What ICDE - International Council for Open and Distance Education does

ICDE — the International Council for Open and Distance Education — is a non-governmental, non-profit membership organization founded in 1938 and headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Its Permanent Secretariat consists of four full-time staff supported operationally by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research through the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, a hosting arrangement that has been in place since 1988. ICDE holds formal Consultative Partner status with UNESCO and is one of 200+ members in the UNESCO Global Education Coalition.

The organization does not operate a technology product. Its platform is membership- and community-based: 200+ institutional members (universities and educational institutions focused on open, flexible, and distance learning), plus individual and student member categories, access networks such as the Open Education Network, Technology and Innovation Network, and Global Advocacy Campaign with regional task forces across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania. Revenue is generated through annual institutional (EUR 1,535 for 2026) and individual (EUR 200 for 2026) membership fees, premium member services — including the ICDE Quality Review Service, Train the Trainers workshops, and Quality Committee Consultancy — conference registration (biennial World Conference plus regional events such as the Lillehammer Lifelong Learning Conference 2027), and project-specific funding including the Portuguese OER Project (launched April 2024) and the Francophone OER Project (launched 2020) that implement the UNESCO OER Recommendation.

ICDE's product surface is service- and convening-oriented rather than software-oriented. Core offerings comprise member services (peer review, training, advisory), collaborative networks (Open Education, Technology and Innovation, Global Advocacy), and international projects (OER capacity building in Francophone Africa and Lusophone regions). Operational tooling is standard: Moodle for learning management, Stripe for payments, Mailchimp for newsletters, Google Analytics for web analytics. The organization maintains GDPR-compliant data handling under a Data Protection Officer and is governed by its members through a Board and General Assembly structure.

Name

ICDE - International Council for Open and Distance Education

Legal name

International Council for Open and Distance Education

Website

https://icde.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICDE is a 1938-founded, Oslo-based global NGO and UNESCO Consultative Partner that serves 200+ higher education institutions through membership, quality review, training, and open-education advocacy networks worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to educational institutions for access to ICDE networks, resources, member services, and participation in conferences. The fee covers membership until December 31 of the year.
2. Individual Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for individual educators, researchers, and professionals to access ICDE networks and resources.
3. Member Services: Premium services offered exclusively to members including consultancy from the ICDE Quality Committee, Train the Trainers workshops, and the ICDE Quality Review Service. These services are available for additional fees.
4. Conference Participation: Revenue generated from registration fees for international conferences organized by ICDE, including the World Conference and regional events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ICDE is a global membership organization that provides networks, member services, and projects to advance inclusive, scalable, and sustainable open, flexible, and distance education. It offers premium services including the ICDE Quality Review Service, Train the Trainers workshops, and Quality Committee consultancy, along with member-led networks (Global Advocacy Campaign, Technology and Innovation Network, Open Education Network) and OER capacity-building projects for UNESCO-aligned implementation.

Product overview

ICDE (International Council for Open and Distance Education) is a global membership organization and network, not a traditional software product company. Its offerings consist of member services (ICDE Quality Review Service, Train the Trainers Workshop, Quality Committee Consultancy), collaborative networks (Global Advocacy Campaign, Technology and Innovation Network, Open Education Network), and international projects (Francophone OER Project, Portuguese OER Project, ENCORE+). These services, networks, and projects collectively support inclusive, scalable, and sustainable education globally, with the organization serving as a Consultative Partner to UNESCO since its founding in 1938.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global Advocacy Campaign (GAC): A global campaign enabling ICDE members to collaborate in promoting inclusive, scalable, and sustainable education on the international stage.
• Technology and Innovation Network (TIN)
• ICDE Open Education Network
• ICDE Quality Review Service
• ICDE Quality Committee
• ICDE Francophone OER Project
• ICDE Portuguese OER Project
• ENCORE+ (European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education)
• Train the Trainers Workshop

Products and services

• ICDE Quality Review Service (QRS) Independent external peer-review service for member institutions, focusing on the enhancement of quality of student support. Reviews are conducted by contracted review teams chosen from ICDE membership.
• Train the Trainers Workshop A premium workshop equipping academic staff with knowledge, tools, and confidence to create, deliver, and evaluate high-quality Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL) courses. Covers AI tools integration, Open Educational Resources, and asynchronous learning.
• ICDE Quality Committee Consultancy Service Advisory service from the ICDE Quality Committee providing advice on quality assurance and quality enhancement for inclusive education. Covers topics including stackable learning, micro-credentials, accessibility, inclusion, and student well-being.
• ICDE Portuguese OER Project Supports implementation of UNESCO OER recommendations in Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean through OER capacity building and digital competency development.
• ICDE Francophone OER Project Supports the implementation of UNESCO OER recommendations in Francophone Africa through OER capacity building and digital competency development. Includes French adaptation of the LIDA103 micro-course.
• Institutional Membership Annual membership for universities, colleges, and educational organizations providing access to ICDE networks, resources, member services, and conference participation at EUR 1450 + EUR 85 transaction cost for 2026.
• Individual Membership Annual membership for educators, researchers, and professionals providing access to ICDE networks and resources at EUR 200 for 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• ICDE serves 200+ institutional members globally through its UNESCO partnership network

Named customers4 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDE serves as a Consultative Partner to UNESCO, participating in the UNESCO Global Education Coalition alongside 200+ members. This partnership enables ICDE to influence international education policy and collaborate on global initiatives including connectivity, teachers, and gender equality flagship programs. ICDE is also a co-developer of the Dubai Declaration on OER adopted at the 3rd UNESCO World OER Congress.
• Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education and ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDE is supported by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research through the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Norway has hosted ICDE's Permanent Secretariat since 1988, providing fundamental operational support for the organization's global activities.
• University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPOU is hosting the 31st ICDE World Conference 2027 in the Philippines. This is a major conference partnership that positions the host institution at the center of global education discourse and provides significant visibility for open and distance education in the region.
• University of Inland NorwaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Inland Norway is co-organizing the Lillehammer Lifelong Learning ICDE Conference 2027, collaborating with ICDE to bring together global experts in lifelong learning.
• Open University UKmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen University UK serves as a Network Chair for the ICDE Open Education Network and co-leads the Europe Task Force of the Global Advocacy Campaign. The partnership leverages OU UK's expertise in open education for ICDE's global initiatives.
• University of LeedsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Leeds serves as a Network Chair for the ICDE Open Education Network, bringing academic expertise to the network's objectives of knowledge sharing and collaboration on open education.
• University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniSQ leads the Technology and Innovation Network (TIN) as Network Chair, coordinating activities with support from the ICDE Secretariat for the term March 2024 – March 2026. UniSQ contributes expertise in fostering open, international communities around online learning innovation.
• Open University of Portugal (Universidade Aberta)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidade Aberta is a main partner in the ICDE Portuguese OER Project, supporting the implementation of UNESCO OER Recommendation in Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The university hosts the OER courses and repository.
• French Digital University (l'Université Numérique)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Digital University is a main partner in both the ICDE Portuguese OER Project and the ICDE Francophone OER Project, contributing to capacity building and digital competency development across language regions.
• French Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMESRI and ICDE established a Francophone OER expert working group in early 2020 following UNESCO's OER recommendation adoption. The ministry provides governmental support for OER implementation in Francophone Africa.
• OERu (Open Educational Resources university)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOERu is ICDE's partner for the LIDA103 micro-course, which was created in English by OERu and adapted into French (LIDA103fr) within the Francophone OER Project working group as a capacity building tool.
• Arden UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArden University co-leads the ICDE Europe Task Force alongside Open University UK, contributing to advocacy for inclusive, scalable, and sustainable distance education in Europe through case studies and knowledge exchange.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO supports the ICDE Portuguese OER Project, providing backing for implementation of the UNESCO OER Recommendation in Portuguese-speaking countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
• Virtual University of SenegalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Francophone OER working group, contributing to OER capacity building in Francophone Africa.
• International Organization of la FrancophoniesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in the Francophone OER working group to support implementation of UNESCO OER recommendation in Francophone regions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Coursera: For-profit online learning platform partnering with universities globally to deliver massive open online courses. Coursera serves overlapping end users (universities and learners) but is a commercial platform rather than membership association—an adjacent emerging player.
• OERu (Open Educational Resources university): A consortium of institutions collaborating to provide open, credit-bearing pathways. OERu partners with ICDE on capacity building (e.g., LIDA103 micro-course) and overlaps on OER credentialing and policy.

Broad incumbents

• EDUCAUSE: A large US-based non-profit membership association for higher education IT and digital learning leaders. EDUCAUSE serves a much larger membership and broader scope, but overlaps with ICDE on technology-enhanced learning and educational innovation.

Direct peers

• Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT): An international professional association for educators and technologists advancing instructional design and educational technology. AECT overlaps with ICDE's Technology and Innovation Network on technology-enhanced learning community building.
• European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU): A membership association representing Europe's open, distance, and e-learning universities. EADTU is a direct peer for European institutional members and shares ICDE's focus on distance education quality assurance and policy influence.
• Commonwealth of Learning (COL): An intergovernmental organization established by Commonwealth nations to promote open learning and distance education. COL overlaps directly with ICDE's mandate on open/distance education globally and partners with similar higher education institutions.
• WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies): A US-based non-profit membership organization focused on digital learning policy, regulation, and quality in higher education. WCET directly competes with ICDE's Quality Review Service and policy advocacy in the online/distance learning space.
• Open Education Global (OEGlobal): A global non-profit membership organization dedicated to open education, OER, and open access. OEGlobal directly competes with ICDE for institutional members and influence in the OER/open education policy space, particularly in North America and Europe.
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): A large non-profit membership organization for educators using technology to transform learning. ISTE competes with ICDE on technology-driven education standards, certification, and member services, though with a K-12 tilt.

Others

• UNESCO (Education Sector): The United Nations agency for education with which ICDE holds Consultative Partner status. UNESCO shapes the OER and inclusive-education policy agenda that ICDE operationalizes—adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ICDE.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icde-international-council-for-open-and-distance-education

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ICDE - International Council for Open and Distance Education