What The Cpd Group Limited does

The CPD Group Limited is a UK-based, private CPD (Continuing Professional Development) accreditation body founded in 2019 and headquartered in Rothwell, England. The company assesses and accredits training providers, individual trainers, and learning activities — including courses, webinars, podcasts, edutorials, and events — using its proprietary A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework, an eight-dimension quality assessment covering accuracy, credibility, clarity, relevance, engagement, delivery, impact, and transparency of evidence. Each individual activity is assessed rather than receiving blanket accreditation, and all accredited items are listed on The CPD Register, a publicly searchable verification database with unique accreditation numbers. The company has approved over 13,000 providers across 170+ countries and 100+ industries, and has issued more than 2.74 million CPD certificates.

The platform is supported by an online self-serve portal (portal.thecpd.group), hosted on AWS infrastructure, with payments processed via Stripe and customer support managed through Zendesk. Product extensions include CPD Passport (a free learner recording tool), CPD TV (a YouTube educational channel), and an NFC Trainer Card issued to individually accredited trainers. The company also maintains an Advisory Panel and offers a report-misuse mechanism, indicating operational governance infrastructure.

Revenue is generated primarily through paid activity-level accreditation (courses, webinars, podcasts, edutorials) priced on per-slot or per-course terms from approximately £150 per course in the UK, plus a non-contractual monthly subscription for trainer accreditation. Provider approval, employer accreditation, and event accreditation are provided free of charge as lead-generation channels feeding into the paid offerings. In 2025, the company became the first and only accreditation organisation to be certified by The CPD Register, an independent verification body.

Name

The Cpd Group Limited

Legal name

The CPD Group Ltd

Website

https://thecpd.group

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The CPD Group Limited is a UK-based CPD accreditation body that assesses and accredits training providers, individual trainers, and learning activities (courses, webinars, podcasts, edutorials, events) using its proprietary A.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D framework, serving over 13,000 providers across 170+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Professional Development Accreditation

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL)

Keywords

• Professional development accreditation
• CPD certification services
• Training course accreditation
• Continuing education validation
• Workforce learning standards

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CPD Course Accreditation: Chargeable service with plans available for 12, 24, or 36-month terms. Fees vary by plan with payment options including full upfront (5% discount), 3 monthly installments, or initial payment plus 11 installments. Course slots can be purchased and unused slots are non-refundable.
2. CPD Webinar Accreditation: Ad-hoc slot purchases with each webinar receiving 36-month accreditation once granted. Slots are non-time-bound until used.
3. CPD Podcast Accreditation: Ad-hoc slot purchases with 36-month accreditation term. Slots can be renewed without resubmission within the 36-month window.
4. CPD Edutorial Accreditation: Based on 1 publication containing minimum 10 articles. Ad-hoc slot purchases with 36-month term.
5. CPD Trainer Accreditation: Non-refundable application fee plus ongoing monthly subscription to maintain accreditation and NFC Trainer Card. Subscription is non-contractual.
6. CPD Employer Accreditation: Free non-chargeable service to attract employer organizations into the ecosystem.
7. CPD Event Accreditation: Free light-touch accreditation service to generate leads from event organizers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The CPD Group provides Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation services for training providers, individual trainers, employers, and event organizers. Each learning activity (course, webinar, podcast, edutorial, event) is assessed individually against the proprietary A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework and, where approved, is awarded a verifiable CPD credential recorded on The CPD Register. The company also issues the free CPD Passport to individual professionals for tracking their CPD records.

Product overview

The CPD Group operates a platform of accreditation services for continuing professional development. The core offering consists of individual activity-level accreditation services (courses, webinars, podcasts, edutorials, events) and organisational/trainer accreditation (providers, trainers, employers). The A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework underpins all assessments, and accredited activities are published on The CPD Register for public verification. CPD Passport serves as a free learner tool for recording and tracking CPD hours. The company differentiates by assessing every activity individually rather than blanket accreditation, and holds the distinction of being the first and only CPD accreditation body certified by The CPD Register.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CPD Passport: Free personal online CPD recording tool for professionals to log development activities, track CPD hours, store certificates, and build portfolios of evidence.
• CPD TV
• The CPD Register

Products and services

• CPD Provider Approval
• CPD Course Accreditation
• CPD Webinar Accreditation
• CPD Audio Podcast Accreditation
• CPD Video Podcast Accreditation Paid accreditation service assessing video podcasts and awarding verifiable CPD certificates to viewers.
• CPD Edutorial Accreditation Paid accreditation service assessing edutorials (educational tutorials) and awarding verifiable CPD certificates.
• CPD Trainer Accreditation Subscription-based individual accreditation for trainers, coaches, and independent learning professionals, evidencing their personal CPD-accredited trainer status.
• CPD Employer Accreditation Free organizational accreditation for employers and in-house L&D teams, recognizing their internal training programs as CPD-accredited and enabling staff to receive CPD certificates.
• CPD Event Accreditation Free accreditation service for event organizers, conference producers, and trade-show operators running professional learning events, awarding CPD hours/points to attendees.
• CPD Passport Free digital tool for individual professionals to log, track, and evidence their continuing professional development activities and certificates.
• The CPD Register Public online directory where approved providers, accredited activities, and issued CPD certificates are recorded and can be independently verified by employers and professional bodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,740,353+ CPD certificates issued to date
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The CPD RegistercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-party independent directory listing all accredited providers, courses, trainers, and events. The CPD Register also provides certification of The CPD Group's accreditation standards, making The CPD Group the first certified CPD accreditation organisation.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor handling all accreditation fees, subscription payments, and Direct Debit collections for UK corporate entities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• International CPD Accreditation: Smaller-scale CPD accreditation body operating primarily in the UK with a similar provider accreditation offering. Comparable business model with overlapping customer segments, though smaller scale and narrower brand presence than The CPD Group.

Direct peers

• CPD Quality Standards: Quality-focused CPD accreditation provider offering provider approval and course accreditation services. Direct competitor to The CPD Group with overlapping value proposition around independent quality validation of learning activities.
• CPDSO: Specialist CPD accreditation body offering provider and activity accreditation services across multiple sectors. Operates in the same horizontal CPD accreditation category as The CPD Group with overlapping target customers and service bundles.
• The CPD Certification Service: UK-based CPD accreditation body providing accreditation for courses, events, and providers. Direct competitor to The CPD Group in the same product category, serving similar training provider and individual learner customers with comparable accreditation services.
• Accredited CPD: Provider of CPD accreditation services to training organisations, instructors, and event organisers. Closely comparable to The CPD Group in business model (paid accreditation of providers, courses, and events) and target market.
• CPD Standards Office: Independent CPD accreditation organisation that assesses and accredits training providers, courses, and events. Directly competes with The CPD Group on provider accreditation, course accreditation, and CPD standards frameworks in the UK market.

Broad incumbents

• Pearson (Edexcel / Pearson Professional): Global education and credentialing organisation with a substantial professional and vocational training portfolio. Comparable in that it issues recognised professional credentials and standards, though at significantly larger scale and broader scope than The CPD Group.
• City & Guilds: Major UK awarding body offering regulated vocational qualifications and CPD-aligned credentials. Broader scope than The CPD Group but a relevant incumbent in the quality-assured professional development space where The CPD Group operates.
• Reed (Reed Courses / Reed Training): Large UK-established training provider and course marketplace that also offers CPD-accredited courses. Operates as a broad incumbent in the wider professional learning ecosystem, overlapping with The CPD Group on CPD-aligned learning provision rather than accreditation services per se.
• Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM): UK-based professional body accrediting leadership and management training programmes and CPD. Comparable to The CPD Group in accrediting training providers and programmes, but focused specifically on leadership/management and operating as a chartered professional body.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CPD-TV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cpd-accreditation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Cpd Group Limited