What FONASBA does

FONASBA (The Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents) is a not-for-profit trade federation founded in 1969 and headquartered in London, UK. It operates as the recognized global umbrella organization for national associations of ship brokers and agents, representing the profession at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) where it holds official observer status, and engaging with major industry bodies including BIMCO, INTERTANKO, ITIC, the World Customs Organisation, and the International Chamber of Commerce. Its membership footprint spans 40+ countries through Full Member national associations, with ECASBA serving as its European regional arm. The federation is member-owned and operated by a small secretariat of approximately 10 employees, led by General Manager Eleonora Modde.

FONASBA's core product portfolio centers on professional education and industry certification. Flagship offerings include the FONASBA Quality Standard (a company certification program covering 600+ certified firms), the FONASBA Agent Diploma (delivered with ASBA), and a suite of ACB-partnered courses covering Liner Shipping Transportation, Tramp Business, and Ro-Ro Cargo Shipping, plus the Certificate in the Fundamentals of Shipbroking. The organization also runs the annual Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award (YABA), publishes the NEW HORIZON newsletter, issues standardized documentation and contracts, and conducts Port Procedures and Membership Surveys. These are delivered primarily through partner-mediated channels (ACB, ASBA, BIMCO, ICS, ITIC) rather than proprietary technology platforms.

The federation's revenue model is diversified across membership fees from national associations and associate member companies, course fees (€500-€750 per course), website advertising (the FONASBA site receives 5,700+ monthly visits from ship owners, operators, and charterers), Quality Standard certification and annual renewal fees, and sponsorship of the YABA award from industry partners. Distribution follows a hub-and-spoke model in which national associations serve as local channels and education/certification partners handle course administration and examination. Geographic reach now extends across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, with Annual Meetings rotated annually (Athens 2024, Istanbul 2025, Tokyo 2026).

Name

FONASBA

Legal name

FONASBA (The Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents)

Website

https://fonasba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FONASBA is a 55-year-old London-based non-profit trade federation representing national associations of ship brokers and agents across 40+ countries, providing industry advocacy, the Quality Standard certification (600+ certified companies), and professional education through partner-administered training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: FONASBA generates revenue through membership fees from Full Member national associations and Associate Member companies. The federation represents ship brokers and agents globally.
2. Education and Training Programs: Revenue from course fees including the FONASBA/ACB Liner Shipping Transportation Course (€500), Shipping Agency in Tramp Business Course (€750), and FONASBA Agent Diploma administered through ASBA partnership.
3. Website Advertising: FONASBA sells advertising placements on its website which receives over 5,700 hits per month from ship owners, operators, charterers and others seeking ship agents and brokers.
4. Quality Standard Accreditation: Companies pay for FONASBA Quality Standard certification and annual renewal, which is part of company certification requirements in the USA.
5. Young Agent/Broker Award Sponsorships: The YABA program receives sponsorship support from BIMCO, ITIC, ACB, ASBA, and the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FONASBA (The Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents) is a global trade federation founded in 1969 that serves as the unified representative body for national ship broker and ship agent associations worldwide. The federation offers a suite of professional services including the FONASBA Quality Standard certification program (covering 600+ companies across 40+ countries), multiple education and training courses delivered with partners ACB Barcelona and ASBA, the annual Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award (YABA), standardized documentation and contracts for industry use, the Port Procedures Survey, and the NEW HORIZON newsletter. FONASBA holds official observer status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and advocates on regulatory matters for its members.

Product overview

FONASBA (The Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents) is a global federation providing professional services primarily focused on education, certification, and industry advocacy for the shipping agency and broking professions. The core offerings include multiple professional certification and training programs: the FONASBA Agent Diploma (entry-level ship agency qualification), the FONASBA/ACB Liner Shipping Transportation Course, the ACB Shipping Agency in Tramp Business Course, the ACB Ro-Ro Cargo Shipping Course, and the Certificate in the Fundamentals of Shipbroking—all delivered in partnership with the Barcelona Shipping Agents' Association (ACB) and other partners. The federation also operates the FONASBA Quality Standard certification program, the annual Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award (YABA), publishes the NEW HORIZON newsletter, provides standard documentation services, and conducts Port Procedures and Membership Surveys. ECASBA serves as the European regional arm of the federation. The organization does not offer a technology platform or API-based products; its services are centered on professional development, certification, industry representation, and information dissemination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECASBA: European Committee of FONASBA - represents the European interests within the federation

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACB (Barcelona Shipping Agents' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFONASBA partners with ACB to deliver the FONASBA/ACB Liner Shipping Transportation Course and the FONASBA/ACB Shipping Agency in Tramp Business Course. ACB administers these courses including video tutorials, self-study materials, discussion forums, and assessments. Students based in Spain register directly with ACB while international students register through FONASBA.
• ASBA (American Ship Brokers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFONASBA partnered with ASBA to offer the FONASBA Agent Diploma, based on ASBA's own Agent Exam which is part of annual certification for the FONASBA Quality Standard in the USA. The ASBA Exam has been taken by more than 1,500 US-based ship agents. ASBA provides course materials and online examination facilities.
• BIMCOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBIMCO sponsors the FONASBA Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award (YABA), providing e-Learning modules as prizes for winners. BIMCO also featured in FONASBA's promotional videos launched in March 2020. BIMCO Deputy Secretary General Stinne Taiger Ivø serves on the YABA Review Committee.
• ITIC (International Transport Intermediaries Club)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerITIC sponsors the FONASBA Young Ship Agent or Ship Broker Award (YABA) with cash prizes. ITIC Claims Director Mark Brattman serves on the YABA Review Committee. ITIC has supported the award since at least 2015.
• Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerICS provides textbooks valued at £550 as prizes for YABA award winners. The Institute offers the FONASBA Certificate in the Fundamentals of Shipbroking course.
• ABSA (American Bureau of Shipping Agents)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerABSA sponsors the YABA award by providing complimentary entry to their Shipbroking & Charter Vessel Operations (SBCVO) course for second prize winners.
• World Customs Organisation (WCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFONASBA partners with the World Customs Organisation to offer Customs Training Courses as part of its education and professional development offerings for members.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFONASBA partners with ICC to offer Global Trade Online Training Courses as part of its education and professional development offerings for members.
• Worldwide Shipping Agencies Association (WWSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFONASBA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with WWSA to strengthen cooperation between the two organizations representing shipping agencies globally.
• ECASBA (European Committee of FONASBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECASBA is the European Committee of FONASBA, organizing seminars (Gothenburg 2026, Brussels) and representing European shipping agents at EU level. ECASBA has an Advisory Panel and appoints a Brussels representative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BIMCO (Baltic and International Maritime Council): The world's largest international shipping association, representing shipowners, operators, charterers, and brokers. BIMCO is the most directly comparable peer: a global trade association for the maritime value chain that, like FONASBA, issues standard contracts, runs education programs, and engages at IMO — and even co-sponsors FONASBA's YABA.
• ACB (Barcelona Shipping Agents' Association): Spanish national association of ship agents that administers FONASBA's Liner and Tramp Business courses. ACB mirrors FONASBA's national-association-of-ship-agents model at the country level and is the primary delivery partner for FONASBA's professional education portfolio.
• ABSA (American Bureau of Shipping Agents): US national body representing ship agents and brokers that sponsors FONASBA's YABA second-prize SBCVO course. ABSA is structurally the same as a FONASBA full member association — a national-level federation of ship agents — making it a clear like-for-like peer.
• WWSA (Worldwide Shipping Agencies Association): A global federation of national shipping agency associations. WWSA is FONASBA's closest structural peer — both federate national ship-agent associations worldwide, and the two recently signed an MOU to strengthen cooperation, indicating overlapping scope and a shared competitive space.
• Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS): The leading global professional body for shipbrokers, providing education, examinations, and chartered status. ICS is directly comparable to FONASBA on the professional certification axis — offering its own Fundamentals of Shipbroking course and providing YABA prize textbooks — and serves the same shipbroker community.
• ASBA (American Ship Brokers Association): The US national association of ship brokers and agents that administers FONASBA's Agent Diploma. ASBA is the US counterpart in the same federation-of-brokers/agents model and shares FONASBA's focus on professional standards and certification.

Broad incumbents

• INTERTANKO: International trade association for independent tanker owners and operators. INTERTANKO is a broader-incumbent peer: a global maritime industry association with deep IMO engagement and a wider membership scope than FONASBA's agent/broker focus, but operating in the same trade-association and standards-setting space.
• Intercargo: International trade association for dry cargo shipowners. Intercargo is comparable to FONASBA as a sector-specific global shipping association engaged in policy, classification, and safety standards — but with a broader shipowner rather than ship-agent remit.
• IACS (International Association of Classification Societies): The umbrella body for the world's major ship classification societies. IACS is comparable as a global maritime standards and quality framework organization, relevant to FONASBA's Quality Standard positioning, though operating at a broader technical/regulatory tier than agent-level certification.

Others

• ITIC (International Transport Intermediaries Club): Mutual insurance provider delivering professional indemnity cover to ship agents, shipbrokers, and other transport intermediaries. ITIC is comparable as an enabler of the same ship agent/broker community FONASBA serves — it sits on FONASBA's YABA committee and is a long-standing sponsor, indicating deep ecosystem overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Fonasba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fonasba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FONASBA