Canadian Bureau for International Education

What Canadian Bureau for International Education does

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1965 and headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, operating as the national coordinating body for international education across the Canadian post-secondary and school board sectors. CBIE serves 167 member institutions — including universities, colleges, polytechnics, and school boards — through institutional membership, professional training, an annual national conference (CBIE2026 scheduled for November 22–25, 2026 in Ottawa with 1,300+ participants from 35+ countries), regional meetings across six provinces, and a virtual community platform (CBIE Hub) engaging 2,272 practitioners across 36 community-led events per year.

Its core products span three categories: (1) membership services with FTEE-based tiered annual dues ($1,575 for school boards; $5,250–$10,500 for post-secondary institutions), (2) professional training programs including the IE-Pro self-directed courses ($115–$165) and the ISIEP 15-week CICC-accredited program ($4,175–$5,350) that feeds into RISIA licensing, and (3) managed government services including administration of the Global Affairs Canada International Scholarships Program (ELAP, Study in Canada, Canada-China Scholars' Exchange, Faculty Mobility) and the IAEA Fellowship and Scientific Visit Program (in place since 1987 with 1,000+ fellows hosted). The organization does not develop proprietary technology — it operates on Brightspace/D2L for training delivery and standard web tools for the community platform.

CBIE monetizes through recurring annual institutional membership dues, training program fees, event registrations (annual conference $1,545/$1,765, regional meetings $175), and government contracts for scholarship/fellowship administration and capacity-building projects across 45+ countries. Its 2024 IE-Pro launch and 2025 'Learn Canadian' global campaign mark the most recent product/positioning moves, while the organization simultaneously runs a national research agenda anchored by the International Student Survey (32,000+ respondents in the 2023 edition) and the Learning Abroad Survey.

Name

Canadian Bureau for International Education

Legal name

Canadian Bureau for International Education

Website

https://cbie.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) is a non-profit, Ottawa-based national membership organization founded in 1965 that serves 167 Canadian post-secondary institutions and school boards through membership services, CICC-accredited professional training (IE-Pro, ISIEP), an annual conference, regional meetings, and government-mandated scholarship and fellowship administration programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Membership Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG), Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN)

Keywords

• International education services
• Education membership programs
• Professional development training
• Scholarship administration services
• Capacity building projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Dues: Annual membership fees charged to Canadian post-secondary institutions and school boards based on full-time equivalent enrollment (FTEE). Membership renews annually on April 1st. Provides access to community hub, professional learning communities, events, advocacy, and member-only resources.
2. Professional Training Programs: Revenue from IE-Pro training courses ($115-$165 per course for members/non-members) and ISIEP intensive 15-week program ($4,175 for members, $5,350 for non-members). These programs train international education practitioners and prepare them for RISIA licensing.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from annual conference registrations ($1,545 member cost, $1,765 non-member cost) and regional meeting registrations ($175 per person). Events include networking opportunities, professional development sessions, and sponsor/exhibitor revenue.
4. Scholarship Program Administration: CBIE administers the Global Affairs Canada International Scholarships Program on behalf of the Government of Canada. This includes managing the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP), Study in Canada Scholarships, Canada-China Scholars' Exchange Program, and Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program.
5. IAEA Fellowship Administration: CBIE administers the IAEA Fellowship and Scientific Visit Program in Canada, disbursing allowances and tuition payments for fellows from developing countries since 1987.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CBIE is a non-profit membership organization that provides institutional membership to Canadian post-secondary institutions and school boards, alongside fee-based professional development training (IE-Pro and ISIEP), annual national and regional conferences, national student mobility surveys, and administration of scholarship and fellowship programs on behalf of Global Affairs Canada and the IAEA. Its offerings center on advocacy, capacity building, networking, and professional certification pathways (notably RISIA preparation through ISIEP) for the Canadian international education sector.

Product overview

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) operates as a national membership organization providing a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services rather than a single unified technology product. The core offerings include membership services, professional development training (IE-Pro with Fundamentals of International Education in Canada and Internationalization in Action courses), the ISIEP 15-week immigration education program for RISIA exam preparation, annual national conferences and regional meetings, student survey research (International Student Survey and Learning Abroad Survey), capacity building and international partnership programs, and the Global Affairs Canada scholarship administration. Additional offerings include Excellence Awards recognizing achievement in international education, the CBIE Hub virtual community platform, and the Learn Canadian global marketing campaign. The organization does not develop or sell technology products but rather serves as an advocacy, research, and professional development body for Canadian international education institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Learn Canadian: A sector-led global campaign repositioning Canada as a place to access world-leading academic education and become a true global citizen.
• ISIEP
• IE-Pro

Products and services

• CBIE Institutional Membership

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor, regional and international.

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987CBIE administers the IAEA Fellowship and Scientific Visit Program in Canada. Since 1987, over 1,000 fellows from developing countries have been welcomed to train in Canadian institutions in fields relevant to nuclear technology and socioeconomic development.
• Global Affairs CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBIE administers the Global Affairs Canada International Scholarships Program on behalf of the Government of Canada. This includes managing ELAP (Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program), Study in Canada Scholarships, Canada-China Scholars' Exchange Program, and Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program. This is a foundational partnership enabling CBIE's mission to advance Canada's international education sector.
• College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBIE's ISIEP program is accredited by CICC as a prerequisite for RISIA (Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor) licensing. CBIE sends official transcripts to CICC upon successful completion. This partnership establishes CBIE as the primary training provider for immigration advising certification.
• Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint establishment of the EduCanada Brand with Global Affairs Canada. CMEC and Global Affairs Canada jointly establish the Brand Use Eligibility Policy, ensuring only high-quality educational institutions can use the national brand. CBIE membership requires institutions to be EduCanada brand eligible.
• Ukraine Ministry/GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple capacity building projects including: Quality and Accessible Legal Aid in Ukraine (QALA), Policy Reform and Implementation Support Mechanism (PRISM), Ukraine Civil Service Human Resource Management Reform (UCS-HRM), and Novopecherska School development.
• Jordan Ministry/GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunching Economic Achievement Program (LEAP) For Women in Jordan - economic empowerment initiative.
• KenyaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Impact of Executive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa project.
• TajikistanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Central Asia's School Of Professional And Continuing Education Impact Evaluation.
• United Arab EmiratesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbu Dhabi School Leadership Assessment and Capacity Review Project.
• NigeriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeeds Assessment for the Curriculum Development of the Skills Acquisition Training Centre.
• KuwaitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-Service Teacher and Principal Training Program.
• EgyptminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian International School of Egypt (CISE) development.
• Dominican RepublicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationalization Study & Implementation Plan for Colegio CEMEP.
• BC Council for International EducationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of BC Symposium regional meeting scheduled for February 2026 in Vancouver.
• Alberta Bureau for International EducationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Alberta Regional Meeting with Mount Royal University scheduled for May 2026 in Calgary.
• Manitoba Council for International EducationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of MCIE Annual Conference scheduled for May 2026 in Winnipeg.
• EduCanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational brand for Canadian education internationally, jointly managed by Global Affairs Canada and CMEC. CBIE membership requires institutions to be EduCanada brand eligible, linking CBIE to this national quality assurance framework.
• Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE)internationalGTM or Marketing PartnerCBIE participated in APAIE 2026 Conference and Exhibition held February 23-27, 2026 in Hong Kong to build international partnerships.
• European Association for International Education (EAIE)internationalGTM or Marketing PartnerCBIE participated in EAIE 2025 to engage with European partners and produce market intelligence report on Canada's engagement.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Institute of International Education (IIE): IIE is a larger, US-based nonprofit administering flagship exchange programs (Fulbright, Gilman) and policy research on international education. It overlaps with CBIE in scholarship administration and research, but operates at much greater scale and with broader global program mandates.
• British Council: The British Council is a UK quasi-governmental body that promotes international education and administers scholarship and fellowship programs globally. It overlaps with CBIE's government-mandated scholarship administration and capacity-building mandates at a much larger scale.

Regional players

• International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA): IEASA is the South African national association for internationalization of higher education, serving member institutions with conferences, training, and advocacy. It is functionally comparable to CBIE but operates in a different regional context.

Others

• Languages Canada: Languages Canada is the national association representing Canada's language education sector, providing accreditation, advocacy, and marketing services. It shares CBIE's national association model and EduCanada affiliation but focuses specifically on language programs.
• Universities Canada: Universities Canada is the national voice of Canadian universities, representing members on policy, research, and internationalization. It is adjacent to CBIE as a Canadian higher education membership body but focuses more on domestic policy advocacy than on international education specifically.

Direct peers

• NAFSA: Association of International Educators: NAFSA is the US national membership association for international education professionals, operating annual conferences, professional learning, advocacy, and training programs. It is the closest direct counterpart to CBIE in a different national market, with near-identical member value proposition.
• European Association for International Education (EAIE): EAIE is the European membership association for international education professionals, hosting a major annual conference and serving higher education institutions across Europe. CBIE actively engages EAIE to produce market intelligence on Canada's engagement with European partners, evidencing close functional overlap.
• International Education Association of Australia (IEAA): IEAA is the Australian national professional association for international educators, providing member services, professional development, and advocacy. It mirrors CBIE's mandate in a different geography and faces similar dynamics from Australian international student policy shifts.
• Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE): APAIE is the regional membership association for international educators across the Asia-Pacific, running a flagship annual conference and exhibition. CBIE participates in APAIE to build international partnerships, indicating direct comparability in conference and member-service models.

Emerging players

• Going Global: Going Global is a commercial data and platform provider supporting international student mobility, advising, and recruitment for institutions. It intersects with CBIE's student mobility survey and advising training offerings from a commercial, technology-led angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cbiebcei?feature=results_main
• Facebookfacebook.com/cbie.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-canadian-bureau-for-international-education-cbie-
• Xx.com/CBIE_BCEI

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Canadian Bureau for International Education