What Irish Centre for Diversity does

Irish Centre for Diversity (ICFD) is Ireland's leading D&I training and accreditation provider, operating from Waterford as an independent private non-profit with 11-50 employees. The company serves organisations across Ireland — large multinationals, Irish enterprises, SMEs, and public sector bodies — through a portfolio anchored by the proprietary FREDIE™ framework (Fairness | Respect | Equality | Diversity | Inclusion | Engagement), which underpins its three-tier Investors in Diversity (IiD) accreditation programme at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels, complemented by on-site, virtual, and eLearning training, bespoke consultancy, and two flagship annual events (the NDI Conference and the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards).

The underlying methodology is content- and survey-driven rather than software-driven: the FREDIE™ framework is delivered through human expert trainers and consultants, accreditation assessments are administered with SurveyMonkey as the survey platform (data hosted in EU data centres), virtual sessions run on Microsoft Teams, and email marketing is operated via Mailchimp. The company has aggregated 'all-person' survey responses from 130+ organisations covering 120,000+ employees, producing a national Inclusion Score benchmark that is unique in the Irish market and is the technical backbone of the National Benchmarking product.

ICFD generates revenue through four streams: (i) multi-year IiD accreditation subscriptions across Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers, (ii) per-session and per-license fees for on-site, virtual, and eLearning training, (iii) bespoke consultancy engagements covering strategy workshops, ERG establishment, policy reviews, and culture audits, and (iv) event-driven revenue from the NDIA awards and NDI Conference through corporate sponsorship (12 category sponsors and a Primary Sponsor) and ticket sales. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; all commercial engagement runs through direct B2B sales via the website enquiry form, phone, and a dedicated business development function led by the Head of Business Development. The company operates exclusively in Ireland, with no disclosed international expansion or external institutional investment.

Name

Irish Centre for Diversity

Legal name

Irish Centre for Diversity

Website

https://irishcentrefordiversity.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Irish Centre for Diversity is Ireland's leading D&I training and accreditation provider, offering Investors in Diversity accreditation (Bronze/Silver/Gold), training, eLearning, and consultancy built around its proprietary FREDIE™ framework to organisations across Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversity & Inclusion Training and Accreditation

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Development for Inclusive Practices (General Education Staff) (EDAKABAL), Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion Compliance Reviews (EDADAGAJ), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

Keywords

• Diversity inclusion training
• Workplace accreditation services
• Diversity consultancy
• Elearning diversity courses
• Organisational inclusion benchmarking

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterford

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Services: On-site, virtual, and eLearning D&I training delivered to organisations. Training topics include FREDIE basics, race awareness, unconscious bias, LGBTQ+ awareness, neurodiversity, mental health in the workplace, inclusive recruitment, inclusive leadership, active bystander, and dignity & respect. Revenue is generated through fees charged to organisations per training session or course license.
2. Investors in Diversity Accreditation: Three-tier accreditation (Bronze, Silver, Gold) for organisations. Organisations pay assessment and accreditation fees. Bronze data is retained for three months after report issuance; Silver and Gold involve multi-year reaccreditation cycles, providing recurring revenue.
3. Consultancy & Support Services: Bespoke consulting engagements covering strategy and action planning workshops, ERG establishment, D&I policy development, task and finish groups, coaching, engagement and communication, toolkits, listening circles, recruitment audits, and culture reviews. Charged as professional service engagements.
4. National Diversity & Inclusion Awards (NDIA): Annual awards event with sponsorship from partner organisations. Sponsors include AIB, AON, FBD, Grant Thornton, Jones Engineering, Laya, Matheson, National Lottery, Nestlé, publicjobs, PJ Hegarty, and Bauer Media Group. Revenue derived from sponsorship fees and ticket sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Irish Centre for Diversity provides Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) training, accreditation, and consultancy services to organisations across Ireland. Its core offering centres on the proprietary Investors in Diversity (IiD) accreditation programme delivered in Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers, supported by on-site and virtual training courses, eLearning modules, bespoke consultancy, and national benchmarking through the proprietary FREDIE™ (Fairness | Respect | Equality | Diversity | Inclusion | Engagement) framework.

Product overview

Irish Centre for Diversity is Ireland's leading D&I Training Provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of services built around its proprietary FREDIE (Fairness | Respect | Equality | Diversity | Inclusion | Engagement) framework. The core offering centres on the Investors in Diversity (IiD) Accreditation programme with Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers, complemented by on-site and virtual Training Services and a suite of eLearning modules. Additional value-add services include Consultancy & Support, National Benchmarking (measuring inclusion against 120+ organisations), the annual National D&I Awards (NDIA), the NDI Conference, and the Investors in Diversity Learning Series. All products interconnect through the FREDIE framework, which provides the holistic methodology for organisational transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FREDIE™: The core framework and trademarked approach: Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement
• Investors in Diversity
• National Diversity & Inclusion Awards (NDIA)
• NDI Conference
• Investors in Diversity Learning Series

Products and services

• Investors in Diversity (IiD) Accreditation Ireland's leading D&I accreditation and framework for progress offering organisations a structured pathway to transform workplace culture through the FREDIE framework, available at Bronze (Committing), Silver (Embedding), and Gold (Leading) levels. Sold to organisations in Ireland as a multi-year accreditation programme.
• Training Services On-site and virtual D&I training courses delivered by expert facilitators. Topics include Mental Health in the Workplace, FREDIE basics, race awareness, unconscious bias, LGBTQ+ awareness, neurodiversity, inclusive recruitment, inclusive leadership, active bystander, and dignity & respect. Sold to organisations in Ireland.
• eLearning Online D&I training courses including FREDIE - The Basics, Race Awareness, Unconscious Bias, and LGBTQ+ Awareness, delivered through an external Learning Management System with completion certificates. Sold to organisations in Ireland.
• Consultancy & Support Bespoke D&I consultancy services including Strategy & Action Planning Workshops, Employee Resource Group (ERG) establishment, D&I Policy Development & Reviews, Coaching, Listening Circles, Recruitment Audits, and Culture reviews and audits. Sold as bespoke professional service engagements to organisations in Ireland.
• National Benchmarking National benchmarking service that enables organisations to compare FREDIE culture metrics against 130+ organisations employing over 120,000 employees in Ireland, calculating an Inclusion Score from positive survey responses and mapping it against sector and national averages on a Maturity Model.
• Investors in Diversity Learning Series Monthly premium training workshops exclusively for IiD-accredited organisations, covering topics such as Mental Health, LGBTQ+ Awareness, Race Awareness, Neurodiversity, Inclusive Recruitment, and Active Bystander training. Provided free for up to two people per accredited organisation per session.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of organisations that implement and re-accredit Investors in Diversity improve their inclusion score
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• AIBcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026AIB is a sponsor of the D&I Leader/Emerging Leader Award at the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2026. AIB is also a training client of the Irish Centre for Diversity. All sponsors are holders of Investors in Diversity accreditation and leaders in D&I.
• AONcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026AON is a multi-category sponsor of the NDIA 2026, sponsoring the Advancing Disability Equality Award, Company of the Year Award, and Outstanding Diversity Initiative Award. All sponsors hold Investors in Diversity accreditation.
• FBD InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026FBD Insurance is the sponsor of the Advancing Gender Equality Award at NDIA 2026. All NDIA sponsors are holders of Investors in Diversity accreditation.
• Grant ThorntoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Grant Thornton is the sponsor of the Advancing Race/Ethnicity Equality Award at NDIA 2026. Grant Thornton is also an IiD Gold accredited client of ICFD.
• Jones Engineering GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Jones Engineering Group is the sponsor of the Company of the Year Award at NDIA 2026.
• Laya HealthcarecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Laya Healthcare is the sponsor of the Outstanding Employee Resource Group Award at NDIA 2026.
• MathesoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Matheson is the sponsor of the Outstanding Diversity Initiative Award at NDIA 2026.
• National LotterycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026National Lottery is the sponsor of the Advancing LGBTQ+ Inclusion Award at NDIA 2026.
• NestlécoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Nestlé is the sponsor of the Advancing Social Inclusion Award at NDIA 2026.
• publicjobscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026publicjobs is the sponsor of the Employee of the Year Award at NDIA 2026.
• PJ HegartycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026PJ Hegarty is the sponsor of the Advancing Allyship and By-Stander Engagement Award at NDIA 2026.
• Bauer Media GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Bauer Media Group is the sponsor of the Public Sector Organisation of the Year Award at NDIA 2026.
• PTSB (Permanent TSB)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026PTSB is the Primary Sponsor of the National Diversity & Inclusion Conference 2026. The half-day conference takes place at The Gibson Hotel, Dublin 1 on Wednesday 2 September 2026.
• SurveyMonkeysupportingTechnology or IntegrationSurveyMonkey is used as the third-party survey platform for collecting workforce demographic data in the Investors in Diversity Silver accreditation process. Survey data is stored in European data centres with full encryption, adhering to globally recognised security standards. Survey data is deleted 120 days after survey closure.
• MailchimpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMailchimp is used as the email marketing platform for bulletins and newsletters, including the Investors in Diversity Learning Series notifications, NDIA webinar announcements, and general news updates. Email subscriptions include marketing permissions and unsubscribe options.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• enei (Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion): UK employer-led membership body that provides D&I training, benchmarking, and a tiered membership/accreditation programme for corporate employers. Closest direct competitor to ICFD's Investors in Diversity offering on the British side of the Irish Sea.
• Inclusive Employers: UK D&I accreditation and membership body serving corporate HR and D&I teams with training, resources, and inclusion standards. Matches ICFD's IiD positioning almost feature-for-feature in the UK market.
• UK National Centre for Diversity: The UK sister/affiliate organisation operating the UK arm of the Investors in Diversity / FREDIE™ accreditation. CEO Solat Chaudhry leads both (and the leadership section), so it is more affiliate than pure competitor, but it operates an essentially identical accreditation offering in an adjacent market and is the closest functional peer.

Regional players

• Community Business: Asia-based non-profit running D&I training, benchmarking surveys and employer membership programmes in Hong Kong and across Asia. Closest international peer by business model (membership + training + benchmarking) but in a non-overlapping geography.
• Diversity Council Australia: Australia's leading D&I membership, training and benchmarking body for employers. Operates a similar "national D&I infrastructure for corporates" model to ICFD but in a different geography with no current direct overlap in the Irish market.

Broad incumbents

• Disability:IN: Global non-profit that runs the Disability Equality Index — the leading disability-inclusion accreditation for large employers. A broader incumbent offering overlap in inclusion accreditation but on a globally standardised framework rather than ICFD's locally developed FREDIE™ methodology.
• Catalyst: Global non-profit providing research, advisory and inclusion resources on gender and workplace equity to corporate members. A broader incumbent in the D&I category with complementary services to ICFD rather than direct accreditation overlap.
• Out & Equal: Global LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion organisation offering training, accreditation-adjacent programmes and the Workplace Equality Index. Comparable as a category-level incumbent in workplace D&I standards, but narrower in scope than ICFD's all-pillar FREDIE™ framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xlinkedin.com/company/irish-centre-for-diversity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvz54dg9KuDGZBMzlBvBzHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICFDiversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-centre-for-diversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/irishcentrefordiversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Irish Centre for Diversity