STEP Canada

What STEP Canada does

STEP Canada is the Canadian regional branch of STEP Worldwide (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), founded in 1998, operating as a professional membership association representing nearly 4,000 Canadian trust and estate practitioners. The organization administers the TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner) designation — a globally recognized credential awarded through three structured pathways: a four-course self-paced Diploma in Trusts and Estates, a three-essay Essay Program for experienced practitioners with five years of post-designation experience, and an Expertise Route for senior practitioners with ten or more years of relevant experience. Members and credential candidates come primarily from accounting (CPAs), legal practice, financial planning (CFPs), and trust/wealth management, with CPAs earning the TEP growing 25% and CFPs growing 20% over the past three years. Supporting educational products include the Certificate in Estate and Trust Administration (CETA) and the Investment Basics for Fiduciaries certificate program, both delivered online.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: annual membership fees ($525 CAD for Full Members with TEP designation and voting rights; $220 CAD for Affiliate, Associate, and Student tiers), pay-as-you-go course and application fees ($200-$1,095 per unit across Diploma, CETA, Essay, Expertise Route, and Investment Basics), and transaction-based revenue from the 28th annual National Conference plus 11 branch/chapter event programs. Distribution runs through a coast-to-coast branch and chapter network (Atlantic, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, plus Okanagan, Southwestern Ontario, and Vancouver Island chapters), an online self-serve platform (My STEP), and a public-facing member directory. The organization maintains formal CPD accreditation relationships with provincial law societies across nine provinces, CPA Canada and provincial CPA bodies, FP Canada, IAFE, CIRO, and Quebec legal professional bodies, anchoring credential value within Canadian professional regulatory frameworks.

The underlying technology stack is a standard association platform: a web-based membership system at step.ca with online course delivery, the member-exclusive Searchable Resource Tool (SRT) digital library aggregating presentation decks, technical papers, and newsletter content, and a Cvent-powered event registration backbone. STEP Canada is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Richard Niedermayer (KC, TEP, LLB) of Stewart McKelvey for the 2025-2027 term, with a national office of approximately 10 staff in Toronto led by COO Michael Dodick. The organization is part of a global network of more than 22,000 members across 105 countries and serves as the Canadian gateway into STEP Worldwide's cross-border referral, knowledge, and credentialing infrastructure, operating against the structural tailwind of over $1 trillion in projected Canadian intergenerational wealth transfer between 2016 and 2026.

Name

STEP Canada

Legal name

STEP Canada

Website

https://step.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

STEP Canada is a professional membership association administering the globally recognized TEP designation to nearly 4,000 Canadian trust and estate practitioners, delivering credentials, certificate programs, and continuing education across 11 branches coast-to-coast.

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)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiduciary Agency & Trustee-for-Hire Services (FSAAANAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• Trust and estate designation
• Professional education programs
• Estate planning credentials
• Continuing professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide the primary revenue stream. Full membership costs $525.00 CAD while Affiliate, Associate, and Student memberships cost $220.00 CAD annually. These fees support member benefits, educational programs, and organizational operations.
2. Educational Programs: Revenue generated from course fees including Diploma in Trusts and Estates ($1,095/course), CETA program ($795-$295 per course), Essay Program ($375-$595 per essay), Investment Basics for Fiduciaries ($275-$475 per course), and expertise route application fees ($200 + tax).
3. Events and Conferences: Revenue from national conferences and branch/chapter events with member and non-member pricing. Events provide CPD accreditation recognized by various professional bodies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

STEP Canada is a professional membership organization that administers the globally recognized Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation to qualified practitioners across Canada. Its core offerings include the TEP designation itself (attainable via the Diploma in Trusts and Estates, Essay Program, or Expertise Route), the Certificate in Estate and Trust Administration (CETA), and the Investment Basics for Fiduciaries certificate program. Supporting the credentialing pathway, members receive access to continuing professional development courses, an exclusive Searchable Resource Tool digital library, an annual national conference, branch/chapter events, and member directories for client referrals.

Product overview

STEP Canada is a professional membership organization for trust and estate practitioners (TEPs) in Canada. The core offering is the globally recognized TEP designation, which can be earned through three pathways: the Diploma in Trusts and Estates (four-course online program), the Essay Program (three academic essays for experienced practitioners), or the Expertise Route (for senior practitioners with 10+ years experience). Supporting educational products include the Certificate in Estate and Trust Administration (CETA) for foundational knowledge and the Investment Basics for Fiduciaries Certificate for specialized investment training. Members also access the Searchable Resource Tool (SRT) library, STEP Member Directory, National Conference, and publications including the STEP Inside newsletter (tri-annual) and STEP Insider newsletter (monthly).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) Designation
• STEP Canada Diploma in Trusts and Estates

Quantifiable outcome

• CPAs earning TEP designation grew by 25% in past three years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• STEP Worldwide (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998STEP Canada is a regional branch of STEP Worldwide, the world's leading representative and training organization for trust and estate practitioners. STEP Worldwide provides global standards, the TEP designation framework, international network of 22,000+ members across 105 countries, CPD resources, Code of Professional Conduct, and international conferences.
• The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust CompanyminorOthersSponsor of the Gerald W. Owen Book Prize, the pinnacle award for diploma program students demonstrating outstanding performance across all four STEP Canada Diploma Courses.
• Provincial Law Societies (LSO, LSBC, LSAlberta, LSS, and others)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP Canada applies for CPD accreditation from provincial law societies enabling members to fulfill continuing education requirements. Recognized by: Law Society of Ontario (substantive hours), Law Society of British Columbia (substantive hours), Law Society of Alberta, Law Society of Saskatchewan, Law Society of Manitoba, and law societies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) BodiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPA Canada and provincial CPA bodies recognize STEP activities for continuing education credits with no formal accreditation application required. STEP Canada also offers exemption pathways for CPA members in the Diploma program for those who completed CPA In-depth tax courses.
• Financial Planning Councils (FP Canada, IAFE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP Canada applies for CPD accreditation from FP Canada and The Institute for Advanced Financial Education for trust and estate professionals. CFP designation holders can receive exemptions from STEP diploma courses.
• Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP Canada applies for CPD accreditation from CIRO (formerly MFDA) for investment professionals attending STEP events.
• Barreau du Québec and Chambre des notaires du QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec legal professional bodies recognize STEP activities for continuing education credits. STEP offers French-language Civil Law Diploma Program courses tailored to Quebec civil law system.
• Canadian Law SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP Canada partners with 14+ Canadian law schools to sponsor prizes in trust and estate law including Dalhousie, Western, UBC, York (Osgoode), Toronto Metropolitan (Lincoln Alexander), Thompson Rivers, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ottawa, Alberta, McGill, Windsor, and Calgary. Also conducts lunch & learn sessions at universities for law students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada): CPA Canada is the national body for Canadian accountants, offering its own In-depth tax courses and CE programming that competes with STEP Diploma pathways. STEP Canada relies on CPA Canada for recognition and exemption pathways.
• Canadian Bar Association: The CBA is the broad national professional association for Canadian lawyers, offering general CPD and specialization recognition. STEP Canada competes for lawyer mindshare and CPD hours but operates in a narrower trust/estate niche.
• Law Society of Ontario: The LSO is Ontario's legal profession regulator, accrediting CPD providers including STEP Canada. It is a broader incumbent that mandates the continuing education compliance that STEP helps lawyers fulfill.

Direct peers

• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): ACTEC is the US counterpart fellowship of trust and estate practitioners, offering the FELE credential and comparable educational programming. It serves the same professional segment (estate planning attorneys and fiduciaries) as STEP Canada but in the US market.
• STEP Worldwide (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners): STEP Worldwide is the global parent organization of STEP Canada, administering the same TEP designation and credential framework across 105 countries. It is directly comparable as the umbrella body STEP Canada operates within and serves a functionally identical member base.
• Trusts & Estates Practitioners Section (CBA): The CBA's Trusts and Estates Practitioners Section is a Canadian subsection serving the same niche audience as STEP Canada with overlapping conferences and publications. It is a direct peer within the broader CBA structure competing for member loyalty.

Emerging players

• Canadian Tax Foundation: The Canadian Tax Foundation is a tax-focused research and education organization offering conferences, courses, and the CTA designation that overlaps with STEP's tax-related modules. It serves a partially overlapping practitioner audience in trust/estate tax planning.
• FP Canada: FP Canada administers the CFP and QAFP designations for financial planners, including continuing education programs that overlap with STEP's TEP education. It is an adjacent credentialing body whose members increasingly pursue TEP designation.
• Estate Planning Council chapters (Canada): Estate Planning Councils are local interdisciplinary groups bringing together lawyers, accountants, and financial planners around estate planning. They are local, member-driven forums that overlap with STEP Canada's networking mission at a regional level.

Others

• Society of Actuaries (Canadian Institute of Actuaries): The CIA is the Canadian actuarial profession body, adjacent to fiduciary and wealth transfer work. It does not directly compete but serves professionals who participate in estate and trust valuation work alongside TEPs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 STEP Canada