Association of Port Health Authorities

What Association of Port Health Authorities does

The Association of Port Health Authorities (APHA) is a UK-wide non-profit membership association founded in 1898, registered in the United Kingdom and operated with 1–10 employees from an administrative office at 225 Hale Road, Altrincham, Cheshire (co-located with Lansdowne Publishing Partnership Ltd.). It is the only UK-wide organisation representing the interests of Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities with health control responsibilities at sea and airports, and its primary statutory purpose is preventing the introduction of hazardous epidemic, contagious, and infectious diseases into the country and ensuring the safety of imported food. Membership is open to UK Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities with public/animal health responsibilities in aeronautical, maritime, and coastal activities; associate membership is available to any organisation with an interest in Port Health.

APHA's core offerings are professional services and publications rather than technology products. The product set includes the extensively revised APHA Handbook (2026/27 edition, distributed via a dedicated publishing portal), the annual Port Health Training Day AGM held in November at the Union Jack Club in London, regional Port Liaison Network (PLaN) meetings across six UK regions (East of England, North, Northern Ireland, Scottish, South, Welsh) each providing CPD hours, specialised training events such as the Dundee Legionella Ships Training Day, monthly newsletters, and ship sanitation inspection and certification services for maritime operators. Underlying technology is essentially non-existent as a product — APHA operates a member website, distributes the handbook as a PDF, and uses Mailchimp for newsletters.

The business model combines three revenue streams: recurring membership fees from Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities (pricing not publicly disclosed), training and event fees from AGM and PLaN participation, and transactional ship sanitation inspection fees ranging from £150 to £955 per certificate depending on vessel gross tonnage and passenger capacity (2026/27 schedule publicly disclosed; fees were raised across all tiers relative to 2025/26). Go-to-market is community-led via direct outreach, industry events, and referrals, with no external investors, parent company, or venture backing. The organisation is governed by an Executive Board comprising practising environmental health officers and local authority representatives, with Tony Baldock (Corporate Director, Ashford Borough Council) serving as Chair.

Name

Association of Port Health Authorities

Legal name

The Association of Port Health Authorities

Website

https://porthealthassociation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Association of Port Health Authorities is the only UK-wide non-profit membership association representing Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities with health control responsibilities at sea and airports, providing training, regional coordination, publications, and ship sanitation inspection services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham , Kent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities. Membership is open to UK Local Authorities or Port Health Authorities with responsibilities for public and/or animal health in connection with aeronautical, maritime and coastal activities. Associate membership available to any organisation with an interest in Port Health.
2. Training and Event Fees: Revenue from training events, AGM participation, and educational programs such as the Port Health Training Day and regional PLaN meetings.
3. Ship Sanitation Inspection Charges: Fees charged for ship sanitation inspections based on vessel gross tonnage and passenger capacity, ranging from £150 to £955 depending on vessel size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Association of Port Health Authorities is a UK-wide nonprofit membership body that represents Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities with health control responsibilities at sea and airports. It delivers membership services, professional training and events, regional networking meetings through the Port Liaison Network, the APHA Handbook publication, and ship sanitation inspection and certification services.

Product overview

The Association of Port Health Authorities operates as a membership-based organization rather than a product company. Its offerings consist primarily of publications (the APHA Handbook), training events (annual Port Health Training Day AGM, Legionella Ships Training Days), regional networking meetings through the Port Liaison Network, newsletters, and ship sanitation inspection services. These are supplementary services for member organizations rather than a unified software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APHA Handbook 2026/27 Extensively revised and updated handbook providing essential information on Port Health matters, aimed at Port Health Officers, Importers, and anyone working in the port environment.
• Port Health Training Day AGM Annual training event combining port health education with AGM proceedings, featuring speakers from various health and regulatory organizations.
• Legionella Ships Training Days Specialized training days covering Legionnaires Disease, sampling for legionella, outbreak investigation, risk assessment, ship sanitation certificates, and practical legionella sessions.
• Ship Sanitation Inspection Services Inspection and certification services for vessels including extensions, with fee structure based on gross tonnage and passenger capacity, effective April 2026.

Named customers10 records

Segments5 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 minor and core.

• Suffolk Coastal Port Health AuthorityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 February 2026Hosted the East of England PLaN regional meeting on 12 February 2026 at Felixstowe. Provided venue and local coordination for the 3-hour CPD event.
• University of BirminghamminorOthers · 13 November 2025Environmental health students from University of Birmingham attended the 2025 AGM Training Day as part of professional development outreach.
• Leeds Beckett UniversityminorOthers · 13 November 2025Environmental health students from Leeds Beckett University attended the 2025 AGM Training Day as part of professional development outreach.
• Ulster UniversityminorOthers · 13 November 2025Environmental health students from Ulster University attended the 2025 AGM Training Day as part of professional development outreach.
• University of the West of ScotlandminorOthers · 13 November 2025Environmental health students from University of the West of Scotland attended the 2025 AGM Training Day as part of professional development outreach.
• Food Standards AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025Food Standards Agency speakers (Raquel Luque Moreno and Lindsay Holden) presented at the 2025 AGM. FSA is key stakeholder in port health matters relating to imported food safety and Border Target Operating Model.
• Federal Public Health BelgiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025Port health colleagues from Federal Public Health Belgium attended the 2025 AGM, representing international collaboration and knowledge sharing on border health matters.
• Carnival Cruise CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025Mel Skipp from Carnival Cruise Corp presented at the 2025 AGM. Cruise lines are stakeholders subject to port health inspections and participate in APHA training events.
• Public Health ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2025Collaborative partnership for organizing the Dundee Legionella Ships Training Day on 28th August 2025. Public Health Scotland provided consultant Hazel Henderson who presented on respiratory bacterial pathogens. This represents co-delivery of professional training for port health professionals.
• UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2025UKHSA collaborated on the Dundee Legionella Ships Training Day, providing presenters from Food Water & Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Colindale and Porton Down. UKHSA speakers regularly present at APHA events including AGM on Medical Entomology, Border Health, and Food Water & Environmental topics. Also partner on Border Health Transformation Programme.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-port-health-authorities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Port Health Authorities