Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector

What Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector does

The Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector (CIDS) is a Norwegian government initiative established under the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Oslo (Glacisgata 1), CIDS operates as a knowledge centre and expert body with a small team of 18 employees, delivering a portfolio of advisory services, training programmes, and knowledge resources to national defence ministries, armed forces, and security institutions. Its mission is to promote professional integrity and good governance in the defence and security sectors by building competence, raising awareness, and reducing corruption risks.

CIDS delivers its mandate through a structured product suite spanning organised conferences, professional courses (notably Human Resources Management and the Integrity Action Plan programme), elearning modules, and country-specific integrity-building projects. Its knowledge resources include the numbered Guides to Good Governance series (at least 10 volumes), CIDS Reports, Policy Papers, and a public data portal. Recent notable outputs include the revised Integrity Action Plan framework (2023), the "Invisible Obvious" report on cultural aspects of public sector reforms (2024), and the multi-language "Guide to Navigating Workplace Dilemmas in the Public Sector" (2025). CIDS has no software technology stack; its "platform" is the curated content library and the institutional relationships through which it disseminates frameworks and training.

CIDS is funded through Norwegian government budgets rather than commercial revenue streams, and provides its resources, publications, and training materials free of charge to defence and security institutions. Its international project portfolio spans Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Ukraine, supported by strategic partnerships with the NATO Building Integrity Programme, DCAF (Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance), Transparency International Defence & Security, and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. The entity is not a commercial enterprise and is not investable through conventional PE/VC/M&A channels.

Name

Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector

Legal name

Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector

Website

https://cids.no

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector (CIDS) is a Norwegian government initiative under the Ministry of Defence delivering integrity training, advisory projects, and knowledge resources to defence ministries and security institutions, primarily across the Western Balkans and Ukraine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defence Governance and Integrity Advisory Services

NAICS

National Security and International Affairs (9281), National Security and International Affairs (928), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Anti-Corruption, Integrity & Transparency (BPADAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Safety Training Academies & Standards (Police/Fire/EMS) (BPAIAGAF), Whistleblowing, Speak-Up Culture & Investigations Training (EDABADAL)

Keywords

• Defence integrity training
• Anti-corruption governance
• Security sector reform
• Public sector ethics
• Integrity advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: CIDS is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, operating as a government-funded initiative rather than a commercial enterprise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CIDS is a Norwegian government-funded knowledge centre that builds competence, raises awareness, and reduces corruption risks in the defence and security sectors. It delivers integrity training, courses, elearning, conferences, country-specific advisory projects, and a publications library that includes the Guides to Good Governance series, CIDS Reports, Policy Papers, and the Integrity Action Plan framework. Services are provided free of charge to defence ministries, armed forces, and partner institutions, primarily in the Western Balkans and Ukraine.

Product overview

The Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector (CIDS) is a Norwegian government initiative under the Ministry of Defence that functions as a centre of excellence for promoting integrity and good governance in defence and security sectors. CIDS does not operate as a software technology company; rather, it provides advisory services, educational programs, and knowledge resources. Its portfolio consists of training services (Conferences, Courses, Elearning), advisory services (Projects in Western Balkan countries and Ukraine), and knowledge resources (Publications including CIDS Publications, Guides to Good Governance series, CIDS Reports, and Policy Papers). The CIDS approach is comprehensive, applying various tools to build competence, raise awareness, and reduce corruption risks. Key publications include the Integrity Action Plan framework and the Guides to Good Governance numbered series. CIDS operates in partnership with international organizations including NATO, DCAF (Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance), Transparency International, and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Defence Integrity Courses Professional training courses, including Human Resources Management and Integrity Action Plan programmes, designed for defence sector practitioners seeking to build integrity and governance capacity.
• Elearning Modules Online learning modules providing flexible access to integrity and governance training materials for defence sector professionals.
• Defence Integrity Conferences Organised events bringing together defence and security professionals to discuss integrity, governance, and corruption prevention topics.
• Country-Specific Integrity Projects Country-specific integrity building projects delivered in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Ukraine, providing advisory support to defence and security institutions.
• CIDS Guides to Good Governance A numbered series of guides providing practical guidance on governance standards in the defence sector, covering whistleblowing, oversight, procurement, and other governance topics.
• CIDS Reports In-depth analytical reports on specific integrity and governance challenges in defence institutions, including country-specific analyses.
• CIDS Policy Papers Policy-oriented papers addressing strategic approaches to defence integrity and governance reform.
• Integrity Action Plan Framework A structured framework for implementing integrity measures in defence establishments, available in multiple languages, with a revised edition published in 2023.
• Guide to Navigating Workplace Dilemmas in the Public Sector A practical tool for public servants to recognise, identify, formulate, and resolve ethical dilemmas, available in multiple languages including English, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Ukrainian.
• CIDS Data Portal Online portal providing access to integrity data, publications, and resources related to defence sector governance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive integrity frameworks implemented across multiple countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• NATO Building Integrity ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATO Building Integrity Programme works with CIDS on promoting integrity and good governance in NATO and partner countries' defence institutions. CIDS publishes joint CIDS/NATO publications and participates in the Building Integrity initiative.
• DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector GovernancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCAF is a key international partner for CIDS in security sector governance. Both organisations collaborate on publications and share expertise on integrity building in defence and security sectors.
• Transparency InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransparency International Defence & Security programme partners with CIDS on anti-corruption initiatives. CIDS hosts TI publications and both organisations work towards transparency in defence sectors.
• Defence Academy of the United KingdomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Defence Academy of the United Kingdom collaborates with CIDS on defence integrity education and training programmes, contributing to building integrity competencies in defence institutions.
• Norwegian Ministry of DefenceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Norwegian Ministry of Defence is the primary host and supporter of CIDS. The centre operates under the Ministry and receives core funding and institutional support.
• Norwegian Ministry of Foreign AffairsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides support to CIDS initiatives, particularly for international projects and development cooperation in the defence integrity field.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: A global policy research organisation that frequently publishes on defence governance, anti-corruption, and institutional reform, offering broader analytical reach than CIDS in overlapping subject areas.
• European Defence Agency (EDA): An EU-level agency supporting defence capability development and governance, with adjacent — though broader — interests in defence institutional reform and member-state integrity.
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): A globally recognised research institute covering arms transfers, military expenditure, and defence governance, providing policy-relevant research that complements CIDS' applied training and frameworks.

Regional players

• NATO School Oberammergau: NATO's primary individual training and education facility, offering courses on defence-related topics including integrity and governance that overlap with CIDS' elearning and course portfolio.
• George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies: A German-US security studies institution that delivers programmes on defence reform, resilience, and governance to European and partner-country officials, with overlapping mandate but a transatlantic rather than Nordic delivery footprint.

Direct peers

• Transparency International Defence & Security: TI's Defence & Security programme produces the Government Defence Integrity Index (GDI), Defence Companies Index (DCI), and anti-corruption guidance — directly comparable assessment and advocacy outputs that complement CIDS' training and frameworks.
• DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance: DCAF is CIDS' closest functional peer — an international centre of excellence on security sector governance and reform, co-publishing the Building Integrity compendium with CIDS and serving overlapping defence and security institution clients across the same regions.
• NATO Building Integrity Programme: NATO's flagship Building Integrity initiative pursues the same anti-corruption and good-governance mandate across NATO and partner states, jointly publishing materials with CIDS and directly co-shaping the policy environment CIDS operates in.

Others

• International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR): An adjacent policy research centre working on governance and security sector issues with thematic overlap to CIDS' anti-corruption and integrity mandate, though focused on radicalisation rather than defence.

Emerging players

• Defence Academy of the United Kingdom: A core partner of CIDS that also delivers defence integrity education and training programmes to UK and allied defence practitioners, making it both collaborator and adjacent capability provider in the same niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Centre-for-Integrity-in-the-Defence-Sector-531356830294826
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-integrity-in-the-defence-sector

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector