Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

What Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability does

The Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS) is the global professional body for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) practitioners, founded in 2014 and operated through Corporate Responsibility Group Ltd, a UK company limited by guarantee headquartered in London. It provides a tiered credentialing system — Individual Membership (Member and Fellow levels with FICRS post-nominal), Organisational Membership for employer institutions, and Senior Fellowship (SFICRS) launched in January 2026 as the highest recognition tier — alongside supporting services including a Training & Development Hub, a structured Mentoring Programme, eight regional Hubs (Yorkshire, Scotland, North West, Farnborough, Northamptonshire, Ireland, London, Aspire), and the Level 4 CRS Practitioner Apprenticeship introduced in 2021. Community engagement is driven through the annual ICRS Exchange conference, the Annual Debate, regional Hub events, topical webinars, the monthly Express newsletter (6,000+ subscribers), and editorial partnerships with Raconteur for The Times Sustainable Business reports.

The business model is membership-funded, with revenue from individual subscription fees, organisational membership fees (which include Senior Fellowship for institutional members), the £300 annual Senior Fellowship fee and £160 non-refundable application fee for individual Senior Fellows, event participation, and training. Notable Organisational Members include Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills, Ashurst, the Lego Group, LinkedIn, Boots Group, Inflexion, Amazon, Laing O'Rourke, and CAF. Day-to-day operations are delivered by SLR Consulting as the ICRS Secretariat, and ICRS holds HMRC-approved professional body status, enabling individual members to claim tax relief on fees. There is no equity funding, no public listing, and no disclosed financial figures; the organisation is governed by a Chair (Jennie Galbraith) and Board of Directors.

Technology is not a core component of the offering: ICRS operates a standard membership website (icrs.info), a members area, and EventBrite for event registration, without proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI-driven capabilities. The competitive position rests on credentialing standards, regulatory recognition, and the cumulative network effect of 140+ Fellows, thousands of individual members, and marquee employer Organisational Members across legal, financial services, technology, and consumer products sectors.

Name

Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

Legal name

Corporate Responsibility Group Ltd

Website

https://icrs.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS) is a UK-based nonprofit professional body that provides credentialing (Member, Fellow, Senior Fellow), training, regional networking, and a Level 4 apprenticeship for corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioners worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Fees: Individual professionals pay annual membership fees to access the members area, CPD resources, webinars, events, and the ICRS community. Membership levels include Member and Fellow (assessment-based). Fellows may use post-nominal letters (FICRS). Annual renewal confirms continued acceptance of the membership contract.
2. Organisational Membership Fees: Organisations pay membership fees to join ICRS, gaining access for their teams and association with the professional body. Senior Fellowship annual membership is included within Organisational Membership.
3. Senior Fellowship Programme: Senior Fellowship (SFICRS) is the highest professional recognition tier, with an application fee of £160 (non-refundable) and annual membership of £300 for individual Senior Fellows. Organisational Members do not pay an additional Senior Fellowship fee as it is included in their membership.
4. Events and Training: ICRS generates revenue through events including the ICRS Exchange (annual flagship conference), the Annual Debate, Hub networking sessions, webinars, and the Training & Development Hub. Events may be free to members or paid.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICRS is a nonprofit professional membership body that provides credentialing, training, and community for corporate responsibility and sustainability (CR&S) practitioners. Its core offerings are the tiered membership programme (Individual Member, Fellow, Senior Fellow, Organisational Member), the Level 4 CR&S Apprenticeship, regional ICRS Hubs, the Mentoring Programme, the Training & Development Hub, and flagship events including the ICRS Exchange and Annual Debate.

Product overview

The Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS) is a professional membership body offering a tiered membership structure for CR&S practitioners. The core offerings include Individual Membership (with Member and Fellow levels), Organisational Membership, and Senior Fellowship as the pinnacle recognition. Supporting services include the Training & Development Hub for continuous learning, the ICRS Mentoring Programme for career development, the CRS Practitioner Apprenticeship (Level 4) for entry into the profession, and a comprehensive events programme featuring the ICRS Exchange, ICRS Debate, and regional Hub events. The organisation also publishes the monthly Express newsletter. Together, these products create a complete professional development ecosystem for corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Professional membership for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) practitioners with two levels: Member (self-assessed) and Fellow (assessment-based). Includes access to the members' area, CPD resources, webinars, events, and for Fellows the right to use post-nominal letters (FICRS).
• Organisational Membership Institutional membership for organisations wanting to support their CR&S professionals and demonstrate commitment to responsible business practices. Provides team access to ICRS resources and includes the Senior Fellowship annual fee for organisational members.
• Fellowship (FICRS) Assessment-based professional recognition awarded to CR&S professionals assessed on their practical professional experience. Fellows can use post-nominal letters FICRS, have voting rights, and are committed to developing their CR&S competences and contributing to the professionalism of the sector.
• Senior Fellowship (SFICRS) The highest level of professional recognition within ICRS, awarded to senior practitioners (typically with at least 15 years of CR&S experience) who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, impact, and influence both within their organisations and across the wider CR&S profession. Successful applicants can use the post-nominal designation SFICRS.
• CRS Practitioner Apprenticeship (Level 4) Apprenticeship programme developed by a Trailblazer group of employers (Weil, JP Morgan, Linklaters, Royal London, IHG, Salesforce, GSK, Sainsbury's, Legal & General, and others) to widen access and create entry pathways into Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. Typically three years for new entrants, focused on key competences, knowledge, skills and behaviours for sustainability roles. Free ICRS membership is included for apprentices while studying.
• ICRS Mentoring Programme Structured mentorship programme connecting experienced CR&S professionals (mentors) with members or prospective members (mentees) seeking career guidance. Runs twice yearly (spring and autumn), pairing mentors and mentees based on interests and ambitions.
• ICRS Events Programme Events programme including the ICRS Exchange (annual flagship event), ICRS Annual Debate, Fellows Hub networking events, and regional ICRS Hub events across Yorkshire, London, Scotland, Ireland, North-West, Farnborough, and Northamptonshire. Ticketed via EventBrite; some events are free to members or non-members.
• Training & Development Hub Skills and development resources providing continuous learning opportunities for members to hone their CR&S skills and extend a responsible business mindset throughout their organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140+ Fellows, over 6,000 newsletter subscribers, 140 apprentices in 90+ businesses through the CR&S Apprenticeship
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered key supporter, contributor, flagship and core.

• Acre / Sustainability Censuskey supporterGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026ICRS is supporting the 2026 Sustainability Census, a global survey led by Acre in partnership with SLR Consulting, which is described as the benchmark survey for the sustainability profession, capturing data on roles, skills, priorities, challenges, and trends.
• OckiProcontributorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ICRS partnered with OckiPro to conduct the Effective Employee Sustainability Engagement survey, combining responses from over 100 professionals with OckiPro's expertise to produce recommendations for making workforce engagement more powerful.
• Amazonkey supporterStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Amazon generously funded the CRS Apprenticeship Review 2023 research published by ICRS, which examined the impact of the Level 4 CR&S Apprenticeship on apprentices and employers. Amazon is also listed as an organisational member with its logo on the ICRS website.
• Warrior Group NetworkcontributorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Warrior Group Network provided expert input for the inclusive practices toolkit accompanying the CRS Apprenticeship Review 2023 research, developing practical guidance on recruitment and inclusive practices for CR&S Apprentices.
• RaconteurflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021ICRS has partnered with Raconteur on its annual Sustainable Business special report, published in The Times. ICRS Chair and Board members contribute editorial content, positioning ICRS as a thought leader in the sustainability space. Partnership has continued from 2021 through at least 2023.
• CRS Apprenticeship Trailblazer GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021A group of employers (Weil, Heart of the City, JP Morgan, Linklaters, Royal London, FTI, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Salesforce, QBL Consulting, ISG Plc, Fujitsu, GSK, HS2, Sainsbury's, Legal & General, NG Bailey, ICRS) designed the Level 4 CRS Practitioner Apprenticeship as a Trailblazer group. The group evolved into an Employer Review Group (ERG) that meets annually with training providers to ensure the qualification remains fit for purpose.
• SLR ConsultingcoreOthersSLR Consulting provides the ICRS Secretariat — the operational team that runs the day-to-day activities of the Institute. This is a core operational partnership supporting ICRS's functions. SLR is part of Carnstone Partners Ltd, which also provides staff to the secretariat.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• IFRS Foundation (ISSB): Sets global sustainability disclosure standards through the ISSB and is shaping the technical agenda that CR&S professionals must learn. Relevant adjacent standards-setter whose standards drive demand for ICRS-style credentialing and training.
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): Independent international standards organisation for sustainability/CR reporting, widely adopted by listed companies. Adjacent peer because it sits at the centre of the CR&S profession and competes with ICRS-adjacent training and credentialing for ESG reporting competencies.

Broad incumbents

• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): Long-established UK professional body for HR and people professionals with individual/employer memberships, chartered status and learning programmes. A structural peer for the ICRS professional body / membership operating model rather than for its CR&S content.
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI): UK chartered body for managers with individual membership, qualifications and corporate partner programmes. Useful structural peer for ICRS's chartered-style credentialing and employer engagement model.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants): Global chartered body offering sustainability credentials and CPD alongside its accounting qualification. Comparable professional body with member subscriptions, post-nominal letters and a growing sustainability/ESG portfolio that competes for the same corporate buyers of CR&S training.

Direct peers

• Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA): UK-based membership body for environment and sustainability professionals, offering practitioner credentials, training and policy advocacy. The closest direct peer to ICRS: same geography, similar individual/employer membership model, overlapping CR&S audience.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL): University-based institute delivering executive education, research and business-led programmes on sustainability leadership. Comparable because it serves and credentialises senior CR&S professionals with education and network offerings, competing for the same employer memberships.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): Global, CEO-led membership association of ~200+ companies working on sustainable business. Comparable as a corporate-membership body focused on sustainability, but operating at the employer rather than individual-practitioner level.
• United Nations Global Compact: Largest global corporate sustainability initiative with thousands of participating companies and local networks. Comparable as a membership/credentialing platform for corporate sustainability, though focused more on company-level commitments than individual practitioner credentials.

Others

• B Lab Global (B Corp): Non-profit network certifying companies as B Corps with a community and advisory ecosystem for responsible business. Comparable as a community-led sustainability credentialing brand, but certifies companies rather than individual practitioners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability