ISBQPIP

Professional Certification Servicesqpip.org

ISBQPIP is a Dutch non-profit that issues the QPIP certification, the only globally recognized credential for patent information professionals, awarded via a six-part online exam or a one-time Prior Experience Recognition pathway for senior practitioners.

Company typePrivate
Founded2018
HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What ISBQPIP does

ISBQPIP (International Standards Board for Qualified Patent Information Professionals) is a Dutch non-profit certification body, registered at the Chamber of Commerce in The Hague on 31 August 2018 and operated entirely by volunteer committee members. It administers the QPIP (Qualified Patent Information Professional) credential, the only globally recognized certification specifically for patent information professionals. Candidates qualify either by passing a six-part online exam (general theory, patent landscape theory, and four case studies covering opposition/validity/novelty searches, infringement risk, categorisation analysis, and patent landscape analysis) or through a one-time, regionally staggered Prior Experience Recognition (PER) pathway for professionals with at least 10 years of documented experience.

The operating stack is intentionally lightweight: an online examination platform with webcam proctoring and case-study upload, a personal QPIP dashboard for tracking Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, a public QPIP register, and a PER application system. ISBQPIP integrates six commercial patent analytics platforms (Orbit Intelligence, PatBase, PatentSight, Derwent Innovation, PatSnap, PatSeer) into the patent landscape case study examinations. Governance is provided by a Supervisory Council and four committees (Accreditation, Examination, Qualifications & CPD, Regulatory & Disciplinary), with institutional support from the major international patent information user groups (PIUG, CEPIUG, PDG) and their regional counterparts.

The business model is a cost-recovery subscription model: a €100 examination application fee, a €100 annual QPIP registration renewal fee, and a €175 PER application fee. ISBQPIP explicitly states that fees are set so that all running costs are covered without significant surplus, and the organization publishes an annual financial report. The customer base consists of individual patent information professionals who recruit through professional networks, conferences, and user groups rather than enterprise customers.

ISBQPIP firmographics

Firmographics

Name: ISBQPIP
Legal name: International Standards Board for Qualified Patent Information Professionals
Website: https://qpip.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2018
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: ISBQPIP is a Dutch non-profit that issues the QPIP certification, the only globally recognized credential for patent information professionals, awarded via a six-part online exam or a one-time Prior Experience Recognition pathway for senior practitioners.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where ISBQPIP is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Amsterdam
HQ country: Netherlands
HQ region: Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

ISBQPIP business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

QPIP Certification Fees: Examination application fee of EURO 100 (non-refundable) and annual renewal fee of EURO 100 including Dutch tax. Those who pass the exam do not pay the QPIP registration fee for the calendar year of the exam. PER (Prior Experience Recognition) application fee is EURO 175 (non-refundable) which covers the QPIP registration fee for the first year.
Membership Renewal Fees: Annual renewal fee due at the beginning of each calendar year. ISBQPIP is a not-for-profit organization that publishes a financial report every year. The renewal fee is set to ensure all running costs are covered without significant surplus accruing.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
One time/ perpetual license	Annual	QPIP Examination Application Fee
Subscription	Annual	Annual QPIP Registration Renewal
One time/ perpetual license	Annual	Prior Experience Recognition (PER) Application Fee

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

ISBQPIP product offering

Product offering

Core offering

ISBQPIP is a not-for-profit organization that administers the Qualified Patent Information Professional (QPIP) certification, including a competency examination, a public register of certified professionals, a code of conduct, and a continuing professional development (CPD) program. It is operated entirely by volunteers and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.

Product overview

ISBQPIP offers a professional certification ecosystem for patent information professionals centered on the QPIP (Qualified Patent Information Professional) credential. The core offering is the QPIP certification exam, a comprehensive six-part assessment covering patent search case studies (novelty/validity/opposition, infringement risk, categorisation analysis, and landscape analysis) and theory exams. An alternative Prior Experience Recognition (PER) pathway allows experienced professionals with 10+ years of patent search work to become certified without examination. QPIPs must maintain their credential through annual CPD requirements (minimum 10 points) and adherence to the Code of Conduct. ISBQPIP operates as a not-for-profit organization based in The Hague, Netherlands, governed by a Supervisory Council and multiple committees (Accreditation, Examination, Qualifications & CPD, and Regulatory & Disciplinary). The Susan Helliwell Memorial Award recognizes top examination performers annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

QPIP Certification Examination Online, webcam-proctored competency examination for individual patent information professionals seeking the QPIP credential, with a EUR 100 application fee.
Prior Experience Recognition (PER) Alternative pathway to QPIP registration for patent information professionals with ten or more years of qualifying experience who can demonstrate competency without taking the exam.
QPIP Public Register Online, searchable directory listing all currently registered QPIP-certified patent information professionals.
QPIP Annual Registration Renewal Yearly renewal of QPIP certification status at EUR 100 per annum, contingent on adherence to the Code of Conduct and CPD requirements.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program Mandatory annual CPD activity tracking and reporting program that QPIP holders must complete to retain their certified status.

Quantifiable outcome

QPIPs must maintain certification through annual CPD (minimum 10 points) and annual fee payment
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use ISBQPIP

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

ISBQPIP technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

ISBQPIP partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Patent Documentation Group (PDG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding collaborative organizations that worked on setting up examination and certification for patent information professionals starting in 2009. PDG (European) is represented in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
Confederacy of European Patent Information User Groups (CEPIUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding collaborative organizations that worked on setting up examination and certification for patent information professionals starting in 2009. CEPIUG Board members serve on the ISBQPIP Qualifications and Continued Professional Development Committee.
Patent Information User Group (PIUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding collaborative organizations that worked on setting up examination and certification for patent information professionals starting in 2009. PIUG (US) is represented in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
AIDB (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian Association of Business Information and Documentation professionals. Marco Paolizzi represents AIDB in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
BEPIUG (Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian Patent Information User Group. Dirk Rattat represents BEPIUG in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
BPIP (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish Patent Information Professionals Group. Davinia Collyer represents BPIP in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
CFIB (France/French speaking)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmmanuelle Rigollet represents CFIB (France and French speaking) in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
CHPIUG (Switzerland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Patent Information User Group. David Hasler represents CHPIUG in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
IPCC (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMai Tanaka represents IPCC (Japan) in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
PIUG (US)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatent Information User Group (US). Barbara Miller represents PIUG in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
PING (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenrik Schreiber represents PING (Germany) in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
SIPIG (Sweden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCecilia Håkansson represents SIPIG (Sweden) in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
SPIP (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarta Ballbè Mohedano represents SPIP (Spain) in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
WON (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTon de Graaff represents WON (Netherlands) in the Professional Representatives Collegium.
PIF (Denmark)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKatja Sørensen represents PIF (Denmark) in the Professional Representatives Collegium.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

ISBQPIP competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Project Management Institute (PMI): Issues the PMP and other globally recognized professional certifications requiring ongoing PDU (continuing education) credits and membership renewals. Same recurring-revenue, continuing-education, professional-credential model as ISBQPIP, though in project management rather than patent information.
CFA Institute: Global professional certification body (CFA charter) for investment professionals funded by exam and membership fees. Operates as a non-profit standards-setting organization with continuous education requirements — structurally the closest analog to ISBQPIP's certification-and-renewal model.
AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders): Issues certifications for medical coding and health information professionals with annual membership renewals and continuing education requirements. Comparable professional certification + maintenance fee model, but in healthcare information rather than patent information.
(ISC)²: Non-profit that issues the CISSP and other cybersecurity certifications, with annual maintenance fees and CPE requirements. Highly comparable business model: non-profit certification body, global online exams, mandatory continuing education, public member register.

Broad incumbents

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): UN agency setting global IP policy and administering international patent systems (PCT). Not a professional certification body, but the dominant global IP institution whose standards and terminology shape the environment in which QPIP-certified professionals operate.
European Patent Office (EPO): Regional patent granting authority for Europe that also runs patent information training and qualification programs for patent attorneys and examiners. Related to the patent profession broadly but does not certify patent information searchers specifically.
INTA (International Trademark Association): Global membership association for trademark professionals with educational programming and practitioner resources. Comparable to ISBQPIP as a non-profit IP-adjacent professional body, but focused on trademark practitioners rather than patent information searchers.

Emerging players

Patent Information User Group (PIUG): US-based non-profit of patent information professionals and a founding collaborator of ISBQPIP. Serves the same US patent information community as QPIP through education, networking, and conferences, but does not itself issue certifications.
Patent Documentation Group (PDG): European association of patent information professionals and a founding collaborator of ISBQPIP. Comparable community of patent information practitioners, with overlapping membership, but PDG is a membership/user group rather than a certification body.
CEPIUG (Confederacy of European Patent Information User Groups): European federation of national patent information user groups and a founding partner of ISBQPIP. Operates as a community/networking body for the same target audience as QPIP, with significant leadership overlap on ISBQPIP committees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

ISBQPIP financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

ISBQPIP leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

ISBQPIP funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

ISBQPIP M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ISBQPIP

What does ISBQPIP do?

Is ISBQPIP a public or private company?

ISBQPIP is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was ISBQPIP founded?

ISBQPIP was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is ISBQPIP based?

ISBQPIP is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.

How does ISBQPIP make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. QPIP Certification Fees are the primary driver. The others are membership Renewal Fees.

Who are ISBQPIP's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Project Management Institute (PMI), CFA Institute, AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders) and (ISC)². Broad incumbents are World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), European Patent Office (EPO) and INTA (International Trademark Association). Emerging players are Patent Information User Group (PIUG), Patent Documentation Group (PDG) and CEPIUG (Confederacy of European Patent Information User Groups).

Does ISBQPIP have an API?

No public API is recorded for ISBQPIP.