodic Inspection & Testing Course Six-day City & Guilds combined qualification covering initial verification and periodic inspection of electrical installations to BS 7671 wiring regulations, priced at £1,100 excluding VAT. Designed for practicing electricians.
• City & Guilds 2392-10 Inspection & Testing Course Level 2 foundational City & Guilds qualification in fundamental inspection, testing, and initial verification of single-phase electrical installations aligned with Part P and BS 7671, priced at £830 excluding VAT. Aimed at early-career electricians.
• Business Training Solutions Bespoke workforce training service for businesses and group bookings, with programmes tailored to team requirements and delivered on-site, at any PASS training centre, or internationally. Sold on a quote-based, multi-year contract basis to enterprise customers.
• Test Equipment Supply (tester.co.uk) E-commerce storefront selling over 20,000 instruments, books, and tools from leading global brands including Fluke, Megger, FLIR, Seaward, and Mitutoyo, covering thermal cameras, PAT testers, multifunction testers, flue gas analysers, and voltage testers. Sold via own e-commerce site to tradespeople and small businesses with fast UK availability.
• Calibration Services Fast calibration services for test instruments purchased through tester.co.uk, with trade-centre collection and same-day dispatch from multiple UK centres. Sold to tradespeople and firms maintaining compliant equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Qualifications recognised by industry bodies for career advancement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GES Ltd (Gas & Environmental Services)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024GES (Gas & Environmental Services) Ltd was acquired by PASS in June 2024 and has moved to the Stevenage training centre address. This acquisition expanded PASS's gas training capabilities and geographic presence in Hertfordshire.
• City & GuildscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASS Ltd is a City & Guilds Approved Centre, delivering accredited qualifications including 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (2382-26), HV safe operations (HVSO2, HVSO4), EET/PAT Testing (2377-77), Inspection & Testing (2391-52, 2392-10), and various other City & Guilds awards. This accreditation is fundamental to their training business value proposition.
• LCL AwardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASS Ltd is an LCL Awards Approved Centre delivering gas qualifications including CCN1 Core Domestic Natural Gas Safety, commercial gas certifications, LPG qualifications, and metering certifications. LCL Awards is a key accreditation partner for their gas training provision.
• ITC FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASS Ltd is an ITC First Approved Centre delivering thermography qualifications including ISO18436 (Level 1) certification for infrared thermography.
• Maritime Coastguard AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASS Ltd holds Maritime Coastguard Agency approval, indicating their training meets maritime industry standards for certain qualifications.
• ELCAS (Enhanced Learning Credits Agency)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPASS Ltd is an ELC provider (Provider No. 3388) offering training courses eligible for Enhanced Learning Credits funding for armed forces personnel and veterans.
• ISO 9001coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASS Ltd holds ISO 9001 accreditation, demonstrating quality management system certification for their training and services operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GTG Training: Glasgow-based vocational training provider delivering gas, electrical, and renewable training to trades professionals. Comparable to PASS in course catalogue and trade discipline focus.
• Trade Skills 4U: UK specialist vocational training provider focused on electrical, gas, and renewable trades. Offers accredited City & Guilds courses with multiple training centres, directly competing with PASS for the same electrician and gas engineer customer base.
• Logic4training: UK gas, electrical, and renewable training provider delivering ACS and City & Guilds qualifications. Now part of British Gas/Centrica, it is a direct competitor in the gas and electrical trades training market PASS serves.
• Skills Training Group: Multi-trade UK training provider offering gas, electrical, plumbing, and renewable qualifications across several centres. Comparable to PASS in multi-disciplinary coverage and target tradesperson segments.
• Able Skills: UK vocational training centre offering construction trade courses (electrical, plumbing, gas, carpentry). Overlaps with PASS's electrician/gas engineer/plumber training portfolio.
• Logic Certification: UK gas certification awarding and training support organisation. While primarily an awarding body, it works closely with training centres and overlaps with PASS's LCL Awards/ACS gas qualification offerings.
• Seaward Group: UK-based manufacturer of PAT testers, multifunction installation testers, and electrical safety test instruments — a key brand stocked by PASS's tester.co.uk store and a comparable supplier in the same test equipment category.

Broad incumbents

• JTL Training: Largest UK electrical and plumbing apprenticeship training provider. While focused on apprenticeships rather than short courses, JTL competes for the same electrician pipeline and is a much larger, established incumbent.
• RS Components (UK): Major UK electronics and test equipment distributor selling multimeters, thermal cameras, and measurement instruments from the same brands (Fluke, Megger, FLIR). Competes with PASS's tester.co.uk on price and breadth.
• Megger: Global manufacturer of electrical test and measurement instruments (insulation testers, multifunction testers, PAT equipment). A key supplier to PASS and a broader incumbent in the category PASS's equipment business serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tester_co_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/testeruk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pass-ltd

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Portable Appliance Safety Services