Agency for control and quality assurance of higher education

What Agency for control and quality assurance of higher education does

AKOKVO (Agency for Control and Quality Assurance of Higher Education / Agencija za obezbjeđivanje kvaliteta visokog obrazovanja) is a Montenegrin government regulatory agency founded in 2018 under the country's Law on Higher Education. It is the sole national body responsible for the accreditation of study programmes and the reaccreditation of higher education institutions in Montenegro, and it is headquartered in Podgorica with 16 staff. The agency operates expert-commission-based evaluation procedures drawing from curated Expert Lists (academics, students, and industry representatives), and publishes its decisions through an official Register of Accredited Study Programmes and Reaccredited Institutions (registar.akokvo.me).

The agency aligns its work with the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) and the Bologna Process, and is integrated into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). It holds affiliate membership in ENQA (since 2019, renewed June 2024), full membership in CEENQA (since 2020), membership in GAIN (since July 2024), and a representative in the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) and several of its working groups. AKOKVO also maintains bilateral cooperation agreements with quality assurance agencies in Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, the UK, Malta, and others, and participates in Erasmus+ projects such as CRED4TEACH (micro-credentials) covering 15 institutions across 7 countries.

As a state agency, AKOKVO does not operate a commercial revenue model; it is funded through the Montenegrin state budget and is governed by a Steering Committee and Director (Goran Danilović). Its go-to-market is institutional and regulatory rather than commercial — services are delivered to Montenegrin higher education institutions through formal accreditation and reaccreditation procedures, supported by a multilingual public website (Montenegrin and English), research publications, and stakeholder workshops. There is no proprietary technology platform; the technology base is a public web register and document-driven regulatory workflows.

Name

Agency for control and quality assurance of higher education

Legal name

Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Montenegro)

Website

https://akokvo.me

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AKOKVO is the Montenegrin government agency that accredits study programmes and reaccreditates higher education institutions in Montenegro, aligning with European Standards and Guidelines and serving the country's universities and faculties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Quality Assurance & Accreditation

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (92311), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADACAJ

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Accreditation Bodies (Institutional & Programmatic)

SECONDARYEDADAIAD

Accountability & Performance Frameworks (School/District/Institution Ratings)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Data, Reporting & Accountability Systems

SECONDARYEDADAIAF

Compliance, Regulatory & Audit Reporting (State/Federal/Ofsted-style)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Data, Reporting & Accountability Systems

Keywords

• Higher education quality assurance
• Study program accreditation
• Institutional reaccreditation services
• External quality evaluation
• Bologna process compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Podgorica

HQ country

Montenegro

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AKOKVO is the Montenegrin national agency that conducts external quality assurance in higher education. It evaluates and accredits study programmes against adopted standards and labour-market needs, reaccredits higher education institutions against the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), and maintains the official register of accredited programmes and institutions. It also curates expert lists of academics, students and economy representatives that form evaluation commissions, and supports the integration of Montenegrin higher education into the European Higher Education Area.

Product overview

The Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (AKOKVO/ACQAHE) is a Montenegrin government body overseeing quality assurance in higher education. The organization operates as a unified agency offering accreditation of study programmes, reaccreditation of higher education institutions, and maintenance of registers and expert lists. The core products work together: accreditation and reaccreditation processes use expert commissions selected from the Expert Lists, with all accredited programmes and institutions recorded in the Register. The agency also conducts research and participates in international Erasmus+ projects to enhance higher education quality. No modular or platform architecture exists; services are delivered through regulatory processes and public databases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accreditation of Study Programmes Formal external evaluation process through which AKOKVO grants public recognition to study programmes of Montenegrin higher education institutions, assessing quality, alignment with labour-market needs, compliance with adopted standards, and comparability with similar programmes abroad. Available to universities and faculties in Montenegro seeking programme-level accreditation under the Law on Higher Education.
• Reaccreditation of Higher Education Institutions Periodic external evaluation conducted by AKOKVO to assess higher education institutions in Montenegro for quality assurance, compliance with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), and capacity for improvement. Used by universities and faculties to maintain their accredited status within the EHEA framework.
• Register of Accredited Study Programmes and Reaccredited Institutions Official public database maintained by AKOKVO containing records of all accredited study programmes and reaccredited higher education institutions in Montenegro, including joint Western Balkans records. Available to higher education institutions, students, employers, and the public as the authoritative source of accreditation status.
• Expert Lists for Accreditation and Reaccreditation Commissions Curated expert database comprising academic staff, students, and representatives of the economy, used by AKOKVO to form expert commissions that carry out accreditation and reaccreditation procedures. Available to qualified individuals in Montenegro who meet the agency's selection criteria.
• Thematic Analyses and Research Publications on Higher Education Quality Research publications, comparative studies, and analytical reports produced by AKOKVO on higher education topics including graduate aspirations, ESG compliance, and quality assurance system assessments. Available to higher education institutions, policymakers, and the wider public.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JU Center for Vocational EducationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cooperation agreement signed on March 5, 2025.
• Ministry of Education, Science and InnovationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cooperation agreement signed in September 2025 (eTwinning).
• QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) - United KingdomminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2024 for cooperation in quality assurance in higher education.
• MFHEA (Malta Further and Higher Education Authority)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2024 with agencies from Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland and Malta.
• Ethics CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Cooperation agreement signed in February 2023.
• NAKVIS (Nacionalna agencija za kakovost visokega šolstva) - SloveniaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cooperation agreement with National Agency for Quality in Higher Education of Slovenia. Signed in 2020.
• AZVO (Agencija za znanost i visoko obrazovanje) - CroatiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cooperation agreement with Agency for Science and Higher Education of Croatia. Signed in 2019 for exchange of knowledge and experience.
• NAT (National Body for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education) - SerbiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cooperation agreement with National Body for Accreditation and Quality Verification in Higher Education of Serbia. Signed in 2019.
• ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate member since 2019, renewed in June 2024. Enables participation in consultations and working meetings with member agencies. Through presence at assemblies, forums, trainings and webinars organized by the association, as well as direct communication with ENQA representatives, AKOKVO strengthens its capacities and charts the path toward full membership.
• CEENQA (Central-East European Network of Agencies for Quality Assurance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member since May 2020. Collaboration through knowledge and experience exchange, participation in projects and research, as well as direct communication with agencies that have similar higher education system heritage. AKOKVO actively participates in regular bimonthly online CEENQA meetings, publishes articles about its activities in the association's annual bulletin, and participates in staff exchange programs.
• GAIN (Global Academic Integrity Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember since July 2024. Part of the Global Academic Integrity Network focused on promoting academic integrity in higher education.
• ANVUR (Agenzia Nazionale di Valutazione del Sistema Universitario e della Ricerca) - ItalyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral cooperation agreement with Italian National Agency for Quality Assurance. Signed agreement for exchange of knowledge and best practices in quality assurance.
• Higher Education Agency of Republic of SrpskaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement for accreditation of higher education institutions.
• Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAKOKVO has had a representative in BFUG since 2023. Membership in related working groups including: Working Group for Monitoring Bologna Process Implementation, Working Group for Internationalization and Mobility, Coordination Group for Global Policy Dialogue, Thematic Group A for Qualifications Framework, Thematic Group C for Quality Assurance, Thematic Group D for Social Dimension.
• RCC and ERI SEE (Regional Cooperation Council and Education Reform Initiative in South East Europe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with RCC and ERI SEE, as well as education ministries of Western Balkan countries, aimed at facilitating recognition of academic qualifications within the region and ensuring quality of higher education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Body for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NAT): Serbian national QA agency for higher education, structurally analogous in mandate, governance model, and Western Balkans positioning. Signed cooperation agreement with AKOKVO in 2019, indicating directly comparable operations.
• Higher Education Agency of Republic of Srpska: Quality-assurance and accreditation authority for higher education institutions in Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Comparable scope and function to AKOKVO at sub-state level, with formal cooperation agreement in place.
• Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA): Small-jurisdiction national regulator combining further and higher education quality assurance with licensing/registration functions. Closest peer by scale; signed an MoU with AKOKVO in November 2024 alongside agencies from Andorra, Cyprus, and Iceland.
• Agency for Science and Higher Education (AZVO): Croatian statutory quality-assurance agency for higher education with the same accreditation/reaccreditation mandate as AKOKVO. Most directly comparable peer given shared Western Balkans heritage, similar regulatory design, and existing bilateral cooperation agreement (2019).
• Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency (NAKVIS): Statutory national QA body for Slovenian higher education with equivalent institutional and programme accreditation functions. Closely comparable jurisdiction size and EHEA integration approach; AKOKVO explicitly cooperates with NAKVIS under their 2020 agreement.

Broad incumbents

• Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute (ACQUIN): German accreditation agency for higher education programmes and institutions, recognised by the German Accreditation Council. Represents the European model of multiple competing QA agencies within one regulatory framework, contrasting with AKOKVO's monopoly structure.
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA): UK's independent quality-assurance body for higher education, operating at much greater scale across a mature, internationally recognised system. Comparable regulatory function globally and a 2024 MoU partner; serves as the larger benchmark for AKOKVO's institutional ambitions.
• High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (Hcéres): France's independent public body evaluating research and higher education institutions, operating at national scale. Comparable mandate and ESG-based framework provide a benchmark for AKOKVO's evaluation methodology development.
• Italian National Agency for Evaluation of University and Research (ANVUR): Italy's national QA agency evaluating universities and research institutes through accreditation and periodic review. Comparable function at much larger scale; AKOKVO maintains a bilateral cooperation agreement for knowledge exchange.

Others

• European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA): Umbrella membership organisation of European QA agencies; AKOKVO is an affiliate member since 2019. As the network whose standards (the ESG) AKOKVO must implement, ENQA is the most strategically important ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agency-for-control-and-quality-assurance-of-higher-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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