What CIPR Qualifications does

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is a UK-based nonprofit professional membership body operating under a Royal Charter, serving nearly 11,000 PR and communications practitioners. It functions as the world's only Royal Chartered body for the PR profession, acting as a voluntary regulator with a Code of Conduct and a publicly searchable member register, while awarding the Chartered Public Relations Practitioner (Chart.PR) designation through formal assessment.

CIPR's commercial offering spans three integrated pillars. Training comprises instructor-led in-person and virtual courses plus an on-demand e-learning platform hosting 20+ modular self-paced courses (modules from £35+VAT, full courses from £175-£275+VAT), supplemented by bespoke in-house training for organisations. Credentialing is delivered through the MyCPD scheme — a digital platform tracking 60 annual CPD points across 1,400+ learning resources — together with the Chart.PR accreditation pathway. A supplementary resources layer includes 100+ webinars, skills guides, and podcasts, plus the Excellence Awards programme and the Iprovision benevolent fund (operating 50+ years).

Revenue is generated across five streams: recurring membership subscriptions (predominant, with an optional Iprovision donation add-on), paid training courses (open, in-house, on-demand), Chartership assessment fees, Excellence Awards and conference transactions, and on-demand course bundles. Distribution is hybrid — direct website bookings, sales-led in-house corporate contracts, self-serve PLG for on-demand modules, and channel partnerships (e.g., Impellus). CIPR serves individual practitioners (entry to senior level), in-house corporate communications teams, and organisations with internal PR functions, with named enterprise clients across government, retail, healthcare, education, heritage, and legal sectors.

Name

CIPR Qualifications

Legal name

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations

Website

https://cipr.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CIPR Qualifications (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) is the UK's Royal Chartered professional body for PR practitioners, offering chartership, a CPD scheme, in-house and on-demand training, and resources to nearly 11,000 individual members and corporate communications teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Development & Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ), Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL)

Keywords

• Public relations qualifications
• Professional membership body
• Continuing professional development
• PR training courses
• Chartered practitioner accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from nearly 11,000 members at various membership tiers with optional Iprovision donation add-on
2. Training Courses: Open courses, in-house training, and on-demand training for PR professionals. On-demand modules from £35+VAT. Member discounts up to £200 per course
3. Chartership Assessment Fees: Non-refundable assessment fees for Chartered PR Practitioner status. Payment terms: 14 days prior or credit card at booking
4. Events and Awards: Excellence Awards entries, conference attendance, and award ceremony tickets with varying cancellation policies
5. On-Demand Course Bundles: Individual modules and full course packages with 6-month access period. Research in PR full course £200+VAT

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CIPR Qualifications delivers professional qualifications, chartership, training and continuing professional development for the public relations profession. Its core offers include individual and corporate membership, the Chart.PR Chartered Practitioner accreditation, the MyCPD scheme, in-person and virtual instructor-led training, a self-paced on-demand e-learning platform, in-house bespoke corporate training, the CIPR Excellence Awards, and a 1,400+ resource learning library.

Product overview

CIPR Qualifications operates as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, offering a unified professional development ecosystem for PR practitioners. The core portfolio consists of three interconnected pillars: (1) Training services including instructor-led in-person/virtual courses and a comprehensive on-demand e-learning platform offering 20+ self-paced courses in areas such as AI in PR, crisis communications, ethics, ESG, research, writing, and public affairs; (2) Professional credentials comprising the MyCPD scheme for continuing professional development tracking and the Chart.PR chartered practitioner accreditation program; and (3) Supplementary resources including the CIPR Resources library with 1,400+ learning assets, the Iprovision benevolent fund for member support, and corporate membership options. The training delivery model spans in-person venues in London, online virtual instructor-led sessions, and modular on-demand content accessible for six months post-purchase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Iprovision: A registered charity that exists to support CIPR members and their families who experience hard times due to illness, disability, unemployment or bereavement. Provides financial grants, debt counselling, mental health support, and career guidance.

Products and services

• CIPR Individual Membership
• CIPR Corporate Membership
• CIPR Training (Instructor-Led)
• On-Demand E-Learning Training
• In-House Corporate Training
• MyCPD Continuing Professional Development Scheme
• Chartered PR Practitioner (Chart.PR) Accreditation
• Accreditation Program
• CIPR Excellence Awards
• CIPR Resources Library
• Iprovision Benevolent Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of trained professionals do their job differently as a result
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IprovisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIprovision is an independent registered charity that exists exclusively for CIPR members and their dependants. For over 50 years, it has supported members experiencing hardship due to illness, disability, unemployment or bereavement. Support includes financial grants, debt counselling, mental health support, and career guidance. All Iprovision income comes from voluntary donations, CIPR event fundraising, and member donations added to annual subscriptions.
• ImpellusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImpellus is an external training provider partnered with CIPR for certain training courses. Where places are booked on Impellus courses, specific cancellation and transfer terms apply in addition to CIPR's standard booking terms.
• SagePayTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing platform used for online event bookings and training course payments

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chartered Management Institute (CMI): CMI is a UK chartered body offering management qualifications, CPD, and chartered manager status. Comparable operating model to CIPR (chartered membership body, qualifications, training), though focused on management rather than communications.
• International Association of Business Communicators (IABC): IABC is a global membership association for business communicators offering professional development, certification, and networking. Direct comparable as an international peer serving the same communicator audience with credentials and training programmes.
• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM): CIM is a UK Royal Chartered professional body offering marketing qualifications, CPD, training, and chartered status. Highly comparable operating model (chartered membership body with qualifications and training), though serving marketing rather than PR practitioners.
• Global Alliance for Public Relations: Global Alliance is the international confederation of PR associations and institutes, of which CIPR is a member. Direct peer as a coordinating body representing national PR professional bodies and shaping global PR standards.
• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): CIPD is a UK chartered professional body for HR/people professionals offering membership, qualifications, CPD, and chartered status. Closely comparable in structure, scale, and operating model to CIPR within an adjacent professional discipline.
• Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA): PRCA is the UK's other major PR trade body, offering training, CPD, and industry accreditation for PR and communications professionals. Directly comparable to CIPR as a competing UK-based membership and training body for the same practitioner base.

Broad incumbents

• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): PRSA is the largest US-based professional society for PR practitioners, offering accreditation (APR), training, and continuing education. Comparable as a major incumbent PR professional body, though US-focused rather than UK-centric.
• Institute for Public Relations (IPR): IPR is a US-based PR research and education foundation providing research, thought leadership, and professional development resources. Comparable as a research-driven PR professional body, though more focused on scholarship than training delivery.

Others

• Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA): CIPFA is a UK chartered body for public finance professionals offering qualifications, training, and CPD. Comparable as a chartered professional body structure, though serving a different functional discipline.

Emerging players

• LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning is a large-scale online learning platform with courses covering communications, PR, and leadership. Competes with CIPR's on-demand training offering on breadth and price, though lacks PR-specific accreditation and chartered status.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciprqualifications

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 CIPR Qualifications