International Confederation of Principals (ICP)

What International Confederation of Principals (ICP) does

The International Confederation of Principals (ICP) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1999 and headquartered in Madrid, Spain. ICP functions as a global confederation of national and regional school leadership associations, with 40+ member organizations representing more than 135,000 school principals and educational leaders across five continents. The organization positions itself as the only global network specifically dedicated to school leaders, providing a non-political and non-sectarian platform for international professional dialogue, advocacy, and collaboration on issues affecting school leadership.

ICP's core offerings include the quarterly ICP Magazine (covering equity, AI in education, sustainability, student wellbeing, and leadership development), the ICP Insights blog featuring executive-authored thought leadership, the ICP Webinar Series delivered via Zoom, and biennial ICP Conventions and Council Meetings hosted in different countries (recent and upcoming locations include Cape Town, Shanghai, Singapore, Rovaniemi, the Netherlands, Auckland, and Utrecht). Supporting programs include the Student Leaders Forum (a youth-led advisory body on student wellbeing and mental health) and a Useful Resources repository aggregating UNESCO, OECD, and other policy research. ICP has no proprietary technology platform; its digital infrastructure relies on standard tools including the icponline.org website, a YouTube channel (@ICPonlinevideos), Zoom for webinars, and active social media presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook.

ICP operates a membership-based revenue model, with Full Members (school leadership associations), Associate members, and Individual members paying recurring fees determined through the Executive Committee's application and approval process. Specific fee amounts are not publicly disclosed. The organization supplements membership revenue through paid registrations for conventions and council meetings, and leverages partnerships with supranational bodies (UNESCO, OECD), academic institutions (CIES, Ed Institute, ECNU), and other organizations (ARC, Singapore Academy of Principals, NATSIPA) to extend programmatic reach. ICP is governed by an elected Executive Committee and Council with rotating two-year presidential terms; the current President is Nancy Brady (effective January 2026), succeeding Leendert-Jan Veldhuyzen.

Name

International Confederation of Principals (ICP)

Legal name

International Confederation of Principals

Website

https://icponline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ICP is a non-profit global association serving as the only international network of school principals' organizations, representing 135,000+ educational leaders across 40+ member associations on five continents through publications, conventions, webinars, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

Keywords

• School leadership association
• Education professional development
• Principal networking
• Educational leadership conferences
• Global education network

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ICP operates as a membership-based organization with member associations paying fees. The ICP Constitution outlines membership categories including Full Members (school leadership associations), Associate members, and Individual members. Membership requires application approval by the Executive Committee.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ICP is a global non-profit professional association of national and regional school principals' organizations, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Madrid. It provides membership-based professional development, publications, webinars, conventions, and advocacy services to more than 40 member associations representing over 135,000 school leaders across five continents.

Product overview

ICP offers a unified suite of professional development and networking services for school leaders globally. The core offerings include the quarterly ICP Magazine (publications), ICP Insights blog platform (content), ICP Webinar Series (virtual events), and annual Conventions/Council Meetings (in-person conferences). Supporting services include the Student Leaders Forum (youth program), Useful Resources (research repository), and YouTube Channel (video content). Together these form a comprehensive ecosystem supporting the development, networking, and advocacy for school leadership worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICP Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• International Confederation of Principals Convention is described as the leading global event for school leaders

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Zealand Principals' FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hosting the 2026 ICP Convention and Council Meeting in Auckland, New Zealand. The federation is working with the ICP Executive to develop engaging and forward-focused agendas for the event.
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Principals Association (NATSIPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Newest member association welcomed to ICP, representing Indigenous educational leadership in Australia. ICP believes Indigenous educational leadership must be represented within global conversations about education, school leadership, cultural inclusion and educational transformation.
• African Confederation of Principals (ACP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Important regional member association within the ICP network that plays a significant role in strengthening leadership conversations and collaboration across the African continent. ACP hosted the Council Meeting in Pretoria, South Africa with delegates from South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Zambia, Uganda, Ghana, and Kenya.
• South African Principals Association (SAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hosted the African Confederation of Principals Council Meeting in partnership with the South African Department of Basic Education. SAPA organized the week-long strategic dialogue and professional exchange event.
• Kaj Munk CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Educational institution in the Netherlands visited during the ICP Executive Meeting, where students introduced the Executive to the Dutch education system's seven-level structure and the Research & Design program.
• Teylingen College KTSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Educational institution in the Netherlands showcasing practical, career-focused learning experiences that bridge the gap between education and the working world through programs in construction, hospitality, and technology.
• Comparative and International Education Society (CIES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Professional society with over 3,500 individual members including researchers, school leaders and students, representing over 1,000 universities, research institutes, government departments and NGOs. ICP participated in CIES 2025 conference in Chicago to spread awareness about ICP in the USA.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ICP references UNESCO research reports including the GEM Report on Leadership in Education, global reports on early childhood care and education, and reports on teachers. ICP uses these resources to support its mission.
• Atlantic Rim Collaboratory (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Brings together countries and systems from across the world to learn from one another and share effective practice. Regularly holds 'ThoughtMeets' providing opportunities to learn from thought leaders on topics including equity, inclusion, wellbeing and democracy.
• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ICP references OECD publications including 'Unlocking High-Quality Teaching' and TALIS 2024 results. OECD resources inform ICP's research and professional development programs.
• Singapore Academy of PrincipalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Hosted the ICP Council Plus meeting in Singapore from October 2022, working with ICP in organizing the event themed 'Future Schools - Future Leaders'.
• Ed InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021International partner collaborating with ICP on research projects, including a collaboration with a creative school principal in NSW, Australia. The Ed Institute brings Design Thinking processes to help schools and communities address complex issues.
• National Training Centre, Shanghai (ECNU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Based at East China Normal University, the National Training Centre has been involved in ICP activities including Council meetings and AI training sessions led by Professor Li.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): US nonprofit of state school chiefs offering leadership development and resources — a broader incumbent in the educational leadership space with overlapping function as a convening body for school system leaders.

Regional players

• Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL): Australian professional association for educational leaders offering fellowships, awards, and a leadership library — directly comparable in serving school leaders through a national membership model.

Direct peers

• ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development): Global nonprofit professional association serving educators and school leaders with publications, conferences, and PD — directly comparable as a membership-based educational leadership body with content and event flywheels similar to ICP's.
• NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals): National professional association for middle and high school principals in the US, providing conferences, publications and advocacy — directly comparable to ICP's structure and member value proposition.
• Singapore Academy of Principals (SAP): Singapore's professional body for principals and school leaders — an ICP member association host for the 2022 Council Plus meeting, directly comparable as a national principal association.
• Comparative and International Education Society (CIES): Academic society with 3,500+ members including school leaders, hosting annual conferences that ICP actively participates in — comparable as an international membership network serving educational leaders and researchers.
• NAESP (National Association of Elementary School Principals): US-based professional association specifically for elementary school principals, providing advocacy, professional development, and networking — the closest single-country counterpart to ICP's mission.
• BELMAS (British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society): UK-based scholarly and professional association for educational leaders, with conferences and publications — comparable to ICP in offering a national/regional professional community for school leaders.
• European School Heads Association: European-level association of school heads with conferences, working groups, and advocacy — overlapping with ICP's cross-border school leadership mission and conference-driven model.

Emerging players

• Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation): Digital-first media platform for K-12 innovation and leadership — competes for educators' attention through content, webinars, and community in a similar thematic space to ICP's content offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icpconnect
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ICPonlinevideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/icp-leaders-connect-263952367107997
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-confederation-of-principals-icp-
• Instagraminstagram.com/icpconnect/?hl=en

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 International Confederation of Principals (ICP)