International Institute of Marine Surveying

What International Institute of Marine Surveying does

The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS) is a UK-based, private limited company founded in 1991 that operates as an international professional membership body dedicated to the marine surveying profession. Headquartered in Portchester, Hampshire, the institute serves nearly 1,000 members across 8 regional branches (Asia, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, UAE, USA) and is authorised by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) as a Certifying Authority to conduct coding examinations and tonnage measurements for UK commercial vessels up to 24 metres. Core customers are professional marine surveyors, with secondary stakeholder groups including boat owners/buyers, P&I Clubs, marine insurers, and maritime regulators.

IIMS's product surface is built around award-winning Professional Qualifications in Yacht & Small Craft and Cargo & Commercial Ship Marine Surveying, delivered to 200+ enrolled students via the Student Education Portal (launched January 2022 with eDot Solutions), the On Demand Training Portal (July 2025), and in-person MSA Training Courses. Supporting products include the CPD Web App (August 2024) for professional development tracking, the Marine Surveyor Search platform (web and mobile app) connecting surveyors with vessel owners, the Boat Models Database with reviews dating to the early 1990s, and the quarterly Report magazine (100th edition, June 2022). Through wholly-owned subsidiary Marine Surveying Academy, IIMS is accredited by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) to manage the eCMID vessel inspection programme for the offshore industry.

The business model combines annual membership subscriptions, recurring Professional Qualification course fees, one-time publication sales (25+ handy guides, eBooks, Report magazine), MCA-authorised vessel coding professional services, and event/training revenue. The technology stack is standard association-platform infrastructure (WordPress/WooCommerce, Stripe/PayPal, GA4) with no proprietary AI/ML components. Governance is provided by a Management Board led by CEO Mike Schwarz, with Capt Ruchin Dayal FIIMS serving as President following a July 2022 transition.

Name

International Institute of Marine Surveying

Legal name

International Institute of Marine Surveying

Website

https://iims.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IIMS is a UK private professional membership institute founded in 1991 that serves nearly 1,000 marine surveyors worldwide through accredited Professional Qualifications, CPD tracking, an MCA-authorised vessel coding service, publications, and a Marine Surveyor Search platform, with regional branches in 8 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Marine Surveying Certification & Membership

NAICS

Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Navigational Services to Shipping (48833)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Surveying, Inspection & Claims (EDAOANAO)

Keywords

• Marine surveying qualifications
• Professional membership institute
• Vessel coding certification
• Continuing professional development
• Offshore vessel inspection

Headquarters

HQ city

Portchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees providing access to professional recognition, networking, CPD tracking, member dashboard, and resources for marine surveyors
2. Professional Education and Training: Revenue from Professional Qualifications in Yacht & Small Craft and Cargo & Commercial Ship Marine Surveying, distance learning programs, training seminars, and the On Demand Training Portal
3. Publications: Sale of The Report magazine (quarterly), handy guides series (over 25 titles), eBooks, and safety briefings compendiums
4. MCA Vessel Coding Services: Authorised by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to conduct coding examinations and tonnage measurements for UK commercial vessels up to 24 metres
5. Event Participation: Training events, seminars, conferences and exhibitions held at UK and overseas locations, including AGM events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

IIMS is a professional membership institute that delivers accredited Professional Qualifications and Diplomas in Yacht & Small Craft, Cargo & Commercial Ship Marine Surveying, and Marine Corrosion through distance learning and in-person training. It is authorised by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) to conduct vessel coding examinations and tonnage measurements for commercial vessels up to 24 metres, and operates the eCMID accredited vessel inspector programme for the offshore industry via its Marine Surveying Academy subsidiary.

Product overview

IIMS offers a comprehensive professional ecosystem for marine surveyors built around its Education Centre, which provides award-winning Professional Qualifications and Diplomas in Yacht & Small Craft, Cargo & Commercial Ship Marine Surveying, and Marine Corrosion. The core offering includes a searchable Boat Models Database with historical vessel data dating back to the 1990s, The Report Magazine (quarterly publication), and monthly News Bulletins with podcast versions. Members and clients can access the Marine Surveyor Search tool and CPD Web App for professional development tracking. IIMS is authorized by the MCA to conduct Vessel Coding examinations and manages the eCMID Accredited Vessel Inspector Programme. Supplementary products include over 25 Handy Guides (pdf and paperback), eBooks, Pay Per View Videos, the recently launched On Demand Training Portal (2025), and the Student Education Portal (2022) developed with eDot Solutions. Training is delivered through MSA Training Courses, Shipbuilding Acquaint Course, podcasts, and regular seminars and conferences at UK and overseas locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marine Surveying Academy: Subsidiary managing the eCMID programme for IMCA, accredited by IIMS.

Products and services

• IIMS Education Centre Award-winning Professional Qualifications and Diplomas in Yacht & Small Craft, Cargo & Commercial Ship Marine Surveying, and Marine Corrosion, delivered via distance learning and seminars with over 200 students currently enrolled.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIMS is authorised by the MCA to carry out coding examinations and tonnage measurements for UK commercial vessels up to 24 metres load line length. All UK vessels in commercial use up to 24 metres must comply with MCA Small Craft Codes.
• Marine Surveying AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIMS subsidiary managing the eCMID programme for IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association). Provides vessel inspection accreditation and organises training events and conferences for the Far East marine industry.
• International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIMS Marine Surveying Academy is accredited by IMCA to manage the eCMID (eCМИД) vessel inspection programme for the offshore industry.
• The Nautical InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIMS supports the Mariners Alerting and Reporting Scheme (MARS) operated by The Nautical Institute, a free resource for the shipping industry making major contributions to safety through lessons learned from accidents and near misses.
• P&I Clubs and Marine InsurersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent relevance for P&I Clubs and marine insurers in The Report magazine and news bulletins; collaboration on loss prevention guidance and safety briefings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MarineSurveyingIIMS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-institute-of-marine-surveying
• Instagraminstagram.com/iimsmarine
• Xx.com/IIMSmarine
• Facebookfacebook.com/iimsuk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Institute of Marine Surveying