Institute of Commercial Management

What Institute of Commercial Management does

The Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number 1045370) and awarding organisation founded in 1979 and headquartered in Ringwood, Hampshire. It designs, develops and awards professional, competency-based and endorsed qualifications in business, management and related vocational areas, with 169 course topics and over 2,243,297 awards issued since inception. Its portfolio includes the Ofqual-regulated Level 2 Award in Psychology (RQF) for the English market, alongside international self-regulated Professional Qualifications, Competency Based Qualifications (CBQs), Endorsed Qualifications, Single Subjects, and eLearning/CPD modules delivered via the Student Portal. Operationally, ICM runs a web-based platform stack — Webflow-hosted public site, AWS infrastructure, and a Moodle-based Staff Development LMS — with dedicated portals for Approved Centres, Examiners and Coordinators.

ICM's commercial model is a B2B2C distribution system: the organisation sells through a network of 292 Approved Centres across 132 countries, which register learners, administer examinations and operate under ICM quality assurance protocols. Revenue is generated from learner registration fees, examination fees and qualification certification charges; as a charity, surplus is reinvested into the educational mission rather than distributed. Pricing is unit-based and varies by qualification and geography, with no public disclosure of specific tiers. ICM holds Cyber Essentials and Disability Confident certifications, complies with GDPR, and is recognised by Ofqual, TVETA (Kenya) and KNQA (Kenya), with active partnerships spanning De Montfort University, Bournemouth University, and the KNQA National Qualifications Conference ecosystem.

The company is privately held with no parent company or venture backing, governed by a Board of Trustees and led by CEO Adair Ford. It employs 51–100 people and is signalled to be actively expanding its regulated UK offering while deepening its African footprint through regulatory engagement and conference participation.

Name

Institute of Commercial Management

Legal name

The Institute of Commercial Management

Website

https://icm.education

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) is a UK-registered charity and awarding organisation, founded in 1979, that issues professional, competency-based and Ofqual-regulated qualifications through a global network of 292 Approved Centres across 132 countries, serving individual learners and educational institutions primarily in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Qualifications and Professional Certification

akta.pro primary industry

Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

Keywords

• Professional qualifications
• Vocational education
• Awarding organisation
• Business management certification
• Commercial training

Headquarters

HQ city

Ringwood

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. Qualification and Examination Services: ICM generates revenue through examination fees, learner registration fees, and qualification certification charges. As a charity, surplus funds support the organization's mission of advancing education globally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute of Commercial Management is a UK-based awarding organization founded in 1979 that develops, validates, and issues professional and vocational qualifications in business, management, marketing, tourism, and related commercial disciplines. Qualifications are delivered and assessed through a global network of approved centres, with ICM acting as the awarding body that registers learners, sets standards, and issues certificates to successful candidates.

Product overview

The Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) is an awarding organisation providing professional qualifications in business, management, and related vocational areas. The portfolio consists of Ofqual-regulated qualifications (ICM Level 2 Award in Psychology RQF), international self-regulated Professional Qualifications, Competency Based Qualifications (CBQs), ICM Endorsed Qualifications, Single Subjects, and eLearning/CPD offerings. ICM supports learners through approved centre networks globally, with online access via the Student Portal (eLearning/CPD) and internal operations via the Staff Development LMS (Moodle-based).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICM Professional Qualifications: Professional qualifications provided by ICM for business, management, and related vocational areas
• ICM Competency Based Qualifications (CBQs)
• ICM Endorsed Qualifications
• ICM Student Portal
• ICM Staff Development LMS

Products and services

• ICM Professional Qualifications in Business and Management A portfolio of professional and vocational qualifications in business, management, marketing, tourism and related commercial subjects, awarded to learners who are registered through ICM's approved centres and who successfully complete ICM-set assessments. Target users are learners at colleges, schools and training providers worldwide.
• Approved Centre Affiliation An affiliation programme whereby educational institutions and training providers are approved by ICM to deliver its qualifications, gaining access to syllabus materials, learner registration, and certification services. Target customers are colleges, schools, and private training providers globally.
• Learner Certification and Certificate Issuance Formal certification service whereby ICM issues certificates to learners who pass its qualifications, providing an employer-recognised credential for use in career progression. Target users are learners registered through approved centres.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KNQA (Kenya National Qualifications Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026ICM attended the KNQA 1st National Qualifications Conference in Nairobi from May 12-14, 2026. ICM's Africa Regional Director presented research on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Reasonable Adjustments (RA) impact on learner progression. ICM representatives also attended the KNQA gala dinner celebrating a decade of the Kenya National Qualifications Framework.
• Bournemouth UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2021ICM engaged Bournemouth University lecturers Dr Dan Hogan and Dr Philip Wilkinson to deliver a digital journalism lecture via Zoom to ICM centres and students in Ghana. Four centres participated with approximately 30 students. The lecture covered the evolution of journalism and content writing for digital platforms.
• De Montfort UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2021ICM collaborated with De Montfort University researchers as part of their Charity Fraud Prevention Initiative. The project analyzed ICM's counter fraud, bribery and corruption procedures. Research concluded that ICM has robust systems of control to prevent fraud, with all levels of management demonstrating thorough understanding of anti-fraud duties. ICM participated again in February 2023 for the second year running.
• TVETA KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICM held a symposium in Kenya with TVETA (Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority) in March 2020. The collaboration focused on gathering feedback for new qualification developments including hospitality practicals, community development, tour guiding, commercial management and entrepreneurship. TVETA regulates TVET institutions in Kenya.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pearson (Edexcel): Global education and assessment company operating the Edexcel awarding brand, offering regulated qualifications including BTECs and A-Levels. Comparable to ICM as a large-scale awarding organisation serving both regulated and international qualification markets.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants): Global professional accountancy body offering internationally recognised business qualifications. Comparable to ICM as a UK-rooted awarding body with international centre/exam network serving emerging markets.
• City & Guilds: UK-recognised awarding body offering vocational qualifications across multiple sectors and levels. Highly comparable to ICM in providing business and vocational credentials, with deeper UK regulatory footprint and global centre network.
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI): UK chartered body awarding management and leadership qualifications through UK and international centres. Comparable to ICM in subject area (business/management credentials) and centre-based delivery to emerging markets.

Direct peers

• NCC Education: UK awarding body offering business, IT, and computing qualifications through global centre network. Comparable to ICM in international centre-based qualification delivery and vocational credential focus.
• Qualifi: Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation offering vocational qualifications through approved centres. Comparable to ICM in regulated and self-regulated qualification portfolio and channel-partner distribution.
• ATHE (Awards for Training and Higher Education): Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation providing vocational and business qualifications to centres worldwide. Closely comparable to ICM in regulated qualification portfolio, centre-based distribution, and international scope.
• ABE (Association of Business Executives): UK-based awarding body offering business management qualifications internationally, with emphasis on emerging markets. Directly comparable to ICM in subject matter, international reach, and self-regulated qualification model.
• OTHM (Organisation for Tourism and Hospitality Management): UK-based awarding organisation offering vocational qualifications internationally, particularly in tourism, hospitality, and business. Comparable to ICM in centre-network distribution model and emerging market focus.
• ABP (Awards for Business Professionals): Awarding organisation focused on business and professional qualifications with international centre network. Closely comparable to ICM in business/vocational qualification portfolio and global centre-based delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/InstituteCM
• Facebookfacebook.com/icmworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-institute-of-commercial-management

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Institute of Commercial Management