What IMI - International Mediation Institute does

IMI - International Mediation Institute is a non-profit foundation ('stichting') and registered Dutch charity ('ANBI') headquartered at Fluwelen Burgwal 58 in The Hague, founded in 2007. It operates as the international standard-setting body for mediation, independently verifying the competence, ethics and professional practice of mediators and mediation advocates without itself providing mediation or training services. Its core activity is a multi-tier certification ecosystem covering foundational accreditation (IMI Qualified Mediator), practitioner-level accreditation (IMI Certified Mediator), advocacy-level accreditation (IMI Certified Mediation Advocate/Advisor), and specializations in cross-cultural competence and online dispute resolution. Underpinning this is a digital platform - soft-launched July 2026 - that integrates a Find a Mediator searchable directory, the Feedback Digest transparency system, the Mediation Logbook, and the Olé case-analysis tool (developed with a GE Foundation grant).

The business model is contribution- and fee-based rather than commercial. Revenue derives from annual subscription listings (USD 89.89 Qualified / USD 197.76 Certified), one-time program application fees (USD 1,193 for QAPs, USD 2,385 for RMTPs, USD 3,578 for expedited), an annual RMTP listing fee (USD 833), bi-annual audit fees (USD 419.48), and donor/grant income from organizations such as the GE Foundation and the Municipality of The Hague. Customer segments span individual mediators, training and assessment organizations (RMTPs and QAPs in 31 countries), corporate users and legal advisers, regulators and policymakers, and end-user disputing parties who access the directory. Quality Assessment Programs operate in 31 countries, more than 550 IMI Certified Mediators are listed, and an Independent Standards Commission of 70+ experts from 27 countries governs the credentialing criteria. Strategic Board-level relationships with AAA/ICDR, CEDR, ICC, JAMS, SIMC, ADR Center and CCIAG embed IMI certification into the procurement panels of major global ADR institutions, while SIMC explicitly requires all its panel mediators to be IMI certified.

Growth is delivered through programmatic expansion rather than equity-funded scaling. Recent strategic moves include the July 2026 Digital Platform launch, a June 2026 ESG Mediation Subcommittee (with stewardship of the Mediators' Green Pledge), a 2025 second public-consultation round on the IMI Draft Code of Conduct, and the March 2024 introduction of mandatory annual listing fees that converted the prior voluntary contribution model into recurring subscription revenue.

Name

IMI - International Mediation Institute

Legal name

International Mediation Institute Stichting

Website

https://imimediation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IMI (International Mediation Institute) is a Hague-based non-profit foundation that sets and certifies international standards for mediators and mediation advocates. It serves individual mediators, training and assessment organizations in 31 countries, and global ADR institutions through its certification tiers, Find a Mediator directory, and Feedback Digest system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification and Listing Fees: IMI generates revenue through annual subscription fees for IMI Qualified Mediator profiles (USD$89.89/year) and IMI Certified Mediator profiles (USD$197.76/year). These contributions sustain IMI's global programs and support the integrity of professional standards.
2. Program Application and Processing Fees: One-time application processing fees for organizations seeking recognition as RMTPs (USD$2,385.06), QAPs (USD$1,192.53), expedited programs (USD$3,577.59), and program alterations (USD$179.78). QAPs and RMTPs also undergo audits every two years for a fee of EUR350.
3. Annual Listing Fees for Organizations: Annual fees for RMTP listing (USD$832.97/year) and IMI-SIMI Trademark License fees. These contribute to IMI's operational costs and global development of mediation standards.
4. Grants and Donations: IMI receives grants from dispute resolution foundations (e.g., GE Foundation for the Olé tool), voluntary Listing Contributions from IMI Certified Mediators, and business sponsorships from corporate patrons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IMI is a non-profit foundation that sets global professional standards for mediators and mediation advocates by issuing individual accreditations (Qualified, Certified, Intercultural, ODR, Mediation Advocate) and recognizing training (RMTPs) and assessment (QAPs) programs across 31 countries. Its offerings include a searchable Find a Mediator directory, the Mediation Logbook, the Olé Case Analysis Tool, the Feedback Digest transparency system, and the IMI Events platform, supported by an Independent Standards Commission of 70+ experts from 27 countries.

Product overview

IMI is a non-profit organization that serves as the international standard-setting body for mediation, operating as a certification and accreditation body rather than a service provider. The organization offers a multi-tiered certification ecosystem consisting of IMI Qualified Mediator (foundational training recognition), IMI Certified Mediator (advanced practitioner certification), and specialized certifications for Mediation Advocacy, Intercultural Competence, and Online Dispute Resolution. Supporting infrastructure includes the Find a Mediator searchable directory, the IMI Mediation Logbook, the Olé case analysis tool, and the Feedback Digest system. The portfolio also includes professional development programs such as the Young Mediators' Initiative with its mentorship framework, research initiatives like the Global Pound Conference series, the Events platform for community gatherings, and the Mediators' Green Pledge sustainability initiative managed through the ESG Mediation Subcommittee. Training and assessment are delivered through a global network of IMI-recognized programs including RMTPs and QAPs operating across 31 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global Pound Conference (GPC): Worldwide conference series on dispute resolution research
• Young Mediators' Initiative (YMI)
• Mediators' Green Pledge
• IMI Qualified Mediator
• IMI Certified Mediator
• IMI Certified Mediation Advocate/Advisor
• IMI Intercultural Mediator
• IMI ODR Mediator

Products and services

• IMI Certified Mediator High-level certification for experienced mediators who have undergone additional assessment of practical competence in live or simulated mediation settings, confirming demonstrated skill, ethics, and professional practice at an international standard.
• IMI Qualified Mediator
• IMI Certified Mediation Advocate/Advisor
• IMI Intercultural Mediator

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of users wish mediators to be professionally certified and held accountable to transparent standards.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Integration15 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Arbitration Association/International Center for Dispute Resolution (AAA/ICDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectors of AAA/ICDR are members of the IMI Board, providing strategic governance input. AAA/ICDR has contributed to IMI funding and collaborates on international strategic and operational levels.
• Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDR is a Board member organization and has contributed to IMI funding. CEDR supports IMI's mission to establish mediation standards and provides training and assessment programs.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICC is represented on the IMI Board and contributes to funding. ICC's involvement supports the development of international mediation standards and commercial dispute resolution frameworks.
• JAMScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJAMS is a Board member organization and has contributed to IMI funding. JAMS supports IMI's standard-setting initiatives and provides pathways for mediator certification.
• Singapore Mediation Centre and Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIMC is represented on the IMI Board and requires all their mediators to be IMI Certified. This partnership ensures high-quality mediation standards for Singapore's dispute resolution services.
• ADR CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADR Center is a Board member organization that has contributed to IMI funding. They support IMI's international mediation standards development.
• Corporate Counsel International Arbitration Group (CCIAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCIAG collaborates with IMI on international strategic and operational levels. The Chair of CCIAG is a member of the IMI Board, representing corporate users of dispute resolution services.
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Greece ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMI collaborated with CIArb Greece Chapter on a public consultation webinar regarding the IMI Draft Code of Conduct for Mediators, gathering global input on evolving ethical foundations.
• IBA-VIAC CDRCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMI collaborated with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz and the IBA-VIAC CDRC Mediation and Negotiation Competition to host the IMI-CMS-CDRC International Mediation Evening in Vienna.
• CMS Reich-Rohrwig HainzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS Vienna collaborated with IMI and IBA-VIAC CDRC to host the third International Mediation Evening in Vienna, supporting professional development and international dialogue on mediation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• JAMS: US-headquartered private ADR provider with growing international mediation practice. JAMS serves both as an IMI Board member/funding partner and as a competitor operating its own mediator panel, embodying the partner-plus-rival dynamic of major institutions.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration: ICC's dispute resolution arm provides commercial arbitration and mediation at global scale. As an IMI Board member and funder, ICC both supports and overlaps with IMI's standards mission, but with a much broader ADR portfolio.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center: UN agency providing international IP dispute resolution including mediation. WIPO ADR's multilateral governance model and cross-border standards approach offer parallels to IMI's international mediation framework, particularly within IP-specific contexts.
• American Arbitration Association (AAA) and International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR): Largest US-based ADR provider with growing international practice. AAA/ICDR is simultaneously a direct competitor in defining international mediation governance and a key IMI Board funder, creating a hybrid competitor-partner dynamic.

Others

• International Bar Association (IBA): Global lawyers' federation that engages with mediation standards through bodies such as IBA-VIAC CDRC (with which IMI collaborated on the International Mediation Evening). IBA represents an adjacent professional body rather than a direct competitor in mediation certification.

Regional players

• Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC): Singapore-based national mediation institution that requires IMI certification for its mediators. SIMC parallels IMI's standards-setting role but at the national level, and its adoption of IMI's framework is itself a reference point for other institutions.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Hong Kong-based international dispute resolution institution providing mediation and arbitration from a regional hub. HKIAC's commercial service focus contrasts with IMI's pure standards role, but its international caseload makes it a relevant regional comparator.

Direct peers

• Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR): London-based non-profit focused on mediation standards and training. CEDR is both a peer in standards development and a Board member/funding partner of IMI, providing direct insight into how a comparable non-profit operates in the same space.
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb): Global membership-based chartered body with a credentialing model very similar to IMI's, although serving arbitrators rather than mediators. CIArb's international reach and tiered membership structure closely mirror IMI's Qualified/Certified approach.
• CPR International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution: US-based non-profit that, like IMI, acts as a thought-leadership, training, and certification body for commercial ADR. CPR's combined policy-and-credential model directly parallels IMI's, making it the closest functional peer in the standards-setting space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imimediation
• Facebookfacebook.com/imimediation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imi---international-mediation-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 IMI - International Mediation Institute