Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS), part of NOCN Group

Name

Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS), part of NOCN Group

Legal name

NOCN Group

Website

https://nocnjobcards.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH)

Keywords

• Construction certification
• Plant operator competence
• Vocational qualification
• Scaffolding certification
• Construction training

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Card Application Fees: Fees charged for processing and issuing CPCS cards including Red Trained Operator Cards and Blue Competent Operator Cards. Fees are currently £28 and will increase to £30 from 1 August 2026.
2. Renewal CPD Module Fees: Fees for Continuing Professional Development modules required for card renewals. Currently £28, increasing to £30 from 1 August 2026.
3. Health, Safety and Environment Test Fees: Fees for the NOCN Operative Health, Safety and Environment Test, which is a requirement for CPCS and CISRS cards.
4. Accredited Centre Fees: Fees for organisations becoming and maintaining CPCS Accredited Centre status to deliver training and testing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CPCS operates the UK's industry-standard competence certification scheme for construction plant operatives, issuing Red Trained Operator Cards, Blue Competent Operator Cards, and Tester Cards through a nationwide network of accredited test centres. It also administers CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) for scaffolding operatives, providing NFC-enabled smart cards that enable instant verification of worker qualifications.

Product overview

CPCS, part of NOCN Group, operates as a unified competency certification framework rather than a modular platform. The core portfolio centres on three main card types: the CPCS Red Trained Operator Card (entry-level certification for trained operators), the CPCS Blue Competent Operator Card (advanced certification for fully competent operators), and the CPCS Tester Card (for qualified testers). The NOCN Operative Health, Safety and Environment Test is a prerequisite requirement for obtaining CPCS cards. Supporting tools include the CPCS Card Checker (online card verification), the CPCS Digital Logbook (electronic portfolio for tracking competencies), and CPCS Renewal CPD (continuing professional development for card renewal). The Assured Card Scheme offers alternative pathways including the Skilled Plant Operative Card. NOCN Group also administers CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme), including NFC-enabled CISRS Smart Cards for scaffolding operatives, and provides test centre search and centre accreditation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CPCS Red Trained Operator Card

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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS)coreOthers · 1 January 2020NOCN Group has been responsible for providing scheme administration services to the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) since CITB withdrew from this role in 2020. CISRS provides certification for scaffolding operatives, with cards, tests, training centre accreditation, and smart card technology similar to CPCS. The CISRS Smart Card also uses NFC technology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NPORS (National Plant Operators Registration Scheme): NPORS is the main UK-based competitor to CPCS, providing plant operator registration and competence cards for cranes, excavators, forklifts and similar machinery. Both schemes sell directly comparable card products to the same UK construction operative and employer base.
• CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme): CSCS is the UK construction industry's leading competence card scheme, verifying worker skills and training across construction site occupations. CPCS and CSCS use a similar card-and-verification model aimed at proving competence to UK employers and site operators.

Broad incumbents

• ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board): ECITB is the UK training board for the engineering construction industry, providing competence frameworks, training, and card schemes for industrial construction occupations. It uses a comparable industry-recognised card-based competency model to CPCS but focused on engineering construction.
• NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health): NEBOSH provides widely-recognised health, safety and environment qualifications used across UK construction and industry. Its qualification model parallels the testing and certification framework NOCN/CPCS applies to plant operator competence.
• IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health): IOSH is the chartered body for health and safety professionals, awarding recognised safety qualifications that overlap with CPCS's NOCN Operative HSE Test requirement. It is a comparable UK-based credentialing body serving the construction and industrial workforce.
• City & Guilds: City & Guilds is one of the UK's largest vocational awarding organisations, providing certification across construction, engineering, and skilled trades. It operates a similar credentials-and-certification model to NOCN/CPCS but across a much broader qualification portfolio.
• JIB (Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry): JIB runs a UK competence card scheme for the electrical contracting industry, analogous to CPCS for plant operators. It demonstrates the same industry-card model for verifying worker competence to employers within a specific construction trade.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board): CITB is the statutory training board for the UK construction industry, historically running competency schemes including CISRS before withdrawing in 2020. It sets training standards, levy-grants training, and influences competence frameworks that CPCS operates within.

Others

• BESA (Building Engineering Services Association): BESA is the UK trade association for building engineering services contractors, operating training and competence initiatives for its member workforce. It is thematically adjacent to CPCS as a construction industry training and credentialing body, though focused on HVAC and building services rather than plant operations.
• Build UK: Build UK is the leading representative body for the UK construction industry, influencing standards for site access, competence cards, and workforce compliance that CPCS relies on for industry adoption. It is an ecosystem participant rather than a direct certification competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CPCS_NOCN
• Facebookfacebook.com/CPCSNOCN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cpcs-nocn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS), part of NOCN Group