The Institute for Performance and Learning

What The Institute for Performance and Learning does

The Institute for Performance and Learning (I4PL) is a Canadian not-for-profit professional association headquartered in Toronto, founded in 1946 (formerly the Canadian Society for Training and Development, rebranded as I4PL). It serves workplace learning and development (L&D) professionals across Canada through a membership model supplemented by certification, conferences, and educational programs. The organization holds the only national professional designation for workplace Performance and Learning in Canada — the Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP) — built around a proprietary 7-area Competency Framework (translated into English and French) that functions as the certification syllabus and body of knowledge for the field. Membership is tiered (Student $89, Emerging Professional/Corporate $275, Professional $349 per year), with a dedicated Government Employee category, and includes access to a national webinar series, a mentorship program, member directories, and discounts through Perkopolis and Prolink.

I4PL's product portfolio spans certification ($1,399+HST for a cohort-based program including knowledge exam and skill demonstration), an annual national conference (2026 edition scheduled November 25-26 at Toronto Westin Harbour Castle), a national webinar series (75-100 attendees per session, 9,000+ subscriber reach), a sponsored webinar product ($2,500 CAD per slot), and a 7-part "From Paper to Practice" workshop series delivered on Thinkific. Distribution and operations run on integrated third-party platforms: YourMembership for association management, Zoom for webinars, MentorCity for mentorship matching, Thinkific for workshop delivery, and SmarterSelect for conference speaker proposals. The association operates through 16 regional chapters spanning eight provinces, reaching ~1,400 members, ~10,000 newsletter subscribers, and 500+ certified professionals (73% of members identify as women).

Revenue mechanics are diversified across subscription memberships (recurring), certification fees (one-time + ancillary fees for exam rescheduling, rewrites, skill demo resubmission, candidacy extensions), conference and event registration (transaction), sponsored webinars (professional services at $2,500 per slot), and grant funding from the Government of Canada — particularly the Skills for Success Program partnership announced in November 2021 and Employment and Skills Development Canada research funding. Strategic institutional partnerships with five post-secondary institutions (Athabasca, Concordia, Royal Roads, George Brown, Human Learning Institute) grant graduates credit toward CTDP work-experience requirements, embedding the certification into academic pipelines. A small national team (~11-50 staff) executes operations across Industry Relations, Membership & Certification, Conference, Webinars, Accounting, and Communications & Marketing functions.

Name

The Institute for Performance and Learning

Legal name

The Institute for Performance and Learning

Website

https://performanceandlearning.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Performance and Learning is a Canadian not-for-profit membership association serving workplace learning and development professionals through tiered memberships, the CTDP certification program, national webinars, an annual conference, and 16 regional chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM), Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL), Digital Assessment Platforms & Computer-Based Testing Authorities (EDADAFAK)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Workplace learning certification
• Membership professional development
• Training industry certification
• Continuing professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Memberships: Annual membership fees ranging from $89 for students to $349 for individual professionals, providing access to certification, webinars, resources, and community
2. Corporate Group Memberships: Organizational memberships for companies seeking to develop their L&D workforce, priced at $275
3. CTDP Certification: Professional certification program with registration fee of $1399 plus HST, including 1-year membership. Additional fees for exam rescheduling ($100), rewrites ($150), skill demo resubmission ($350), and candidacy extension ($399)
4. Conferences and Events: Annual national conference (November 2026 in Toronto) and chapter events throughout the year, with registration fees and sponsorship opportunities
5. Sponsored Webinars: Corporate sponsors can deliver 45-minute national webinars to the I4PL community for $2500 CAD, with promotion to 9,000+ subscribers and access to 1,400+ members for recordings
6. Government Employee Memberships: Special category for Federal and Provincial government employees with dedicated registration process

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute for Performance and Learning is a Canadian not-for-profit professional association that sells tiered memberships, the CTDP professional certification, an annual national conference, national webinars, and chapter-based events to workplace learning and performance professionals. It also licenses sponsored webinar placements and workshop bundles to corporate buyers. Its core value to members is a nationally recognized credential, a proprietary competency framework, and a coast-to-coast community of L&D practitioners.

Product overview

The Institute for Performance and Learning (I4PL) is a not-for-profit membership association offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional development services for Canada's workplace learning professionals. The core offerings include the CTDP (Certified Training and Development Professional) certification program—the only professional designation in Canada for workplace Performance and Learning—and tiered membership subscriptions providing access to national webinars, the annual conference, mentorship programs, research resources, and chapter events. The product suite includes educational workshops (From Paper to Practice series), a Knowledge Hub with research content, research reports (DICE Report, Canadian Learning Industry perspectives), and the Skills for Success Hub developed with government funding. The association operates through 16 regional chapters across Canada and reaches members via a bi-weekly newsletter and sponsored webinar opportunities. I4PL's services are delivered through integrated third-party platforms including YourMembership (association management), Zoom (webinars), Thinkific (workshops), and MentorCity (mentorship matching).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTDP Certification (Certified Training and Development Professional) The only professional designation in Canada for workplace Performance and Learning. Cohort-based certification requiring four years of full-time L&D experience, a 100-question knowledge exam (75% passing score), and a skill demonstration in either Assessing Performance Needs or Designing Learning Experiences. Registration fee of $1,399 + HST includes a one-year membership and a free digital copy of the Competencies for Performance and Learning Professionals.
• I4PL Membership Tiered annual membership offering access to certification pathways, national webinars, the annual conference, chapter events, mentorship program, member directory, discussion forums, research resources, and member discounts through Perkopolis and Prolink. Available as Individual Professional ($349), Student ($89), Emerging Professional ($275), Corporate Group ($275), and Government Employee categories.
• I4PL Annual Conference Flagship annual event bringing together L&D leaders. The 2026 conference is scheduled for November 25-26, 2026 at Toronto Westin Harbour Castle with the theme 'Igniting the Capability Era: Accelerating Transformation by Building Competencies and Elevating Trust.' Previous conferences have featured 24 curated sessions and sold out.
• Sponsored Webinars Corporate-sponsored 45-minute national webinar hosted by a sponsoring organization, moderated by I4PL, and promoted to 9,000+ newsletter subscribers with recording access for 1,400+ members. Three content tracks available. Priced at $2,500 CAD per webinar.
• From Paper to Practice Workshop Series 7-part interactive workshop series delivered via Thinkific covering I4PL's seven competency areas: Partnering with Clients, Assessing Performance Needs, Designing Curricula, Designing Learning Experiences, Facilitating Learning, Supporting Transfer of Learning, and Evaluating Learning. Pricing: single workshop $125 member / $165 non-member; 3-course bundle $300 / $395; full 7-course bundle $625 / $809; reduced student pricing available.
• I4PL Research Reports Original research publications including the 2023 Diversity, Inclusion, Connections and Equity (DICE) Report and the 2021 Perspective on the Canadian Learning Industry. Free to members; $49.99 CAD for non-members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Webinars valued at over $900 annually included with membership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Government of Canada - Skills for Success ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021I4PL received government funding to support the Skills for Success initiative, launching a free online resource hub to support Learning and Development professionals across Canada. The initiative included in-depth research and virtual workshops on adaptability, collaboration, and creativity & innovation skills.
• Concordia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Saul Carliner's team from Concordia University to conduct Canada's Learning and Development Industry Survey, funded by Employment and Skills Development Canada. Results shared through webinar and report with academic journal publications planned.
• URBON TRANSLATIONSminorOthersOfficial translation sponsor for the Competencies for Performance and Learning Professionals document, supporting the French language version (Compétences pour les professionnels de la performance et de l'apprentissage).
• Athabasca UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDoctor of Distance Education program recognized 2020-2025. Graduates receive one year credit towards CTDP work experience requirement.
• Concordia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster of Arts in Educational Technology recognized 2020-2025. Graduates receive one year credit towards CTDP work experience requirement.
• Royal Roads UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster of Arts Learning and Technology program graduates receive one year credit towards CTDP work experience requirement.
• George Brown CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkplace Learning and Adult Education Program recognized 2022-2027. Graduates receive one year credit towards CTDP work experience requirement.
• Human Learning InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster Certificate in Human-Centred Learning and Masters Certificate in Adult Learning & Workplace Education recognized 2022-2027. Graduates receive one year credit towards CTDP work experience requirement.
• PerkopolisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember discount program providing exclusive offers to I4PL members on various products and services.
• ProlinkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner providing member discounts through prolink.insure/associations/i4pl/.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: Large-scale corporate learning content and platform provider offering content libraries, certifications prep, and learning experience platforms. Comparable as a corporate L&D training provider whose customer base overlaps with I4PL's members, though Skillsoft is a vendor rather than a professional association.
• Training Industry, Inc. Research and media company covering the corporate training market, offering research reports, buyer directories, and conferences. Comparable in serving the same corporate L&D buyer segment with research and event-driven content.
• Brandon Hall Group: A long-established research and analyst firm serving the HCM and L&D market with research, awards programs (Brandon Hall Excellence Awards), and advisory services. Comparable as a thought-leadership and content authority serving corporate L&D buyers adjacent to I4PL's audience.

Others

• Association Headquarters (AH): Association management company that provides staffing and operational support to member-led associations, including I4PL (where AH personnel Bob Timmins and Emmy Kelly serve in the Industry Relations roles). Comparable as an enabling/operational peer in the association management services space.
• Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Media: B2B media brand and event series serving senior enterprise learning leaders. Comparable as an adjacent content and community vehicle reaching the senior end of I4PL's membership base, including I4PL board members such as Bianca Baumann who are featured CLO speakers.

Direct peers

• Association for Talent Development (ATD): The largest US-based professional association for talent development practitioners, offering the CPTD certification, conferences, and chapter network. It is the most direct international analog to I4PL, competing for the same category of L&D professionals operating in multinational or US-adjacent contexts.
• Learning and Performance Institute (LPI): UK-based professional body for L&D professionals offering accreditation, certifications, and the Performance Consulting Masterclass (which I4PL board member Robin Martin co-facilitates). LPI is the closest international peer in mission, certification structure, and competency framework approach.
• Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA): Federation of Canadian HR associations that oversees the CHRP and CHRL designations. Comparable to I4PL as a national Canadian professional body setting standards and certifying practitioners, with overlap in board members holding the CHRL alongside CTDP.

Emerging players

• Learning Designers Conference (Canva / community-led events): Community-led learning design events and meetups serving instructional designers and L&D practitioners — a practitioner segment I4PL serves. Represented as a placeholder for the broader community-led practitioner event ecosystem (e.g., UXPA, LXA, Learning & Skills Group) that competes for I4PL members' time and conference spend.
• DevLearn (The eLearning Guild): A learning community focused specifically on e-learning, instructional design, and learning technology — intersecting segments of I4PL's membership. Comparable as a community-led association for L&D professionals, though more specialized and technology-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/institute4pl
• Xx.com/InstitutePL
• Facebookfacebook.com/institutepl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-institute-for-performance-and-learning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 The Institute for Performance and Learning