ECQA GmbH

What ECQA GmbH does

ECQA GmbH is an Austrian private limited liability company (GmbH) founded in 2015 and headquartered in Krems, Austria, operating as a certification examination body for job roles and prior learning across Europe. The company operates an online examination platform (powered by Bizexaminer) that supports multiple-choice exams, certificate issuance, and both online and on-premise group examinations, complemented by an alternative EuroSPI/ISCN exam portal. Since 2001, the underlying examination service has served 10,000+ participants and issued 7,800 certificates across 24+ countries, spanning individual professionals, SMEs, large multinationals, universities, and non-profits.

ECQA generates revenue through standardized per-examination fees (€75 plus 20% VAT, payable by bank transfer or PayPal), certificate review services at the same rate, replacement certificate fees, and multi-year contracts for certifying training organizations. Its go-to-market combines self-serve individual exam registration via jobcertification.eu with distribution through a network of certified training organizations (AVL, TU Graz, BICERO, Hochschule Düsseldorf, Termnet Business GmbH) and EU-funded project consortia (CHAISE, GreenSCENT, VI-Train, VirtualEdu, Ecoprise, SMARTSEA, and others). The company is a core certification partner in EU projects developing role-specific competency frameworks in blockchain, sustainability, cultural heritage, logistics, remote education, and climate literacy, which both validate and amplify demand for its certification services.

The organization operates with a 7-person team and no disclosed external investment. Its competitive position rests on EU-wide recognition of its certificates, ISO/IEC 17024-aligned certification frameworks, and embedded relationships with European industry and academic experts convened through annual focus groups at the EuroSPI conference series. Revenue is structurally dependent on EU project cycles and a small set of anchor training partners, creating concentration risk alongside the broad geographic footprint.

Name

ECQA GmbH

Legal name

ECQA GmbH

Website

https://ecqa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ECQA GmbH is an Austrian certification body operating an online examination platform that issues job-role certifications across 24+ European countries, primarily serving EU-funded projects, certified training organizations, and individual professionals seeking internationally recognized credentials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms (EDAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Information Technology (IT) & Cybersecurity Certifications (EDAAANAA), Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

Keywords

• Professional certification services
• Online examination platform
• Blockchain skills certification
• EU project certifications
• Prior learning certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Krems

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Examination and Certification Fees: ECQA charges examination fees for certification programs. Standard EU project examinations are priced at €75 plus 20% VAT per examination. Certificate review services are available for €75 per review. Additional fees apply for replacement certificates (printing and shipping).
2. Training Organization Certification: ECQA certifies training organizations that deliver ECQA-aligned programs, creating a network of certified training providers across Europe.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ECQA GmbH provides online and on-premise certification examination services for job roles worldwide, issuing internationally recognized certificates across European countries. The company certifies prior knowledge acquired through formal, non-formal, and informal learning, and certifies training organizations that deliver ECQA-aligned programs. Certifications are aligned with ISO/IEC 17024:2012-07 standards and span domains such as blockchain, sustainability, automotive quality, functional safety, cultural heritage, smart cities, and remote education, often developed through EU-funded project consortia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ECQA Online Examination Service Online and on-premise multiple-choice certification examination platform used by professionals from SMEs, multinationals, non-profits, universities, and education institutions to obtain internationally recognized job-role certificates.
• CHAISE Blockchain Skills Certification Program Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies certification program aligned with ISO/IEC 17024:2012-07, offering three job-role certifications (Developer, Architect, Manager) with theory and practical badges across 12 modules.
• VirtualEdu Certification Scheme Certification scheme and MOOC for upskilling virtual educators, remote managers, and remote support staff in distance education and teleworking skills.
• ECCEL - European Climate and Environmental Literacy Certification European climate and environmental literacy certification under development within the GreenSCENT project, intended as a Europe-wide standard similar to ICDL.
• SMARTSEA Maritime Certification Certified MSc-level course and certification program related to maritime and surveyor Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
• Ecoprise Designer Certification Certification for sustainable social entrepreneurship under the Ecoprise professional figure, providing a European micro-credential equivalent to 20 ECTS credits.
• Training Organization Certification Program ECQA certifies training organizations that deliver ECQA-aligned programs (e.g., Functional Safety Manager, Business Process Manager, LSSA, AQUA, Certified Terminology Manager, Sustainability and CSR Professional), creating a certified network of training providers across Europe.
• VI-Train Cultural Heritage Crafts Certification Certification program for traditional and endangered craftspeople, combining virtual digital training with recognized certification for cultural heritage preservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ participants have used the examination portal for online multiple choice exams since 2001
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BizexaminercoreTechnology or IntegrationBizexaminer provides the online examination platform used by ECQA for delivering certification exams. ECQA uses Bizexaminer as the primary examination portal for exam delivery.
• EuroSPI (ISCN) Exam PortalcoreTechnology or IntegrationEuroSPI exam portal hosted by ISCN is used for specific certifications. ECQA co-organizes and co-sponsors the EuroSPI conference series.
• AVLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAVL is a certified training provider offering ECQA Functional Safety Manager (SafEUr) certification training in Austria.
• BICERO Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBICERO delivers multiple ECQA certified programs including Business Process Manager (Basic & Advanced), EU Project Manager, Sustainability Manager, and Social Responsibility Manager in Slovenia.
• Hochschule DüsseldorfcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHochschule Düsseldorf offers LSSA certification training in Germany as an ECQA partner.
• TU GrazcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTU Graz provides ECQA Certified Automotive Quality Manager (AQUA) and ECQA Functional Safety Manager (SafEUr) training in Austria.
• Termnet Business GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTermnet Business GmbH offers Certified Terminology Manager and Certified Applied Sustainability and CSR Professional training in Austria.
• Burghauptmannschaft AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in VI-TRAIN project focused on virtual training for cultural heritage crafts. ECQA provides certification services for the project outputs.
• IMC Fachhochschule Krems GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVI-TRAIN consortium partner contributing to virtual training development for cultural heritage.
• Polytechnic University of TimisoaraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtualEdu consortium partner focusing on remote education certification.
• University of RijekaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtualEdu consortium partner for distance education and certification development.
• CHAISE Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20 European partners in the CHAISE Blockchain Skills Alliance. ECQA serves as the certification body for blockchain professional certifications (Developer, Architect, Manager). Partners include University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, IOTA Foundation, INATBA, Netcompany-Intrasoft, Italia4Blockchain, ESRI, BerChain, and others.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iSQI (International Software Quality Institute): iSQI issues standardized software quality and testing certifications (e.g., ISTQB-aligned) through accredited training partners across Europe. Its partner-driven exam distribution and standards-based credentialing closely mirror ECQA's certified training organization model.
• Blockchain Council: Blockchain Council provides blockchain- and DLT-focused professional certifications (developer, architect, etc.) via online exams. It competes head-on with ECQA's CHAISE Blockchain Developer/Architect/Manager certifications for the same blockchain upskilling market.
• PeopleCert: PeopleCert is a global certification body best known for owning ITIL, PRINCE2 and other professional credentials. Like ECQA, it operates standardized exam delivery and issues internationally recognized certifications to professionals, and competes for the same enterprise and government training budgets across Europe.
• CertNexus: CertNexus offers certifications in emerging technologies such as cybersecurity, IoT, AI, and blockchain, delivered through authorized training providers. It is a direct emerging-tech credentialing peer to ECQA's CHAISE blockchain certifications.
• Scrum.org: Scrum.org issues globally recognized Scrum and agile certifications through online assessments. Like ECQA, it relies on standardized online multiple-choice exams and certified trainer channels to deliver credentials.
• EXIN: EXIN is an independent ICT certification body issuing credentials in IT service management, security, agile, and emerging tech. It competes directly with ECQA in standardized, exam-based professional certification across European markets.
• ICDL (International Certification of Digital Literacy): ICDL operates a globally recognized standardized digital literacy certification delivered through accredited test centers, very similar to ECQA's planned ECCEL climate literacy standard. Both target broad workforce upskilling with portable, standards-based credentials.
• CertiProf: CertiProf issues ISO/IEC 17024-aligned professional certifications in agile, cybersecurity, and digital transformation via online exams and authorized training partners. It overlaps directly with ECQA's ISO 17024-aligned certification and partner-driven model.
• APMG International: APMG accredits and administers professional certifications such as PRINCE2, AgilePM and ITIL. It is a direct competitor in the European certification body space, offering exam delivery and credentialing infrastructure similar to ECQA's model.

Broad incumbents

• TÜV Rheinland Akademie / TÜV SÜD Academy: TÜV Rheinland and TÜV SÜD operate large certification and training academies covering functional safety, quality management, sustainability, and automotive — the same job-role verticals ECQA serves. They are broader incumbents with deeper enterprise reach, but compete for the same regulatory and standards-based certification spend.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecqa

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 ECQA GmbH