UK & International Health Coaching Association

What UK & International Health Coaching Association does

UK & International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA) is a UK-registered, independent, non-profit professional membership body operating in the third sector, founded in 2018 through pro-bono efforts and headquartered in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England. It describes itself as the world's first professional association for health coaching and serves individual health coaches (qualified, in-training, in-work, and adjunct), training providers, employers, the NHS, and policymakers across 40+ countries. The organisation is HMRC-approved as a professional organisation and learned society under HMRC List 3.

UKIHCA monetises through a four-tier recurring subscription membership model (Full £20/month or £195/year, Student £10/month, Affiliate £13/month or £120/year, Practitioner £13/month), supplemented by approval/licensing fees for training programmes and CPD courses, employer invoicing for corporate memberships, and selective consultancy engagements. Its core technology is a Brilliant Directories-based membership management website with directory, forum, and CPD logging functionality; it does not develop or operate a proprietary technology platform. Its strategic centre of gravity is the 2024 Professional Standards framework and the UKIHCA Register of Professional Health Coaches (UKIHCA-RHC), which together create a credentialing infrastructure that links approved training providers, CPD courses, work-based learning pathways, and (from 2026) mandatory supervision.

UKIHCA's go-to-market combines community-led growth (events, webinars, member forums), direct-to-consumer online membership sign-up, and B2B employer engagement with NHS bodies and corporate buyers. Distribution is augmented by partnerships with approved training schools, CPD providers, and work-based pathway operators that channel students and employees into the membership funnel. Marketing spans LinkedIn and YouTube channels, white papers, the Find Your Healthy consumer campaign, and policy advocacy through formal NHS and government submissions.

Name

UK & International Health Coaching Association

Legal name

UK & International Health Coaching Association Ltd

Website

https://ukihca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UK & International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA) is the world's first non-profit professional membership body for health coaches, offering tiered subscriptions, credentialing, and training programme approvals to individual coaches, NHS and employer buyers, and training providers across 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness Coaching (EDALAIAE)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• Health coaching standards
• Continuing professional development
• Training programme accreditation
• Professional health coach register

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Full Membership Subscriptions: UKIHCA generates revenue from monthly and annual subscription fees from Full Members. Full Membership is priced at £20 per month or £195 per annum. The subscription provides access to directory listing, Facebook community, webinars, networking sessions, discounts, CPD programme access, and mentoring services. Members must renew annually and maintain CPD requirements.
2. Student Membership Subscriptions: Student Membership is priced at £10 per month for students enrolled on UKIHCA-Approved Training Programmes. Benefits include access to the members' Facebook community, student experience team support, monthly professional mentoring sessions, webinars, discounted insurance, event discounts, and newsletters.
3. Affiliate Membership Subscriptions: Affiliate Membership is priced at £13 per month or £120 per annum. This tier targets professionals with a professional interest in health coaching who have not graduated from a UKIHCA-Approved course. Benefits include access to generic development webinars, a private Facebook forum, quarterly networking sessions, event discounts, and newsletters.
4. Practitioner Membership Subscriptions: Practitioner Membership is priced at £13 per month with a 12-month minimum term. Targeted at NHS Health & Wellbeing Coaches, corporate health coaches, and dually scoped health professionals. Employer invoicing is available for corporate memberships covering multiple employees. Benefits include expert-led webinars, CPD programme access, networking events, and group professional mentoring.
5. Training Programme Approvals: UKIHCA approves health coaching training programmes from external schools and providers. While explicit approval fee figures are not stated, training providers pay for the course approval and renewal process (6-month active window from deposit payment). Approved providers gain use of the UKIHCA Approved Course logo and directory listing.
6. CPD Course Approvals: UKIHCA approves Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses for health coaches. Organisations delivering CPD training apply for UKIHCA CPD approval, gaining use of the UKIHCA Approved CPD logo and listing on the UKIHCA website. Approved CPD is promoted through membership mailings, the members forum, and mentorship services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

UKIHCA is an independent, non-profit professional membership body for health and wellbeing coaches, offering tiered individual memberships (Full, Student, Affiliate, Practitioner), a public Register of Professional Health Coaches (UKIHCA-RHC), accreditation of training programmes and CPD courses, and work-based learning pathways. It sets professional standards, scope of practice, and a code of conduct, and supports members with mentoring, supervision, webinars, networking, and a public directory connecting consumers to qualified health coaches.

Product overview

UK & International Health Coaching Association is a non-profit professional membership body operating in the third sector. The organisation offers a multi-tiered membership structure including Full Membership, Student Membership, Affiliate Membership, and Practitioner Membership, with a professional Register of Registered Health Coaches (UKIHCA-RHC). The core products include approved training programme certification, continuing professional development (CPD) course approvals, work-based learning pathways, and portfolio routes to membership. Supporting consumer-facing resources include the Find Your Healthy campaign, Take the Lead on Your Health guide, and a searchable Health Coach Directory. The Professional Standards for Education and Training in Whole-Health & Wellbeing Coaching forms the foundational framework, organised into four pillars covering education/training, coaching practice, whole-health knowledge, and professional practice. Health Coaching Supervision becomes a mandatory requirement from 2026 for Registered Health Coaches. The organisation does not offer a software product with technical integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UKIHCA Full Membership Tiered professional membership subscription for qualified, credentialed health coaches who have completed UKIHCA-Approved training or the Portfolio Route; provides directory listing, CPD access, mentoring, networking, webinars, insurance discounts, and Full Member logo rights.
• UKIHCA Student Membership Subscription membership for trainees enrolled on UKIHCA-Approved health coaching training programmes; includes peer support, student experience team, monthly professional mentoring, webinars, and discounted insurance.
• UKIHCA Affiliate Membership Subscription membership for professionals with a professional interest in health coaching who have not graduated from a UKIHCA-Approved course; provides development webinars, private Affiliate Facebook forum, quarterly networking, and event discounts.
• UKIHCA Practitioner Membership Subscription membership for in-work health coaches (e.g., NHS HWBCs, corporate health coaches) with foundational coaching qualifications and 50+ hours of logged practice; provides expert-led webinars, CPD access, monthly practitioner networking, and group mentoring with pathway to Full Membership.
• UKIHCA Register of Professional Health Coaches (RHC) Public professional register credentialing qualifying Full Members who commit to ongoing CPD, practice, and supervision; confers the UKIHCA-RHC designation with post-nominals.
• Approved Training Programme Certification Approval and licensing service for external health coaching training programmes meeting UKIHCA professional standards; approved providers gain use of the UKIHCA 'Approved Course' logo and directory listing.
• UKIHCA Approved CPD Courses Approval service for organisations delivering Continuing Professional Development courses for health coaches; approved CPD courses gain UKIHCA CPD logo rights, website listing, and promotion through member communications.
• Health Coaching Supervision Service Structured reflective supervision service (1:1, group, and peer group) supporting safe, ethical, and effective coaching; mandatory CPD requirement for Registered Health Coaches from 2026.
• Work-Based Learning Pathway Approval Approval service for organisations offering workplace-based health coaching training pathways; enables employees to join as Practitioner Members and progress to Full Membership and Registered Health Coach status.
• Health Coach Directory Public searchable directory of UKIHCA-Registered and Approved Health Coaches by location across the UK, Ireland, and 40+ international countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• UKIHCA has grown a health coaching membership community with an annual growth of 29% per year.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Chartered Institute for the Management of Sports and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative Partnership established in 2024 with CIMSPA to advance health coaching in the physical activity sector, supporting the integration of health coaching skills and professionals into sport and physical activity settings.
• Society for Integrative Oncology / British Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO/BSIO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024UKIHCA is a Founding Member of the Health Coaching Special Interest Group for the Society for Integrative Oncology/British Society for Integrative Oncology (2024). The SIG co-authored a landmark paper 'The Case for Integration of Health Coaching within Integrative Oncology: Needs, Outcomes, Models and Standards', published in Springer Nature Current Oncology Reports.
• Society of Behavioural Science, SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Strategic Partnership established in 2023 with the Society of Behavioural Science, Singapore to support international health coaching development, share knowledge, and strengthen understanding of high-quality health coaching practice across borders.
• EVEX (Georgia)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023UKIHCA provided consultancy support for EVEX, the leading health provider in Georgia, to develop and establish a Lifestyle Medicine and Health Coaching diploma for primary care physicians. This represents an international capacity-building engagement.
• Global Wellness Institute – Wellness Coaching InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUKIHCA is a founding member of the Global Wellness Institute – Wellness Coaching Initiative, producing White Papers reflecting health coaching practice across the globe. This establishes UKIHCA as a key thought leader in the international health coaching landscape.
• Black Country Integrated Care BoardnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerUKIHCA is collaborating with the Black Country Integrated Care Board on a ground-breaking project to create a tool to measure the impact of Health and Wellbeing Coaching, demonstrating the association's role in advancing evidence-based practice.
• NHS England and Related NHS BodiescoreOthersUKIHCA participates as experts in the health coaching sector through active collaborations with NHS England, Primary Care Institute (PCI), NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), Primary Care Networks (PCNs), British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM), and digital health providers. The association provides policy submissions, consults on career frameworks, and advocates for HWBC role recognition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Coach Federation (ICF): Global professional coaching body offering credentials across multiple coaching niches including health and wellness. Comparable to UKIHCA as a competing standards authority for credentialed coaches, but with a much broader scope beyond health coaching and significantly larger international member base.
• International Association of Coaching (IAC): Global nonprofit coaching association offering master-level credentials across coaching niches. Comparable to UKIHCA as an alternative international credentialing body competing for the same health-adjacent coaching professionals.
• European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC): European professional body for mentoring and coaching with established credentialing frameworks. Comparable to UKIHCA as a competing standards and accreditation authority operating across European markets where UKIHCA is also active.
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): Large US-based professional organisation offering health and fitness credentials including Exercise Physiologist and Health Coaching-related certifications. Comparable to UKIHCA as a broader incumbent professional body with overlapping health/wellness practitioner audiences.

Direct peers

• National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC): US-based national board certifying health and wellness coaches with rigorous standards and a national register. The closest direct international peer to UKIHCA, serving the same health coaching niche with comparable standards framework, public register, and continuing education requirements.
• Global Wellness Institute: International nonprofit think tank for the wellness industry, of which UKIHCA is a founding member of the Wellness Coaching Initiative. Comparable as an international standards-adjacent body producing white papers and frameworks shaping health and wellness coaching practice globally.
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM): UK professional society for lifestyle medicine practitioners that overlaps closely with health coaching in the prevention and behaviour change space. Listed by UKIHCA as a partner in NHS engagement and a peer organisation targeting overlapping NHS, employer, and policymaker audiences.
• Personalised Care Institute (PCI): UK body setting standards and training for personalised care roles including Health & Wellbeing Coaches in the NHS. A direct competitor/parallel authority in the same UK health coaching credentialing market, with statutory-style backing from NHS England.
• Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA): UK chartered professional body for the sport and physical activity sector, with which UKIHCA has a formal 2024 collaborative partnership. Comparable as a UK standards-setting professional body that approves training providers, maintains registers, and serves a workforce embedded in NHS and public health settings.
• Wellcoaches School of Health and Wellness Coaching: Established health coaching school and professional community with school, certification, and continuing education services. Comparable to UKIHCA as a health-coaching-focused training and credentialing organisation competing for the same practitioner audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UKIHCA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ukihca

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 UK & International Health Coaching Association