Oil & Colour Chemists’ Association

What Oil & Colour Chemists’ Association does

OCCA (Oil & Colour Chemists' Association) is a UK-headquartered international professional association serving members from the coatings, ink, adhesives, and allied industries. Founded in 1918 and registered in England as a company limited by guarantee (No. 745621) and a registered charity (No. 259095), the organization is governed by a voluntary Council of Trustees and operates with 3 UK regional sections plus international Divisions in Canada, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Singapore. Its core products and services include a tiered individual membership programme (Student £30, Ordinary £105, LTSC £110, ATSC £115, FTSC £120, plus Retired at 50% discount), a £1,000+VAT Corporate Sponsorship Scheme, the bimonthly Surface Coatings International journal circulated across 60+ countries, weekly technical webinars, regional and national symposia, the biennial SURFEX exhibition (operated via wholly-owned subsidiary SURFEX LTD), a member-only OCCA Forum, OCCA Monographs, and the Surfex Bursary programme providing up to £3,000 for coatings-related training.

The business model is subscription-based and diversified: annual membership subscriptions form the recurring revenue backbone, supplemented by corporate sponsorship, event registrations (AGM, golf days, symposia), SCI journal non-member subscriptions, and commercial activity routed through SURFEX LTD. Distribution is primarily direct via the occa.org.uk website members' area, with regional sections and international Divisions handling field-level member engagement. The customer base of 800+ members is horizontally segmented across the coatings value chain, and strategic partnerships with the British Coatings Federation (BCF), Paint Research Association (PRA), and Educational Partners at eight UK universities provide accredited training and CPD pathways. There is no external parent, no equity funding, and no disclosed revenue figure, consistent with a member-funded charity association.

Name

Oil & Colour Chemists’ Association

Legal name

Oil and Colour Chemists' Association

Website

https://occa.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

OCCA is a UK-headquartered international professional association serving 800+ members in the coatings, ink, adhesives, and allied industries, providing tiered membership, technical qualifications, the Surface Coatings International journal, weekly webinars, regional symposia, and the biennial SURFEX exhibition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing (MPAJABAG)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Coatings industry membership
• Technical journal publishing
• Professional qualifications coatings
• Industry networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription-based membership model with multiple tiers from Student (£30) to Professional grades (LTSC £110, ATSC £115, FTSC £120). Retired members receive 50% discount.
2. Corporate Sponsorship Scheme: Corporate sponsorship at £1000 +VAT provides marketing exposure, advertorials in SCI, website listing, mailshots to members, and priority booking at events.
3. SCI Journal Subscriptions: Surface Coatings International issued 6 times per year. Members receive free; non-members and subscribers can obtain details by contacting admin.
4. Event Registrations: Revenue from event tickets including AGM (£15 for non-members, free for members) and golf days (£50 individual, £220 team of 4).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

OCCA is a UK-headquartered international professional association (registered charity) that sells tiered individual memberships and corporate sponsorships to professionals working in the coatings, ink, adhesives, and allied industries. It also publishes the bimonthly Surface Coatings International (SCI) journal, runs the biennial SURFEX exhibition, organizes technical meetings, symposia, and weekly webinars, awards the Surfex Bursary to chemistry students, and offers professionally accredited training pathways through partnerships with BCF and PRA.

Product overview

OCCA is a professional membership organization, not a product company. Its offerings include: Surface Coatings International (SCI) journal as its main publication; five levels of professional membership (Student, Ordinary, Professional LTSC/ATSC/FTSC, Retired, Honorary); OCCA Forum for member discussions; OCCA Monographs as technical papers; Surfex Bursary for educational funding; technical meetings, symposia and weekly webinars as events; a Corporate Sponsorship Scheme; an Educational Partners program linking industry with universities; and the biennial SURFEX exhibition. These offerings collectively serve the coatings, ink, adhesives and allied industries professional community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Surface Coatings International (SCI): Main publication by OCCA, issued 6 times per year, containing technical papers, industry news, regulatory updates and regional activity reports.
• OCCA Monographs
• Surfex Bursary
• OCCA Corporate Sponsorship Scheme

Products and services

• OCCA Membership Tiered annual professional membership for individuals in the coatings, ink, adhesives and allied industries, providing technical education, networking, the SCI journal, and access to internationally recognised qualifications (LTSC, ATSC, FTSC).
• Surface Coatings International (SCI) Journal Bimonthly (six issues per year) trade journal containing technical papers, industry news, regulatory updates and regional activity reports for the global coatings community. Free to members; available by subscription to non-members.
• Corporate Sponsorship Scheme Annual corporate sponsorship package at £1,000+VAT giving companies marketing exposure in the SCI journal, on the OCCA website, and at events, plus access to networking with the 800+ member community.
• Surfex Bursary Educational bursary of up to £3,000 awarded to chemistry students and employees undertaking recognised training courses in the UK coatings industry.
• SURFEX Exhibition Biennial UK coatings industry exhibition organised by SURFEX LTD (a wholly owned subsidiary of OCCA) bringing together coatings suppliers, manufacturers and professionals.
• Technical Meetings & Symposia Programme of regional and national technical meetings, symposia and educational events organised by OCCA's UK regional sections and international divisions for industry professionals.
• OCCA Weekly Webinars Weekly webinar series hosted via Zoom featuring technical presentations from industry experts on coatings, inks, adhesives and related chemistry topics.
• OCCA Monographs Historical technical papers held in the OCCA archives, sold to interested members through the Members' Area of the website.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Coatings Federation (BCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCF provides accredited training courses that contribute to OCCA members' formalised Continuing Professional Development. OCCA members can access BCF training as part of their professional development pathway.
• PRA (Paint Research Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRA provides accredited training courses that contribute to OCCA members' formalised Continuing Professional Development. OCCA members can access PRA training as part of their professional development pathway.
• Science CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a related organisation providing pathways for professional qualifications and development in chemistry-related fields.
• Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated professional body in the colour and dyes industry, linked through OCCA's related organisations directory.
• FATIPECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean federation of associations of experts in paints, printing inks, artists' colours and pigments - linked as related organisation.
• Coatings Societies InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational federation of coatings societies - linked as related organisation for global industry coordination.
• SURFEX LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly owned subsidiary of OCCA, run by separate volunteer Board of Directors, responsible for organisation and management of OCCA's commercial activities including biennial SURFEX exhibition.
• Lancaster UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational Partner providing industry-academia links for chemistry students. Ranked in top 10 UK universities with world-class facilities.
• Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld leading research institute within School of Design at University of Leeds with 150 years of research in textile technology and colour science.
• University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational Partner with Research Centre for Smart Materials, one of UK's largest universities with 38,000 staff and students.
• University of LincolnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to Bridge Advanced Materials and Engineering R&D Centre with specialist instrumentation and purpose-built laboratories.
• University of ManchesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) - state-of-the-art translation centre accelerating lab-to-market development.
• University of SalfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational Partner with £3m state-of-the-art teaching laboratories in School of Environment and Life Sciences.
• University of YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRussell Group university ranked 14th overall in REF 2014, with world-leading atmospheric chemistry, structural biology and green chemistry research.
• University of WarwickminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRanked joint sixth in REF 2014 with 98% research classified as world-leading or internationally excellent. Home to £24m interdisciplinary centre for Materials and Analytical Science.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Society of Chemistry: UK-based professional body for chemists broadly with tens of thousands of members globally. Larger and broader than OCCA, but competing for the same chemistry professional audience, particularly younger members, students and academic researchers who could otherwise join OCCA.

Regional players

• American Coatings Association: US national trade association for paint and coatings manufacturers, paralleling OCCA's role in the UK market. Comparable membership structure and industry focus, but serves the North American coatings market rather than competing directly with OCCA's UK-centric operations.
• Surface Coatings Association Australia: Australian coatings industry association formally linked to OCCA as a related organisation. Provides comparable professional membership and technical resources for the Australian market, with similar member profile and industry focus but operating in a different geography.
• Surface Coatings Association New Zealand: New Zealand coatings industry association linked through OCCA's related organisations directory. Similar mission and member profile, serving the New Zealand market with comparable technical meetings and industry representation.

Direct peers

• British Coatings Federation: UK trade association for the coatings industry, representing manufacturers and suppliers. Directly comparable to OCCA as a UK-based coatings industry body listed as a strategic partner, though BCF focuses more on advocacy and regulation while OCCA emphasises technical education and qualifications.
• Society of Dyers and Colourists: UK-based professional body for colour science and dyeing. Listed as OCCA's related organisation with similar structure of membership tiers, professional qualifications (ASDIC, FSDC) and technical publishing, serving an adjacent industry with overlapping chemistry expertise and member demographics.
• BASA (British Adhesives & Sealants Association): UK trade association representing the adhesives and sealants industry, one of OCCA's explicit coverage areas. Similar structure of corporate membership, industry events, technical standards support and small-staff professional body operations based in the UK.

Others

• Coatings Societies International: International federation of coatings-related societies globally, of which OCCA is a member. Provides global industry networking and coordination forum, but does not deliver direct member services that compete with OCCA's UK-focused educational offerings.
• FATIPEC: European federation of national coatings and printing ink technical associations, of which OCCA is a member. Enables cross-border industry coordination but operates as a federation of member bodies rather than delivering direct services competing with OCCA.
• PRA (Paint Research Association): UK-based coatings research organisation providing accredited training and technical services to OCCA members. Functions as a CPD and training partner rather than direct competitor, but addresses overlapping audience needs around technical education and research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/occa_news
• Facebookfacebook.com/occaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/2493100

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Oil & Colour Chemists’ Association