International Marine Certification Institute

Name

International Marine Certification Institute

Legal name

International Marine Certification Institute

Website

https://imci.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Marine Certification Institute is a Brussels-based EU Notified Body (ID 0609) providing CE, NMMA, ABYC, UKCA, and marina conformity assessment services to the global recreational marine industry via ~50 freelance inspectors across 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Certification Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Marinas (713930)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Classification Society & Flag-State Liaison / Plan Approval Support (IMAJAGAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Systems Commissioning, Testing & Certification Support (TLAKAKAM), Marine Surveying, Inspection & Claims (EDAOANAO)

Keywords

• Marine product certification
• CE marking services
• Boat conformity assessment
• Marine component certification
• Recreational craft compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CE Certification Services: Certification of boats, yachts, personal watercraft, and marine components under EU Recreational Craft Directive 2013/53/EU. Includes design assessment, physical inspection, and certificate issuance.
2. NMMA Boat and Yacht Certification: Joint inspection program combining CE and NMMA certification in one assessment for US market access
3. ABYC Component Certification: Global component certification program under ABYC standards for marine components, administered by IMCI
4. World Sailing Plan Review: Structural plan review for offshore sailing racing yachts under World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations
5. Company/Retailer Certification: Certification of skilled trade and service companies including boat dealers, accessories dealers, boat service, and engine sales & service
6. Expert Certification: Certification of marine experts and inspectors through examination and ongoing monitoring
7. Marina Certification (Blue Star Marina): Certification of marinas under ISO 13687 standard series for service quality
8. Post Construction Assessment (PCA): Assessment of boats and PWC that were not originally CE certified, for market entry compliance

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMCI is a Notified Body (identification number 0609) that issues CE, NMMA, ABYC, World Sailing and Blue Star Marina certifications for recreational craft, marine components, engines, marinas, and marine experts under the EU Recreational Craft Directive 2013/53/EU. The organization performs design assessment, physical factory inspections, and certificate issuance, delivered through a global network of approximately 50 freelance inspectors in more than 20 countries and supported by online tracking and guided application tools.

Product overview

IMCI is a Notified Body providing a comprehensive portfolio of certification services for the global marine industry. The core offerings include CE Certification under the EU Recreational Craft Directive, ABYC Component Certification, NMMA Boat and Yacht Certification, World Sailing plan review, and UKCA certification. These services are complemented by marina certification (Blue Star Marina), expert certification, retailer/company certification, and Post Construction Assessment. IMCI also provides a web-based IMCI Tracking System and Guided Application System for online certificate management. The organization operates through a global network of inspectors across Europe, North America, AustralAsia, South America, and Africa, and maintains partnerships with testing laboratories worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CE Certification Service (Boats & Components) CE certification for recreational craft and personal watercraft under EU Directive 2013/53/EU, covering boats between 2.5–24m hull length, marine components, and engines. Includes design assessment, factory inspection, and certificate issuance for manufacturers seeking EU market access.
• World Sailing Certification Structural plan review for offshore sailing racing yachts under World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations (ISO 12215 parts 5, 8, and 9) for design category A ocean sailing craft.
• NMMA Boat and Yacht Certification Joint inspection programme with the National Marine Manufacturers Association covering both CE and NMMA Boat and Yacht Certification in one assessment, based on ABYC standards, for US market access.
• ABYC Component Certification Global ABYC Certified Component Programme run by IMCI, confirming that marine components comply with American Boat & Yacht Council standards. Initial certificate valid for current year and following calendar year with annual updates.
• Blue Star Marina Certification Marina certification programme based on ISO 13687 standard series, covering service quality, environment, operational safety, signage, services, maintenance, and personal safety across basic, medium, and high service levels.
• Expert Certification Certification programme for marine experts and surveyors. Five-year certification period with regular monitoring of survey reports, continuing education requirements, and examination conducted at IMCI office in Eynatten, Belgium.
• Company/Retailer Certification Certification of skilled trade and service companies in the marine industry, covering boat specialised trade, accessories trade, boat service, and engine sales & service. Valid for 3 years with approximately 200 quality criteria including 90 mandatory ones.
• Post Construction Assessment (PCA) Module for certification of non-CE'd boats, yachts, and personal watercraft (whether new or used). Covers design & construction, exhaust emissions, noise emissions, and components listed in Annex II of the RCD.
• UKCA Certification UKCA certification service for boats and components for the UK market. Service discontinued at end of December 2025 due to UK legislation continuing recognition of CE marking indefinitely.

Quantifiable outcome

• Florida Marine Tanks Inc. has certified nearly 500 tank models since 1998
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince January 2001, IMCI and NMMA operate the Transatlantic Joint Inspection Programme combining CE and NMMA Boat and Yacht Certification in one assessment. This partnership reduces costs for watercraft manufacturers seeking both EU and US market access. IMCI/NMMA trained inspectors conduct joint inspections covering both EU and USA requirements.
• ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCI has been entrusted with the global implementation of the ABYC Component Certification Programme. This includes managing the certification process, test laboratory approvals, and billing. ABYC develops safety standards for recreational boats; IMCI administers third-party certification to these standards.
• World SailingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2009, IMCI is recognized by World Sailing to provide plan review according to their Offshore Sailing Regulations. IMCI conducts structural plan reviews for racing sailing yachts to demonstrate compliance with ISO 12215 and World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations 3.03.
• BELACcoreTechnology or IntegrationBELAC conducts regular audits of IMCI's quality management system as the national accreditation body. IMCI operates under ISO-recognized quality management system standards.
• ICOMIA (International Council of Marine Industry Associations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association providing networking and advocacy for marine manufacturers globally. Listed as partner/link on IMCI website.
• Testing Laboratories NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationIMCI works with test facilities including Element Materials Technology Minneapolis LLC, Labtest Certification Inc., IMANNA Laboratory Inc., SGS, and others. Laboratories have ISO 17025 accreditation and test to various standards including USCG, UL, SAE, ABYC, and EN ISO standards.
• National Marine AssociationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with national marine industry associations including: Australian Boating Industry Association (BIA), NMMA Canada, Finnboat (Finland), Danboat (Denmark), BVWW (Germany), JCI (Japan), and others for industry visibility.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV Rheinland: Global TIC company with marine product certification capabilities. Competes with IMCI for marine component and recreational craft conformity assessment, with the advantage of a much broader industrial testing portfolio.
• SGS: World's largest TIC company with marine testing and certification services. Competes with IMCI for marine product conformity assessment, especially for global manufacturers needing multi-region compliance support.
• DNV: Major classification society providing marine certification, verification, and testing worldwide. Comparable to IMCI as a notified/recognized body for vessel compliance but serves a much wider commercial maritime and offshore customer base.
• Intertek: Global TIC provider offering marine product testing, certification, and inspection services across multiple jurisdictions. Comparable to IMCI for component and recreational craft certification, with deeper resources for international rollouts.
• Lloyd's Register: Historic classification society providing marine and offshore certification, including recreational craft compliance work. Comparable to IMCI's plan approval and conformity assessment activities, though skewed toward large commercial vessels.
• Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore: Global classification society and TIC giant offering marine certification, classification, and testing services across commercial and recreational vessels. Overlaps with IMCI on recreational craft conformity assessment but operates far more broadly across offshore, commercial shipping, and asset integrity.
• RINA Services: Italian classification society delivering marine certification, plan approval, and testing for commercial and recreational vessels. Direct functional overlap with IMCI on recreational craft certification, but at much larger scale and broader ship-class scope.

Regional players

• ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai): Japanese classification society with growing recreational and small-craft certification work in Asia. Comparable to IMCI's classification and plan approval activities but primarily serves the Japanese and broader Asian marine manufacturing markets.

Direct peers

• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): US trade association operating the NMMA Boat and Yacht Certification programme through a joint inspection agreement with IMCI. The closest peer/partner in the recreational craft certification space, with shared inspectors and joint assessment delivery.
• American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC): Standards-developing body whose ABYC Component Certification Programme is administered globally by IMCI. Highly comparable standards and certification work targeting the same recreational marine OEM and component manufacturer customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-marine-certification-institute

Compliance2 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 International Marine Certification Institute