INQAAHE

What INQAAHE does

INQAAHE (International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education) is a non-profit international membership association founded in 1990 and headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. It serves national and regional quality assurance agencies, accreditation bodies, and organizations responsible for evaluating tertiary education institutions across more than 100 countries organized into seven global regions (Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Arab States, Africa, and Asia-Pacific). The association's core mission is to promote excellence in higher education by supporting an active international community of external quality assurance providers.

Its core offerings include membership services, professional development and capacity-building grants, research grants and a Global Study, an ISG (International Standards and Guidelines) alignment and review scheme, events (Fora, Conferences, and INQAAHE Talks), and publications (Communiqué, Quarterly Newsletter, Annual Reports). The technology foundation is a digital platform providing membership database access, event registration, research publications, and professional development resources, supplemented by an interactive global membership map. The platform is not a commercial SaaS product but a member-services infrastructure.

INQAAHE's business model is membership-fee based, with additional revenue from events, grants administration, and publications. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected through General Assembly votes, has 1-10 employees, and is not backed by venture capital or private equity. Strategic priorities are evident through the 2025 launch of revised ISG Standards and a forward event calendar (Forum 2026 in South Africa, Conference 2027 in Qatar, Forum 2028 in Colombia) that extends the association's footprint into emerging regions.

Name

INQAAHE

Legal name

The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education

Website

https://inqaahe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

INQAAHE is a non-profit international membership association headquartered in Barcelona that serves 300+ quality assurance agencies and accreditation bodies across 100+ countries. It provides standards alignment, professional development grants, research, events, and publications to advance higher education quality assurance globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Quality Assurance Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Quality assurance agencies
• Higher education accreditation
• Membership association services
• Professional development grants
• Research grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

INQAAHE is a non-profit international membership association that provides a platform for organizations active in quality assurance in higher education. Its core offerings include membership services to 300+ agencies worldwide, ISG (International Standards and Guidelines) Alignment and Review processes, professional development and research grants, international Fora and Conferences, virtual INQAAHE Talks, and publications such as the Communiqué, Quarterly Newsletter, and Annual Reports.

Product overview

INQAAHE is a membership-based international association of quality assurance agencies in higher education, not a software product company. It provides a platform for networking, professional development, research, and standards alignment among its 300+ member organizations. The organization's core offerings include membership services, professional development grants and projects, research grants and studies, ISG (International Standards Group) alignment processes, events (Fora, Conferences, INQAAHE Talks), publications (Communiqué, Quarterly Newsletter, Annual Reports), and an interactive global membership map. There are no distinct commercial product lines, software modules, or technology offerings to enumerate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• INQAAHE Membership Organizational membership program for external quality assurance agencies and accreditation bodies in higher education, providing access to global networking, ISG alignment, grants, events, and publications across 300+ member organizations.
• ISG Alignment and Review Scheme Standards alignment and review process enabling QA agencies to align their practices with the INQAAHE International Standards and Guidelines (ISG) and gain international recognition.
• Capacity Building Grants Grant program funding professional development initiatives for QA professionals and member organizations to build capacity in quality assurance practices.
• Research Grants Grant program supporting research studies on quality assurance in higher education, including the INQAAHE Global Study on external QA.
• INQAAHE Fora and Conferences International conferences and forums bringing together QA professionals, agency leaders, and higher education stakeholders for knowledge exchange and networking.
• INQAAHE Talks Virtual webinar sessions hosted by INQAAHE featuring discussions on quality assurance topics relevant to member organizations and the broader higher education community.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education): European membership association for QA agencies in the EHEA; the closest regional counterpart to INQAAHE and the most direct peer for ISG-style alignment work and policy advocacy on QA in higher education.
• CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation): US-based coordinating body for higher education accreditation and QA. Operates a parallel role to INQAAHE in convening accreditors and setting recognition standards — directly comparable in mission and member-base model.
• QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK): UK's independent QA body for higher education and a founding INQAAHE member. Comparable as a national-level QA agency that participates in INQAAHE's network and ISG framework.

Regional players

• AQAN (ASEAN Quality Assurance Network): ASEAN regional QA network. Comparable to INQAAHE as a regional counterpart targeting member states in Southeast Asia for capacity building and QA harmonization.
• African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN): Africa-focused QA network under the Association of African Universities. Directly comparable as a regional membership association serving QA in higher education — overlapping with INQAAHE's African region (16 countries).
• APQN (Asia-Pacific Quality Network): Regional QA network covering the Asia-Pacific, one of the seven regions INQAAHE explicitly serves. Highly comparable as a peer membership association focused on QA capacity-building and peer review.
• RIACES (Red Iberoamericana para la Acreditación de la Calidad de la Educación Superior): Ibero-American accreditation network covering Latin America and the Iberian peninsula. Comparable as a regional QA association serving member agencies in the LAC region that INQAAHE also covers.

Broad incumbents

• AACSB International: Global accreditation body for business schools with a member-driven model. Comparable to INQAAHE as a recognized global standards-setter and accreditation convener in higher education, though focused on a discipline-specific niche.
• EUA (European University Association): Larger, broader European association representing universities (not just QA agencies). Comparable as a European higher-education convener with overlapping agenda on QA and quality, but with a wider institutional remit than INQAAHE.

Others

• IIEP-UNESCO (International Institute for Educational Planning): UNESCO-affiliated institute supporting educational planning and QA capacity in developing countries. Comparable as an ecosystem partner offering training, research, and policy support to QA agencies — adjacent rather than directly competing with INQAAHE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inqaahe-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about INQAAHE