International Fire Consultants

What International Fire Consultants does

International Fire Consultants (IFC), now operating as Kiwa Fire Safety Compliance following its acquisition by Kiwa Group, is a UK-based fire safety engineering consultancy founded in 1994. The firm delivers a comprehensive suite of professional services across the built environment, covering fire safety engineering (strategies, sprinkler and alarm design, structural fire engineering, and computer modelling via Computational Fluid Dynamics), fire risk management (assessments, prevention plans, emergency planning, and external wall appraisals), product evaluation (fire testing, engineering assessments, field of application reports), inspection services, expert witness testimony, third-party certification for fire and security products through its IFC Certification subsidiary, and accredited passive fire protection training.

The company's client base is diversified across local authorities, housing associations, construction firms, architects, and estate owners, serving sectors that span residential, education, healthcare, modern sporting and retail facilities, and heritage properties such as royal palaces, stately homes, galleries, and museums. IFC holds multiple accredited industry certifications (BAFE, IFSA, PFPF, SCA-IFC, FSF) and operates a 24/7 client portal for certification management. Personnel are distributed across the UK and overseas, enabling local advisory delivery on a project-by-project basis.

The business operates on a sales-led, professional services model with bespoke quotations tied to project complexity; no standardized pricing is publicly disclosed. Since approximately 2023 IFC has been integrated into Kiwa's broader testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) platform, which extends its international reach and cross-sell potential. Recurring-revenue optionality exists through the Fire Safety Guardian ongoing monitoring service, IFC Certification schemes, and the training portfolio, but project-based consulting remains the dominant revenue engine.

Name

International Fire Consultants

Legal name

Kiwa UK Group

Website

https://ifcgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Fire Consultants, operating as Kiwa Fire Safety Compliance, is a UK-based fire safety engineering consultancy delivering fire risk management, structural fire engineering, product evaluation, inspection, certification, and training services to local authorities, housing associations, construction firms, architects, and estate owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Safety Consultancy Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire Safety Compliance, Risk Assessments & Training (Code Consulting) (IMAIAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire & Life Safety Code Compliance Inspections & Consulting (AHJ Support) (BPABAHAJ), Fire & Life Safety Services (Inspection/Testing/Sprinklers/Alarms) (IMAIAAAI), Fire Sprinkler & Standpipe Systems (Design/Install/Service/Testing) (BPABAHAB), Fire Door, Firestop & Passive Fire Protection Inspection/Installation (IMAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Fire safety engineering
• Fire risk assessment
• Product certification services
• Building safety consultancy
• Structural fire engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Princes Risborough

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Fire Safety Consultancy Services: Professional consultancy services including fire safety engineering, fire risk management, product evaluation, inspection services, and expert witness testimony provided to clients across the built environment sector.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

International Fire Consultants (now operating as Kiwa Fire Safety Compliance) delivers professional fire safety consultancy services across the UK built environment. Its portfolio spans fire safety engineering, fire risk management, product evaluation, inspection services, expert witness testimony, third-party certification for fire and security products, and accredited training. Services are provided to local authorities, housing associations, construction firms, architects, and estate owners across residential, education, healthcare, heritage, and modern commercial buildings.

Product overview

International Fire Consultants (now Kiwa Fire Safety Compliance) operates as a single integrated fire safety consultancy platform offering a comprehensive suite of professional services rather than a modular software product. The portfolio consists of interconnected consulting services: Fire Safety Engineering (including CFD computer modelling, sprinkler/alarm design, structural fire engineering), Fire Risk Management (assessments, prevention plans, emergency planning), Product Evaluation (fire testing, engineering assessments, field of application reports), Inspection Services, Expert Witness testimony, and 3rd Party Certification for Fire & Security. The company also offers training services including Passive Fire Protection Training and Bespoke Inhouse Training. Services are provided across the built environment spectrum spanning residential, education, healthcare, sporting, retail facilities, and heritage buildings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Safety Engineering

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced risk of complications in planning consent through early engagement at design stages
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kiwa GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKiwa Group acquired International Fire Consultants, which now operates under the brand Kiwa Fire Safety Compliance. As part of Kiwa, the company leverages the broader organization's certification, inspection, testing, and consultancy capabilities to create trust in products, services, and processes.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global multidisciplinary engineering firm with a substantial fire engineering practice. Overlaps with IFC on fire safety strategies and structural fire engineering but operates at much larger scale with broader service portfolio.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering consultancy offering fire safety engineering, risk assessment, and code compliance services. Comparable to IFC in serving UK public sector and complex built environment projects, but at much larger scale.
• WSP: Major global engineering consultancy with a fire safety and code consulting practice serving the built environment. Competes with IFC on large commercial and infrastructure projects requiring integrated fire engineering.

Direct peers

• Warringtonfire (Element): Fire testing, inspection, and certification business (now part of Element Materials Technology). Directly comparable to IFC's product evaluation and certification services, with strong overlap in fire performance testing and third-party certification schemes.
• Jensen Hughes: Global leader in fire protection engineering, code consulting, and risk assessment. Directly comparable to IFC in offering full-lifecycle fire safety engineering, risk management, and product testing services across the built environment.
• UL Solutions: Global safety science organization providing fire testing, certification, and compliance services. Comparable to IFC's product evaluation and 3rd party certification offerings for fire and security products.
• Buro Happold: UK-based engineering consultancy with a dedicated fire engineering practice delivering fire safety strategies, CFD modeling, and structural fire engineering for complex building projects, mirroring IFC's core service lines.
• BRE Group: UK building science organization conducting fire testing, research, and certification. Overlaps with IFC on product evaluation, fire safety research, and certification of construction products and systems.

Emerging players

• Trigon Fire Safety: UK-focused fire safety consultancy providing risk assessments, compartmentation surveys, and fire safety advice. Smaller specialist competitor to IFC in the UK social housing and residential market.

Others

• Chubb Fire & Security: Major fire detection, suppression, and life safety systems provider. Adjacent rather than directly competitive with IFC's consultancy services, but a relevant ecosystem player in the broader UK fire safety value chain that IFC clients also engage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IFCGroupFire
• Facebookfacebook.com/KiwaUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-fire-consultants-ltd

Compliance1 record

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 International Fire Consultants