What ICD Business School does

ICD Business School is a private, boutique higher education institution founded in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland by Managing Director Vincent Barry. The College delivers QQI-validated undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business and accounting, primarily to international (non-EU) students alongside Irish and EU cohorts, drawing learners from over 45 countries. Its core portfolio comprises three principal awards — the BA (Honours) in Accounting & Finance, BA (Honours) in Business Studies (both NFQ Level 8, four years with work placement), and MA in Accounting & Finance (NFQ Level 9) — supplemented by a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting & Financial Services, a Certificate in Project Management with Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Edexcel-validated Higher National Diplomas across multiple business specialisations, and embedded ACCA tuition that grants graduates up to nine exemptions (F1–F9), the maximum available from any college.

The technology stack is built around Moodle as the Virtual Learning Environment used across all modules, supported by JStor and Google Scholar for academic research, Urkund for plagiarism detection, Mendeley for referencing, and standard Microsoft Office tooling in the library. Delivery is classroom-led and in-person at the Dublin campus, with Moodle providing off-campus access to materials, assignment submission, and induction resources. The College is in the process of relocating to a purpose-built campus at Wolfe Tone Street Dublin 1 from July 2026, and received TrustEd Ireland Higher Education Pathway authorisation from QQI in January 2026.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through tuition fees under a non-discriminatory pricing policy that charges the same fees to Irish, EU, and non-EU students, with the exception of a €7,500 first-year surcharge for non-EU students requiring visa assistance. A €200 graduation fee and modest repeat-assessment and grade-review fees apply. Distribution occurs through direct applications, the Central Applications Office (CAO) for domestic undergraduates, international education fairs across Asia, Latin America, and Europe under Enterprise Ireland's Education in Ireland brand, and a student ambassador programme. Named graduate outcomes at Big 4 accounting firms (KPMG, EY, Deloitte, Grant Thornton), Pfizer, TikTok, Dalata Group, Musgrave, and Glanbia are used as recruitment assets rather than enterprise customer relationships.

Name

ICD Business School

Legal name

ICD Business School

Website

https://icd.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICD Business School is a private Dublin-based boutique higher education institution founded in 2001, offering QQI-validated undergraduate and postgraduate business and accounting programmes to students from over 45 countries, with embedded ACCA tuition granting up to nine exam exemptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Business and Secretarial Schools (611410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accounting & Finance Certification Prep (CPA, CMA, CFA, FRM) (EDANAIAD), Project, Process & Quality Certification Prep (PMP, PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) (EDANAIAE)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Business degree programmes
• Accounting qualifications
• ACCA exam preparation
• QQI validated degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: ICD generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged for its programmes. The school operates a transparent and non-discriminatory pricing policy with academic fees set at the same level irrespective of nationality or EU citizenship, with the only exception being extra fees for students requiring visa assistance from abroad. Fees vary by programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICD Business School is a boutique private higher education institution in Dublin that delivers QQI-validated undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business and accounting, including a BA (Honours) in Accounting & Finance, BA (Honours) in Business Studies, MA in Accounting & Finance, and a Postgraduate Diploma. Its programmes embed ACCA tuition enabling graduates to obtain up to 9 ACCA exemptions (F1-F9), and the school serves a multinational student body from over 45 countries through small class sizes and Dublin city-centre delivery.

Product overview

ICD Business School is a boutique higher education institution offering a portfolio of QQI-validated and Edexcel-validated business and accounting programmes. The core offerings are three principal degree programmes: the BA (Honours) in Accounting & Finance, BA (Honours) in Business Studies, and MA in Accounting & Finance. These are supplemented by a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting & Financial Services and a Certificate in Project Management with Six Sigma Yellow Belt. ACCA professional exam preparation is embedded within the BA programmes, providing graduates with up to 9 exemptions. The institution also offers Edexcel-validated Higher National Diplomas across various business specialisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BA (Honours) Accounting and Finance A four-year Honours degree programme validated by QQI at Level 8 of the National Framework of Qualifications, providing comprehensive education in accounting and finance disciplines with up to 9 ACCA exemptions (F1-F9). Designed for students targeting professional accountancy careers.
• BA (Honours) Business Studies A four-year Honours degree programme validated by QQI at Level 8. Includes ACCA tuition with exemptions (F1-F9) and a mandatory work placement year in Year 3. Designed for students seeking a broad business education with practical industry experience.
• MA in Accounting and Finance A postgraduate degree programme at Level 9 of the National Framework of Qualifications, offering advanced study in accounting and finance for degree holders seeking professional qualifications.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting & Financial Services A postgraduate diploma validated by QQI at Level 9, providing specialised knowledge in accounting and financial services for career advancement or further study.
• Certificate in Project Management (Including Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certificate) A professional certificate programme combining project management methodology with Six Sigma quality management principles, validated by QQI. Designed for learners seeking practical project and quality management credentials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates receive 9 ACCA exemptions (F1-F9) - maximum possible
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Education in Ireland (Enterprise Ireland)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerEnterprise Ireland manages the Education in Ireland national brand under the Minister for Education and Skills. ICD is an active member and participates in international education fairs in China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, Mexico, Spain, and Switzerland.
• QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland)coreOthersQQI is an independent State agency responsible for promoting quality and accountability in education and training services in Ireland. All of ICD's programmes are validated by QQI.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICD offers ACCA tuition as part of its BA Hons programmes with graduates receiving up to 9 exemptions (F1 to F9). ACCA is the world's most forward-thinking professional accountancy body.
• ICOS (Irish Council for International Students)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICOS collaborates with members, student organisations and government agencies to ensure international education policy and practice in Ireland is quality driven. ICD is a proud member and holds regular consultations with ICOS.
• Student Sport IrelandminorOthersICD is a member of Student Sport Ireland, the organisation that coordinates Inter Varsities competitions. ICD athletes and sports teams have opportunity to compete with students from other colleges across Ireland.
• CES (Centre of English Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCES is located just 30 seconds from ICD and has over 40 years of experience in English language teaching. ICD recommends CES to students wishing to improve their English and has an ongoing relationship for providing language support courses.
• PAT (Professional Accountancy Training)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAT is a Gold standard approved learning partner of ACCA with accredited recognition. ACCA Gold status is only awarded to institutions meeting highly challenging performance standards. PAT is located in Wicklow House, same building as ICD.
• Study and Protect / O'Driscoll O'Neil DACcoreOthersEducational insurance platform providing enrolled learner protection insurance for all ICD students. Offers protection for fees and placement with alternative college or refund of fees in case of issues with original provider.
• Neptune Rowing ClubminorOthersICD partner sports club. Students interested in rowing can participate in sports initiatives through this partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IBAT College Dublin: IBAT College is a Dublin-based private college offering business, IT and English-language pathway programmes targeting international students. It competes directly with ICD in the international student recruitment funnel and Dublin city-centre location.
• National College of Ireland (NCI): NCI is a Dublin private higher education institution offering QQI-validated business, accounting, computing and psychology programmes with a strong international cohort. It directly competes with ICD for the same international business/accounting student segment.
• Dublin Business School (DBS): DBS is a Dublin-based private college offering QQI-validated business, accounting and law programmes to a heavily international student base. It is the closest direct competitor to ICD in terms of programme mix, target international student segment and Dublin city-centre delivery model.
• Griffith College Dublin: Griffith College is one of Ireland's longest-established independent colleges offering business, accounting and computing programmes with significant international enrolments. ICD's Student Liaison Manager previously managed Griffith's International Office, underscoring direct overlap in positioning and operations.

Broad incumbents

• Dublin City University (DCU) – Business School: DCU is a major Irish public university with a Business School offering undergraduate and postgraduate accounting/business programmes that compete for both domestic and international students alongside ICD.
• UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School: UCD Smurfit is Ireland's premier graduate business school, offering MSc, MBA and PhD programmes in accounting and finance. It competes for higher-end postgraduate talent in the same disciplines and shares faculty and student flows with ICD's MA in Accounting & Finance.

Others

• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants): ACCA is the global professional accountancy body whose qualification and exemption framework underpins ICD's core value proposition. ACCA's tuition partners and exam pathways are the broader ecosystem in which ICD competes.
• Education in Ireland (Enterprise Ireland): Education in Ireland is the government's national brand managed by Enterprise Ireland that promotes Irish higher education overseas. ICD is an active member and benefits from its international education-fair network; peers such as Griffith, DBS and NCI are also members, making it a shared marketing channel rather than a competitor.
• PAT (Professional Accountancy Training): PAT is an ACCA Gold-approved learning partner co-located with ICD at Wicklow House and delivers the ACCA tuition component embedded in ICD's BA programmes. It is a strategic delivery partner rather than a competitor.

Emerging players

• Kaplan International (Ireland): Kaplan International operates pathway and English-language programmes feeding into Irish and UK universities, often targeting the same international student demographic as ICD and competing for non-EU enrolments through education-agent channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/icd-business-school

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

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 ICD Business School