Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards

What Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards does

Skills Federation (Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards, FISSS) is a registered Scottish charity (SC026655) and company limited by guarantee (SC175918) headquartered in Edinburgh, operating as the national federation of employer-led sector skills councils in the UK. It represents 19 sector skills bodies covering science and technology, engineering and manufacturing, energy and utilities, fashion and textiles, health, justice, hospitality and travel, collectively advocating for over 150,000 employers. Its mission is to provide a unified voice on workforce development and skills policy while operating the UK's apprenticeship certification infrastructure.

The organisation's core technology is a portfolio of three apprenticeship certification platforms: ACE360 (England), Apprenticeship Certificates Wales (ACW), and Modern Apprenticeship Online (MA Online, Scotland). ACE360 is positioned as the industry-standard End-Point Assessment platform, offering cradle-to-grave learner journey management, document handling for Gateway evidence, and compliance reporting for regulators such as the Office for Students. Since 2011, Skills Federation has certified nearly 2.5 million apprenticeships, with 40,000 certifications in the last year and 1,000+ organisations actively using ACE360, supported by a 95.6% customer satisfaction score.

Revenue is generated through two channels: recurring membership contributions from 19 sector skills bodies and transaction-based fees for certifications processed across the three national platforms. Distribution is a hybrid of direct B2B membership engagement and self-serve digital platform access, with marketing conducted primarily through content, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), email and industry events. The organisation is member-governed, with no parent company, no external investment and no public listing.

Name

Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards

Legal name

Skills Federation (also known as the Federation for Industry Sector Skills & Standards (FISSS))

Website

https://fisss.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skills Federation is a Scottish registered charity that represents 19 UK sector skills bodies covering 150,000+ employers and operates ACE360, ACW (Wales) and MA Online (Scotland) apprenticeship certification platforms with 1,000+ organisational users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apprenticeship Certification and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Educational Support Services (611710), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Assessment, Certification & Qualifications Frameworks (BPADAKAL), Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

Keywords

• Apprenticeship certification
• End-point assessment
• Sector skills bodies
• Workforce development
• Skills policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Representation: Membership fees from 19 sector skills bodies that they represent, who collectively advocate for over 150,000 employers across the UK.
2. Apprenticeship Certification Services: Certification services for apprenticeships across England, Wales, and Scotland through ACE360 platform and related certification systems (ACW Certificates Wales, Modern Apprenticeship Online Scotland).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Skills Federation is a registered charity that represents 19 employer-led sector skills bodies collectively advocating for over 150,000 UK employers. Its core commercial offerings are apprenticeship certification platforms: ACE360 (industry-standard End-Point Assessment platform for England), Apprenticeship Certificates Wales (ACW), and Modern Apprenticeship Online (MA Online) for Scotland, which together provide cradle-to-grave apprenticeship management, EPA, and certification services.

Product overview

Skills Federation operates a portfolio of apprenticeship certification and assessment platforms. The core product is ACE360, an industry-standard End-Point Assessment platform for apprenticeships in England, which provides 'cradle to grave' access and management of learners' learning journeys. Complementing this are Apprenticeship Certificates Wales (ACW) and Modern Apprenticeship Online (MA Online), which provide certification systems for apprenticeships in Wales and Scotland respectively. Together, these platforms form a UK-wide apprenticeship certification ecosystem covering England, Wales, and Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACE360: Industry-standard assessment platform for apprenticeships in England offering outstanding experience for everyone involved in the apprenticeship system.
• ACW (Apprenticeship Certificates Wales)
• MA Online (Modern Apprenticeship Online)

Products and services

• ACE360 Industry-standard End-Point Assessment platform for apprenticeships in England, providing cradle-to-grave management of apprentice learning journeys, document and Gateway evidence management, and comprehensive reporting capabilities for apprenticeship outcomes. Used by over 1,000 organisations.
• Apprenticeship Certificates Wales (ACW) Apprenticeship certification system for Wales, enabling certification of apprenticeships completed in Wales.
• Modern Apprenticeship Online (MA Online) Modern Apprenticeship Online certification system for Scotland, providing online certification services for Modern Apprenticeships.
• Sector Skills Body Membership Representation Membership representation services for 19 employer-led sector skills bodies across UK industries, providing collective advocacy for over 150,000 UK employers on skills policy and workforce development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95.6% customer satisfaction rating for ACE360 service
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National FE Professional Development Programme ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Skills Federation is a partner in a successful consortium tender to deliver the national FE (Further Education) professional development programme. This consortium role represents a significant strategic partnership for influencing and delivering skills development across the UK further education sector.
• Cogent SkillscoreOthersMember sector skills body supporting the skills, needs and ambitions of UK science and technology employers, with focus on meeting net zero targets. Led by Chief Executive Justine Fosh.
• EnginuitycoreOthersMember sector skills body supporting employers in the engineering and manufacturing sector. Led by Chief Executive Ann Watson MBE.
• The Workforce Development TrustcoreOthersMember sector skills body supporting employers across a range of industries including health, justice, hospitality and travel. Led by Chief Executive John Rogers.
• Energy & Utility SkillscoreOthersMember sector skills body supporting major infrastructure companies within water, power, gas and waste management sectors. Chaired by Phil Beach.
• UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT)minorOthersMember representing the largest network for fashion and textiles in the UK, with Director of Skills and Training John West focusing on skills development initiatives in the sector.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TQUK (Training Qualifications UK): UK awarding body and End-Point Assessment Organisation providing regulated qualifications and EPA across a wide range of apprenticeship standards. Direct comparable to Skills Federation's ACE360 platform in scope and customer base.
• AIM Awards: UK awarding organisation offering regulated qualifications and End-Point Assessment services for apprenticeships. Comparable niche focus on vocational credentialing with overlapping EPAO customers.
• City & Guilds: Major UK awarding organisation offering vocational qualifications, apprenticeship End-Point Assessment, and credentials across industries. Directly comparable to Skills Federation's ACE360 EPA service and multi-sector coverage, though operating as a commercial (not charity) entity.
• Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC): UK awarding body delivering vocational qualifications and apprenticeship End-Point Assessment, including compliance and safety-focused credentials. Direct competitor in the EPAO market served by ACE360.
• NCFE: UK awarding organisation and End-Point Assessment Organisation active across multiple sectors. Closely comparable as a domestic specialist offering EPA services and vocational qualifications in direct competition with ACE360.
• Innovate Awarding: UK awarding organisation and EPAO delivering regulated vocational qualifications and apprenticeship End-Point Assessment across multiple sectors. Comparable scale and positioning as a direct EPAO competitor to ACE360.
• SFJ Awards: UK awarding organisation focused on policing, security, fire, and public-sector vocational qualifications, including apprenticeship EPA. Comparable specialist awarding body competing for similar end-point assessment volumes.

Broad incumbents

• Pearson: Global education and assessment company delivering BTEC qualifications, apprenticeship End-Point Assessment, and credentialing services in the UK. Overlaps with Skills Federation across EPA and vocational assessment but operates at far larger scale and across broader geographies and product lines.
• IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education): UK government arms-length body responsible for approving apprenticeship standards and EPA plans in England. Not a commercial peer but the most significant regulatory force shaping Skills Federation's ACE360 market and EPA volumes.

Regional players

• Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA): Scotland's national awarding body for qualifications and apprenticeships. Operates in an adjacent regulatory regime to Skills Federation's MA Online platform and could be considered both a partner and potential alternative certification provider within Scotland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SkillsFed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skills-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards