Association of Noise Consultants (ANC)

What Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) does

The Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) is a UK trade association founded in 1973 that represents acoustic, noise and vibration consultancy practices, currently comprising 105 member companies and over 1,000 consultants. It is headquartered in Northallerton, UK (firmographic record lists Solihull), operates with 11 employees, and is governed by its member firms rather than external shareholders. ANC's primary functions are: (i) professional representation and accreditation, with membership conditional on at least 50% of consulting staff holding MIOA/FIOA qualification; (ii) operating the ANC Registration Scheme for pre-completion sound insulation testing under Approved Document E, which covers 300 registered testers and has recorded over 450,000 tests since 2004 with a 97.4% pass rate in 2018; and (iii) producing industry guidance documents, most notably ProPG (with IOA and CIEH, 2017), the AVO Residential Design Guide (2020), and Acoustics of Schools (with IOA, 2015). ANC also operates SITRI, the equivalent tester accreditation scheme recognized under Irish Building Regulations.

ANC's revenue model is a mix of recurring membership subscriptions, testing scheme registration fees (ANC scheme and SITRI), and event-based income from its annual conference, awards programme, and training events. Go-to-market is sales-led for member acquisition (industry networking, direct outreach to acoustic consultancy practices) with a public-facing Member Search Directory on its website that allows prospective clients to locate accredited consultants by region and service type. The organization also runs marketing and PR programmes — including the #ExploreAcoustics STEM outreach campaign and a retained trade-association PR firm (Shepherd PR) — to raise the profile of the acoustics profession. Customer segments span residential developers, local planning authorities, educational and healthcare institutions, industrial and infrastructure operators (including wind farms), entertainment/leisure venues, and expert-witness engagements, with the named end-clients of member firms including Berkeley Homes, ITV Studios, Rolls Royce, Intel Europe, and Defra.

Strategic priorities evidenced in recent activity are: (a) broadening the scope of authoritative guidance into emerging areas (AVO for residential, Air Source Heat Pumps, Sustainable Development); (b) building a future talent pipeline via the Level 4 Acoustics Technician Apprenticeship and STEM outreach; (c) maintaining standards influence through BSI/ISO committee participation and ProPG adoption in planning policy; and (d) expanding event and recognition infrastructure (awards categories grown to nine by 2019, new John Connell Sustainable Development Award in 2025). Leadership transitioned in 2018-2019 with Dan Saunders as Chair and Graham Parry as President, and Anne Budd joining as the first female board member in the association's 45-year history.

Name

Association of Noise Consultants (ANC)

Legal name

The Association of Noise Consultants

Website

https://theanc.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) is a UK trade association founded in 1973 representing 105 acoustic consultancy member companies and over 1,000 consultants, operating accredited sound insulation testing schemes and publishing industry guidance including ProPG and the AVO Residential Design Guide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services for Acoustic Consultancy

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Acoustic & Soundproofing Works (IMAFANAL)

Keywords

• Acoustic consultancy
• Sound insulation testing
• Noise vibration assessment
• Professional trade association
• Building acoustics guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Northallerton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Trade association membership fees from acoustic consultancy practices. Membership requires 50% of consulting staff to hold MIOA/FIOA corporate membership of IOA or international equivalent.
2. Conference and events: Annual conferences, workshops, and training events for members and industry professionals with attendance fees.
3. Testing scheme fees: Fees for tester registration under the ANC Sound Insulation Testing scheme and Sound Insulation Testing Register Ireland (SITRI).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Association of Noise Consultants is a UK trade association representing 105 member acoustic, noise and vibration consultancy firms and over 1,000 individual consultants. It sells membership subscriptions, runs the ANC Registered Testers sound insulation testing scheme under Approved Document E, hosts an annual conference and awards programme, and publishes industry guidance such as ProPG and the AVO Residential Design Guide. Its website provides a member directory allowing clients to locate accredited consultancies by region and service type.

Product overview

The Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) is a UK trade association for acoustic, noise and vibration consultancy practices, representing 105 member companies and over 1000 consultants. Rather than a single unified product, ANC offers a portfolio of member services including membership and professional representation, the ANC Registered Testers scheme for sound insulation testing (with over 450,000 tests recorded), annual awards programmes, conferences and training events, and industry guidance publications including the ProPG planning guidance, AVO Residential Design Guide, and acoustics of schools design guide. The organization also maintains member search tools and supports the Acoustics Technician Level 4 Apprenticeship programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ANC Membership Subscription-based trade association membership for UK acoustic, noise and vibration consultancy practices, providing industry representation, professional development, access to the member search directory, and eligibility for ANC schemes such as the Registered Testers programme.
• ANC Sound Insulation Testing Registration Scheme Registration scheme qualifying acoustic testers to deliver pre-completion sound insulation testing for Building Regulations Approved Document E, with 300 registered testers employed by member companies and report examination by ANC. Over 450,000 tests completed since 2004.
• Sound Insulation Testing Register Ireland (SITRI) ANC-owned tester quality management scheme for sound insulation testing in Ireland, recognised by DECLG under Irish Building Regulations and operated under CCIBAM certification.
• ANC Annual Awards Programme Annual awards programme recognising excellence in acoustic design across categories including Building Acoustics, Education Acoustics, Environmental Acoustics, Vibration, Workplace Acoustics, Smaller Consultancies, Innovation, and Best Presentation.
• ANC Annual Conference Paid annual conference for members and industry professionals featuring technical presentations, workshops, networking and the awards dinner, held at venues such as Crowne Plaza Birmingham and Manchester.
• Acoustics Technician Level 4 Apprenticeship Level 4 apprenticeship programme co-developed by ANC and IOA providing a structured entry route into the acoustics profession, with the first cohort starting in 2020.
• Member Search Directory Online directory allowing clients to search for ANC member acoustic consultancies by UK region (Eastern England, East Midlands, London, Scotland, Wales, etc.) and by service type (Commercial, Residential, Environmental, Transportation, Planning, Sound Insulation Testing, etc.).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 450,000 sound insulation tests completed since 2004 with 97.4% pass rate in 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and supporting.

• ANV Measurement SystemsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Co-sponsors of John Connell Sustainable Development Award and John Connell STEM Award, organised by Noise Abatement Society. Both awards recognise sustainable development and STEM promotion in acoustics.
• Institute of Acoustics (IOA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2017Joint initiative with ANC and CIEH to produce ProPG: Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise, published June 2017. ANC also collaborates with IOA on schools acoustics guidance and supports IOA's careers and education initiatives.
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2017Joint initiative with ANC and IOA to produce ProPG: Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise, published June 2017.
• Australian Acoustical SocietyminorOthersListed as an international equivalent organisation for MIOA membership recognition purposes.
• American National Council of Acoustical Consultants (NCAC)minorOthersListed as an international equivalent organisation for membership recognition purposes.
• European Acoustics AssociationminorOthersListed as an international equivalent organisation for membership recognition purposes.
• Shepherd PRsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTrade association communications specialists appointed in 2017 to raise the profile of ANC and the acoustics sector across print and digital media channels.
• Sound Insulation Testing Register Ireland (SITRI)coreTechnology or IntegrationANC-owned and operated tester quality management scheme recognised by DECLG in Ireland for sound insulation testing under Irish Building Regulations. Operated under CCIBAM certification.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Acoustics Association (EAA): Pan-European federation of acoustics societies, listed as an ANC international equivalent. Functions as a broader umbrella for national acoustics associations including IOA and ANC's international counterparts.
• Australian Acoustical Society: The peak professional body for acoustics in Australia, also listed by ANC as an international equivalent. Comparable function in promoting professional standards, conferences, and publications within a national acoustics community.
• National Council of Acoustical Consultants (NCAC): The US counterpart trade association for acoustical consulting firms, explicitly listed by ANC as an international equivalent for MIOA membership recognition. NCAC performs the same member accreditation and standards role in North America that ANC plays in the UK.
• Institute of Acoustics (IOA): The UK chartered body for acoustics professionals. ANC and IOA co-author flagship guidance (ProPG, Schools Acoustics Guide) and co-develop the Acoustics Technician Apprenticeship, making IOA the closest peer in scope and mission within the UK acoustics ecosystem.

Others

• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH): UK chartered body for environmental health practitioners and a strategic co-author of ProPG with ANC and IOA. Comparable as a UK professional membership body whose remit overlaps directly with acoustic consultancy in planning and environmental health.
• Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE): UK trade association for consulting engineering firms, structurally comparable to ANC as a membership body that accredits practices, runs awards, and influences standards in the built environment sector.

Emerging players

• Noise Abatement Society: UK charity that runs the annual John Connell Awards, co-sponsored by ANC and ANV Measurement Systems. Operates in an adjacent mission space (noise reduction advocacy) and partners closely with ANC on awards and sustainability recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheANC73
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-noise-consultants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Association of Noise Consultants (ANC)