The National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance - NAQA

What The National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance - NAQA does

NAQA is a Ukrainian statutory body established by the Law of Ukraine on Higher Education (2014) and operational since February 2019. It functions as the sole national agency responsible for external quality assurance in higher education in Ukraine, performing accreditation of study programmes and institutions, evaluating academic integrity, and aligning Ukrainian higher education with European standards (ESG). The agency serves all higher education institutions operating in Ukraine, both public and private, and indirectly serves students, employers, and the broader academic community through its quality-assurance mandate.

The agency's core operational infrastructure comprises the Accreditation Database (Information and Communication System, ICS) integrated with Ukraine's Unified State Electronic Database on Education (EDEBO), an "Expert Search" subsystem, and integrated plagiarism-detection tooling (Unicheck, Plagiat.pl, StrikePlagiarism). NAQA coordinates a network of trained external experts who conduct programme evaluations, with more than 400 expert training sessions completed by October 2025. It has also institutionalised engagement formats such as Students as Ambassadors (SaA) and structured post-accreditation monitoring procedures.

NAQA operates as a non-commercial government agency funded exclusively through the Ukrainian state budget, charging no fees for core accreditation services. It employs 127 staff in Kyiv and holds full membership in INQAAHE and CEENQA, with affiliate membership in ENQA, supporting cross-border accreditation procedures with international peers such as HAKA (Estonia), Hcéres (France), SKVC (Lithuania), and MAB (Hungary). No commercial revenue is generated.

Name

The National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance - NAQA

Legal name

National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance

Website

https://en.naqa.gov.ua

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NAQA is Ukraine's sole national agency for external quality assurance in higher education, performing accreditation of study programmes and institutions for all Ukrainian HEIs, funded by the state budget with no commercial revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Quality Assurance

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accreditation Coordination, Recognition & Meta-Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAH), Education Regulatory Authorities & Commissions (Cross-Sector) (EDADAAAD), Higher Education Academic Standards & Degree Framework Authorities (EDADAEAG)

Keywords

• Higher education accreditation
• Quality assurance services
• Academic integrity oversight
• Educational regulatory body
• External quality assurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyiv

HQ country

Ukraine

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: NAQA is a statutory government body established by the Law of Ukraine on Higher Education (2014). It operates as a public institution with no commercial revenue model. The agency's activities are funded through the state budget as part of Ukraine's higher education quality assurance infrastructure.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NAQA is Ukraine's statutory national body responsible for external quality assurance in higher education. Its core offerings include accreditation of study programmes, institutional accreditation of higher education institutions, academic integrity oversight, post-acreditation monitoring, cross-border quality assurance with international partners, and operation of the public Accreditation Database (ICS). These services are delivered without fees to Ukrainian higher education institutions and aligned with European ESG standards.

Product overview

The National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA) is a Ukrainian government regulatory body that provides quality assurance services for higher education. NAQA does not offer commercial software products; its activities center on external quality assurance through accreditation procedures for study programmes and higher education institutions, regulatory oversight, and the administration of the Accreditation Database (ICS). The agency's service portfolio comprises accreditation evaluation, regulatory document issuance, appeals processing, and stakeholder engagement in quality assurance processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• External Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Study Programmes
• Institutional Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions
• Post-Accreditation Monitoring
• Academic Integrity Oversight
• Accreditation Database (ICS)
• Cross-Border Quality Assurance

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

42 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• State Language Protection CommissionermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Memorandum of cooperation signed June 2026 for cooperation on language policy compliance in higher education.
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Meeting March 2026 as part of German-Ukrainian University Network programme. NAQA presented Ukraine's external QA system and accreditation of joint study programmes.
• Public Integrity CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Memorandum of cooperation signed March 2026 for improving methodologies for analysing academic texts, exchange of information on academic integrity compliance, and quality of integrity assessments of judicial candidates.
• Swedish National Union of Students (SFS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Meeting March 2026 to expand cooperation with European student organisations. Discussion of student involvement in quality assurance and wartime education sustainability.
• Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Working meeting March 2026 discussed cross-border quality assurance specifics, challenges and opportunities from MAB accreditation procedures conducted in Ukraine, and potential areas for programme and institutional accreditation cooperation.
• Association 'Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce' (ICC Ukraine)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Memorandum of Cooperation signed March 2026 for developing partnerships in higher education QA, strengthening cooperation between education sector and business community, and implementing best international practices.
• Ministry of Education and Science of UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation signed for joint work on quality standards in higher education and coordination of policy implementation.
• Ministry of Internal Affairs of UkrainemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation for collaboration on quality education of civilian specialists and quality assurance in higher military education institutions.
• Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of UkrainemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation signed for cooperation on cultural and information policy alignment with quality assurance standards.
• National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAPC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation for joint anti-corruption initiatives and transparency in higher education quality assurance.
• State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of UkrainemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation for cybersecurity and information protection alignment with quality assurance standards.
• IT Ukraine AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation for alignment between higher education quality and IT industry needs.
• LLC SoftServemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation for collaboration between higher education and technology sector on quality standards.
• Ukrainian Students LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Joint implementation of 'Students as Ambassadors of Quality' educational project. Training sessions held across multiple Ukrainian cities (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv).
• Public Union Ukrainian Students LeaguemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of partnership and cooperation for student involvement in quality assurance processes.
• NAESmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation for collaboration on higher education quality assurance.
• Charitable Foundation Institute for Education DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of partnership and cooperation for education development initiatives.
• Ukrainian Association for The Club of RomeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of understanding and cooperation for collaboration on education and research development.
• National Union of Journalists of UkraineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of cooperation for collaboration on journalism education quality assurance.
• Centre for Testing of Professional Competence of SpecialistsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Memorandum of partnership and cooperation for professional competency assessment in higher education.
• CEENQA (Central and Eastern European Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2020Full member since July 2020. Nataliia Stukalo was elected to the CEENQA Executive Board in June 2026. NAQA participates in CEENQA General Assemblies, bi-monthly meetings, and workshops.
• Higher Education Quality Council of Turkey (THEQC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2020Consultative meeting held June 2020 on quality assurance processes. Exchange of national experiences in higher education quality assurance.
• Center for Quality Assessment in Higher Education Lithuania (SKVC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2020Online meeting April 2020 on institutional accreditation and programme evaluation. SKVC shared Lithuanian experience on external evaluation of HEIs and alignment with ESG.
• Estonian Quality Agency (EKKA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2020Agency-to-agency online consultations on quality assurance practices with OSCE Project Coordinator support in Ukraine.
• INQAAHE (International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Full member of INQAAHE. NAQA gains access to the INQAAHE query service, database of consultants, periodicals, General Assembly documentation, and participation in and hosting of INQAAHE events.
• Hcéres (France)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Consultations on institutional accreditation with Hcéres Vice President and International Project Manager. Hcéres shared French experience on institutional accreditation processes and periodic mandatory evaluation systems.
• Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating Kazakhstan (IAAR)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cooperation Agreement signed for exchange of experience in quality assurance. IAAR is an international accreditation agency founded in 2011.
• Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences Germany (AHPGS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Working meetings held with AHPGS representatives to discuss cross-border quality assurance procedures and ESG compliance.
• Kharkiv IT ClustermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2019Memorandum of Cooperation signed November 2019 for collaboration on industry-academia alignment. Joint workshop held June 2026 on 'Academic Integrity and AI'.
• USAID New Justice ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2019Protocol of Cooperation signed March 2019 to support quality assurance reforms in higher education through the New Justice Program.
• British Council UkrainemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Supported training of the first 40 NAQA accreditation experts in September 2019. Active in Ukraine Improving Higher Education for Results (UIHERP) project with World Bank.
• ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENQA affiliate member since June 2020. NAQA participates in ENQA General Assemblies, consults with ENQA on ESG compliance, and undergoes external review coordinated by ENQA for ESG compliance.
• Estonian Quality Agency for Education (HAKA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project 'Enhancement of Higher Education Quality in Ukraine' implemented with HAKA and ESTDEV support. Collaboration on institutional accreditation procedures, study visits to Estonia, and joint webinars on internal quality assurance systems.
• Quality Agency for Higher Education LatviamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit by NAQA Vice Head Nataliia Stukalo to Quality Agency for Higher Education (Latvia) in May 2019 for knowledge exchange.
• Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska Bosnia and Herzegovina (AHERS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking meetings held to discuss cross-border quality assurance and prospects for cooperation.
• OSCE Project Co-ordinator in UkrainemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of understanding and cooperation for support of quality assurance development projects and agency-to-agency meetings with international partners.
• StrikePlagiarism.commajorTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on best practices for academic text verification and plagiarism detection. StrikePlagiarism presented tools for thorough verification of academic work at NAQA workshops.
• LLC Antyplagiat UnicheckmajorTechnology or IntegrationMemorandum and cooperation agreement signed for collaboration on academic integrity verification tools and plagiarism detection in Ukrainian higher education.
• Plagiat.plmajorTechnology or IntegrationMemorandum of cooperation for collaboration on academic integrity verification tools.
• Ukraine Global FacultyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of cooperation for collaboration on international education initiatives and global faculty engagement.
• State Scientific InstitutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of cooperation for scientific and educational quality assurance collaboration.
• Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESTDEV supports the joint Estonian-Ukrainian project 'Enhancement of Higher Education Quality in Ukraine' and co-funds the INSPIRE Erasmus+ project. Collaboration includes study visits, joint webinars, and institutional accreditation pilot.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education): The umbrella European association for QA agencies. ENQA is a broad incumbent — NAQA is an affiliate member since June 2020 and undergoes external review coordinated by ENQA for ESG compliance, placing ENQA as both a standards-setter above NAQA and an institutional peer within the European QA ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Center for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC): Lithuania's national quality assessment agency for higher education. SKVC is a direct peer — NAQA held agency-to-agency online meetings with SKVC on institutional accreditation, programme evaluation, and ESG alignment.
• Higher Education Quality Council of Turkey (THEQC): Turkey's national higher education quality assurance council. THEQC is a direct peer — NAQA held a consultative meeting with THEQC in June 2020 to exchange national experiences in higher education quality assurance.
• Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating (IAAR): Kazakhstan's international accreditation agency founded in 2011. IAAR is a direct peer — NAQA and IAAR signed a Cooperation Agreement for exchange of experience in quality assurance, both operating in post-Soviet higher education systems with similar ESG-compliance trajectories.
• Quality Agency for Higher Education Latvia: Latvia's national quality assurance agency for higher education. A direct peer — NAQA Vice Head Nataliia Stukalo conducted a knowledge-exchange visit in May 2019 to align approaches to ESG-compliant external evaluation.
• Hcéres (High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education): France's national external evaluation agency for higher education and research. Hcéres is a direct peer — NAQA held consultations with Hcéres' Vice President and International Project Manager on institutional accreditation processes and periodic mandatory evaluation systems.
• Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education (HAKA): Estonia's national quality assurance agency for higher and vocational education. HAKA is a direct peer — NAQA has a formal joint project 'Enhancement of Higher Education Quality in Ukraine' with HAKA, and HAKA supported the first international institutional accreditation of a Ukrainian HEI (Lutsk National Technical University).
• Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences (AHPGS): Germany's accreditation agency for health and social sciences programmes. A direct peer — NAQA held working meetings with AHPGS on cross-border quality assurance procedures and ESG compliance, comparable in delivering programme-level accreditation under ENQA standards.
• Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska (AHERS): Bosnia and Herzegovina's higher education quality assurance agency. A direct peer — NAQA held working meetings with AHERS on cross-border quality assurance and cooperation prospects, operating in a similarly transitional regulatory environment.
• Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB): Hungary's national accreditation committee for higher education. A direct peer — MAB and NAQA held a working meeting in March 2026 on cross-border QA, and MAB conducted an accreditation procedure at Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College recognized by NAQA through 2031.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naqa-ukraine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance - NAQA