Research Quality Association
Research Quality Association (RQA), founded in 1977, is a UK not-for-profit professional membership body that certifies, trains, and connects individuals working in quality assurance across pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, chemicals, and medical devices research, globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersIpswich, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Research Quality Association does
Research Quality Association (RQA), founded in 1977 and headquartered at 3 Wherry Lane, Ipswich, UK, is a not-for-profit professional membership body (Research Quality Association Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company no. 3320040) serving individuals engaged in quality assurance within scientific research across pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, chemicals, and medical devices. RQA operates a multi-product platform anchored by the RQA Certification Scheme (with tracks in Animal Health, Good Clinical Practice, Good Laboratory Practice, and Quality Management, each backed by a published Body of Knowledge), a training and eLearning catalogue, an annual International QA Conference (the 2025 edition held in Belfast) and the 8th Global QA Conference scheduled for November 2026 at Novotel London West, the Quasar magazine, an open Community Hub, and a Knowledge Hub covering eight regulated domains. The supporting technology stack consists of the therqa.com web platform with an integrated LMS, community hub, event registration, certification tracking, careers/job board, and newsletter distribution.
RQA monetises through four revenue streams: annual membership subscriptions providing tiered access to the network, resources, and training discounts; fee-based training courses, eLearning modules, corporate learning programmes, in-house courses, and certification examinations; conference, sponsorship, and exhibition income from the International and Global QA Conferences, regional forums, webinars, and virtual symposia; and sales of Quasar magazine, eBooklets, and webcasts. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, reinforced by Special Interest Groups (Good Research Practice, Support and Grow, Quality Practices for RW-NIS), regional forums including MARSQA/SQA and South-East Asia, and strategic mutual partnerships with the German Quality Management Association (GQMA, signed Nov 2023), the Japan Society of Quality Assurance (JSQA), the Society of Quality Assurance (SQA) — jointly maintaining the Global GCP Auditing Guideline — the China QA Forum (CQAF), and the NHS R&D Forum. Pricing varies by membership tier, course, and event and is not publicly disclosed beyond indication that prices exclude VAT.
Operationally, RQA is small and lean, with nine named office staff supporting a board chaired by Tim Stiles. It exhibits the characteristics of a steady-state, mission-driven professional association rather than a venture-backed growth company: no external funding rounds, no subsidiaries, no acquisitions, and no public-company status. Its principal intangible assets are its regulatory standing, its 45+ year brand, and the accumulated content and certification framework built around the GxP regulatory regimes administered by the MHRA, EMA, FDA, OECD, EPA, and VICH.
Research Quality Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Research Quality Association
- Legal name
- Research Quality Association Ltd
- Website
- https://therqa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Research Quality Association (RQA), founded in 1977, is a UK not-for-profit professional membership body that certifies, trains, and connects individuals working in quality assurance across pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, chemicals, and medical devices research, globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Research Quality Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association and Quality Assurance Training Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Quality Management Systems (QMS) & ISO Training (ISO 9001/IATF/AS9100) (EDABAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications (EDAAANAD)
Keywords
Where Research Quality Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ipswich
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Research Quality Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees providing access to professional network, resources, training discounts, and member-only content. Membership benefits include status and visibility for individuals engaged in quality of research.
- Training and Education: Revenue from training courses, eLearning modules, corporate learning programs, in-house courses, and certification examination fees.
- Events and Conferences: Conference delegate fees, sponsorship revenue, and exhibition fees from International QA Conference, Global QA Conference, regional forums, and virtual symposia.
- Publications: Sales of Quasar magazine, eBooklets, webcasts, and other knowledge resources for QA professionals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Membership subscription with tiered benefits |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Research Quality Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RQA is a not-for-profit professional membership body that provides quality assurance training, a tiered certification scheme, conferences, eLearning, and networking for QA professionals working in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, chemicals, medical devices, and cosmetics. The association operates through individual memberships, corporate learning programmes, special interest groups, regional forums, and an online community hub, supported by a small office team in Ipswich, UK.
Product overview
Research Quality Association (RQA) operates as a professional membership organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered on quality assurance in scientific research. The core offering includes the RQA Certification Scheme (covering Animal Health, Good Clinical Practice, Good Laboratory Practice, and Quality Management), professional training through Training Courses, eLearning, and Corporate Learning programs, and major conference events including the annual International QA Conference and the 8th Global QA Conference. Supporting products include Quasar Magazine (professional publication), the RQA Community Hub (networking platform), Webinars, Webcasts, and eBooklets for ongoing education. The Knowledge Hub provides regulatory resources across eight specialized areas. Additional services encompass the Register of Consultants, Volunteer Programme, Special Interest Groups, Regional Forums, and a Careers Area. RQA Virtual Symposia provides online access to professional development events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RQA Membership
- RQA Certification Scheme
- Training Courses
- eLearning
- Corporate eLearning
- In-house Courses
- International QA Conference
- 8th Global QA Conference
- RQA Virtual Symposia
- Webinars and Webcasts
- eBooklets
- Quasar Magazine
- RQA Community Hub
- Register of Consultants
- Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
- Regional Forums
- Knowledge Hub
Companies that use Research Quality Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Research Quality Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Research Quality Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- NHS R&D ForumminorRQA supports the NHS R&D Forum annual conference (RDF24) held at Celtic Manor in Wales from 12th-14th May 2024. RQA abstracts were invited for poster and oral presentations.
- German Quality Management Association (GQMA)coreRQA and GQMA signed a Collaboration Agreement at the RQA International QA Conference in Belfast. The Agreement aims to recognise the importance of collaboration and contribution to each party, the profession, industry, and society; then propose, agree, support, and deliver collaborative programmes. Both are not-for-profit organisations concerned with the quality of research, development, and manufacturing in medical and healthcare professions. Signed by Nina Häuselmann (GQMA President) and Tim Stiles (RQA Chair).
- Japan Society of Quality Assurance (JSQA)coreSecond joint forum conducted virtually on 14th September 2023 following the success of the first collaborative forum in November 2021. Attended by more than 70 QA colleagues across the APAC regions. Events focus on collaborating for excellence in quality assurance and knowledge sharing between the two organizations.
- Society of Quality Assurance (SQA)coreRQA collaborates with SQA on the Global GCP Auditing Guideline - a unique collaborative effort between JSQA, SQA, and RQA to provide members with guidance and best practice approach to GCP auditing across regions, effective April 2014.
- China QA Forum (CQAF)minorHannah Chen was awarded Honorary Life Membership for her role in promoting QA in China through the China QA Forum, expressing interest in future collaborations between CQAF and RQA.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Research Quality Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): US-based quality-focused organisation with strong brand and credentialing — overlaps conceptually with RQA but operates in US healthcare delivery rather than pharmaceutical/agrochemical research QA.
- International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE): Global not-for-profit for pharmaceutical manufacturing science and engineering — overlaps with RQA on GMP and pharma quality training, but its centre of gravity is manufacturing engineering rather than research QA.
- American Society for Quality (ASQ): Large US-rooted global quality society with certifications (CQA, CQE) and training across many industries — broader in scope than RQA but directly competes for QA professionals' continuing-education spend.
- Drug Information Association (DIA): Much larger global professional association for the entire pharmaceutical/medical product lifecycle; overlaps with RQA on GxP training and conferences but serves a broader drug-development audience.
- Parenteral Drug Association (PDA): US-led international association for pharma manufacturing and quality — provides GMP/QMS training and conferences overlapping RQA's GMP coverage, but with a manufacturing rather than research focus.
Emerging players
- China QA Forum (CQAF): Less formalised emerging QA community in China pursuing collaboration with RQA — represents a future peer/competitor for QA training and certifications in the Chinese market.
Direct peers
- German Quality Management Association (GQMA): Germany/DACH QA professional body — direct peer in medical and healthcare research QA, and counterparty to RQA's 2023 Collaboration Agreement for joint programmes.
- Japan Society of Quality Assurance (JSQA): Japan's principal QA professional association — operates parallel training, certification, and conference programmes in the same GxP domains and is a formal RQA partner via recurring joint forums.
- Society of Quality Assurance (SQA): US-based professional association for QA professionals in research — RQA's most direct global counterpart, sharing GCP/GLP scope and co-maintaining the Global GCP Auditing Guideline with RQA.
- European Quality Assurance Confederation (EQAC): Umbrella European body coordinating QA professional associations across member states — operates in the same regulatory quality space as RQA, with one of RQA's honorary fellows on its leadership.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Research Quality Association social profiles
Digital presenceResearch Quality Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Research Quality Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Research Quality Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Research Quality Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Research Quality Association
What does Research Quality Association do?
RQA is a not-for-profit professional membership body that provides quality assurance training, a tiered certification scheme, conferences, eLearning, and networking for QA professionals working in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, chemicals, medical devices, and cosmetics. The association operates through individual memberships, corporate learning programmes, special interest groups, regional forums, and an online community hub, supported by a small office team in Ipswich, UK.
Is Research Quality Association a public or private company?
Research Quality Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Research Quality Association founded?
Research Quality Association was founded in 1977. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Research Quality Association based?
Research Quality Association is headquartered in Ipswich, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Research Quality Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are training and Education, events and Conferences and publications.
Who are Research Quality Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), American Society for Quality (ASQ), Drug Information Association (DIA) and Parenteral Drug Association (PDA). China QA Forum (CQAF) is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are German Quality Management Association (GQMA), Japan Society of Quality Assurance (JSQA), Society of Quality Assurance (SQA) and European Quality Assurance Confederation (EQAC).
Does Research Quality Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Research Quality Association.
What industry is Research Quality Association in?
Research Quality Association's product category is Professional Association and Quality Assurance Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAKAD, Quality Management Systems (QMS) & ISO Training (ISO 9001/IATF/AS9100), with a secondary code of EDAAANAD, Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.