What ICOM does

ICOM (International Council of Museums) is a Paris-headquartered, non-governmental, non-profit membership association founded in 1946 that establishes professional and ethical standards for the global museum community. It serves two primary customer segments: individual museum professionals (curators, directors, conservators, educators, students) and institutional members (museums and cultural heritage organizations) across more than 120 countries. The organization is governed by a General Assembly, Executive Board, and Advisory Council, with day-to-day operations run from the General Secretariat at 15 rue Lasson, 75012 Paris (SIREN 784617813), under the leadership of President Antonio Rodríguez, Director General Peter Keller (appointed February 2017), and Vice-President Alberto Garlandini.

ICOM's core products are non-software services delivered through a federated governance and community model: the revised Code of Ethics for Museums (officially adopted June 2026), the Museum Definition, the Object ID standard, Red Lists for at-risk cultural heritage, the International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods, and the EU-funded PRISM anti-trafficking project. Its go-to-market is community-led, recruiting members through a network of 120 National Committees, 35 International Committees organized by museum specialization, and 7 Regional Alliances, with annual meetings, triennial General Conferences, International Museum Day (May 18), and training programs via ICOM-ITC. Revenue is generated through recurring membership fees (individual, institutional, student, honorary, and supporting tiers), supplemented by grant and project funding from partners including UNESCO and the European Union, training program fees, and publication revenue from the Museum International peer-reviewed journal.

Name

ICOM

Legal name

International Council of Museums

Website

https://icom.museum

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICOM (International Council of Museums) is a Paris-based non-profit membership association founded in 1946 that sets global professional and ethical standards for museums, serving museum professionals and institutions across 120+ countries through a federated network of National and International Committees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW) (EDAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disaster Response Coordination & Incident Command (EOC/ICS) (HLAJAGAB)

Keywords

• Museum professional standards
• Museum membership association
• Cultural heritage protection
• Museum ethics framework
• Museum training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ICOM generates revenue through annual membership fees from individual museum professionals, institutional members (museums), student members, honorary members, and supporting members. Membership categories include individual, institutional, student, honorary, and supporting members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ICOM is a membership-based non-governmental organization that establishes professional and ethical standards for museums globally, including the Code of Ethics for Museums and the Museum Definition. It delivers these standards through membership programs with an ICOM Membership Card providing reciprocal collection access, International Museum Day events, triennial General Conferences, specialized International and National Committees, Red Lists for heritage protection, and capacity-building training via ICOM-ITC.

Product overview

ICOM (International Council of Museums) is a membership-based non-governmental organization that establishes professional and ethical standards for museums globally. Rather than offering a software product, ICOM provides a suite of professional services including its Code of Ethics, International Museum Day, membership programs with access cards, Red Lists for heritage protection, and coordinates 32 International Committees and 120 National Committees. The organization publishes Museum International journal and runs training programs through ICOM-ITC. Annual General Conferences and specialized committees provide networking and knowledge exchange for museum professionals worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICOM-ITC: International Training Centre for Museum Studies
• ICOM Voices
• Museum International
• International Museum Day

Products and services

• ICOM Membership Annual membership program providing individual museum professionals, institutional members (museums), students, honorary members, and supporting members access to ICOM's global network, professional resources, the Code of Ethics, international committee participation, and the ICOM Membership Card for reciprocal collection access.
• ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums Internationally recognized professional and ethical standards document governing museum activities, adopted in revised form in June 2026, and available to museum professionals and institutions globally.
• ICOM Membership Card

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICOM collaborates with UNESCO as a consultative partner on issues related to cultural heritage. The two organizations jointly launch initiatives such as global surveys on museum-related topics, including a 2026 survey on AI use in museums.
• European Union (PRISM Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICOM is the implementing organization for PRISM, an EU-funded project to fight illicit trafficking of cultural objects. This project involves international cooperation to protect cultural heritage and combat illegal trade.
• National and International CommitteescoreOthersICOM works through a network of 120 National Committees, 35 International Committees, 7 Regional Alliances, and affiliated organizations that participate in ICOM activities and contribute to its influence and network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UNESCO (Culture Sector): The UN agency where ICOM holds consultative status. UNESCO's Culture Sector broadly addresses cultural heritage policy, including museums and intangible heritage. Comparable as a wider institutional incumbent with overlapping goals but a much broader mandate.

Emerging players

• International Council of Design (ico-D): International non-profit organization for design professionals, with a similar membership-association structure including national and regional chapters, codes of practice, and conferences. Comparable as a structural peer in how a global professional NGO organizes itself, although focused on a different profession.

Regional players

• Museums Association (UK): The national membership body for museums in the UK, offering training, publications, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a national-level equivalent of ICOM's mission, demonstrating the regional competitive dynamic ICOM faces in mature markets.
• Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO): An umbrella network representing European national museum organizations to EU policymakers. Comparable to ICOM in membership-association structure but operating regionally in Europe, often as a competing channel for member engagement and EU funding.

Direct peers

• International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS): UNESCO-affiliated international NGO focused on conservation of monuments and heritage sites. A sister organization to ICOM with a parallel global committee structure and standard-setting role, addressing cultural heritage from a built-environment perspective rather than museums.
• Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD): Professional association for art museum directors in the US and abroad, focused on leadership standards and professional development. Comparable to ICOM's professional-association model but specialized in art museum leadership.
• American Alliance of Museums (AAM): The largest US-based museum membership association, providing accreditation, advocacy, ethics standards, and professional development. Closely comparable to ICOM's model at the national level, serving overlapping museum professional constituencies.
• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property): Intergovernmental organization dedicated to conservation of cultural heritage, with training, research, and capacity-building programs. Comparable to ICOM in mission overlap (heritage preservation) and institutional role, with member-state governance.
• European Museum Academy: European-level organization recognizing museum excellence through awards and supporting professional development. Overlaps with ICOM's training and standards mandate at a regional level, and competes for the same European museum professional audience.
• International Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM/FMAM): Global federation of national 'Friends of Museums' volunteer associations supporting museums through fundraising and engagement. Comparable as an international NGO serving the museum ecosystem through a volunteer/membership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IcomOfficiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-council-of-museums
• Instagraminstagram.com/icomofficiel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ICOM