Atlantic Planners Institute

What Atlantic Planners Institute does

Atlantic Planners Institute (API) / Institut des Urbanistes de l'Atlantique is a federally-incorporated Canadian non-profit professional association, established in 2011 under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, that represents professional planners across three Atlantic Canadian provinces: New Brunswick (NBAP), Prince Edward Island (PEIIPP), and Newfoundland and Labrador (NLAPP). Nova Scotia is served through a separate provincial organization. API operates as an administrative and credentialing hub for these three provincial member bodies, centralizing membership processing, facilitating the Professional Standards Board (PSB) pathway that issues nationally recognized RPP and MCIP designations, and convening members through a Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) program, an annual regional conference that rotates across provinces, and an Awards of Excellence program in operation since 2011. The organization is led by Executive Director Michelle MacDonald with governance from a Board of Directors drawn from the four Atlantic provincial planning associations, and lists its operational base in St Peters Bay, Prince Edward Island.

API's revenue mechanics are distributed across multiple small unit-priced streams rather than a primary commercial engine. The core recurring revenue derives from membership dues, supplemented by job/RFP postings priced at $400 + HST per 30-day listing, a consulting firm directory at $300/year per listing, conference and event registration, and professional-development workshops such as the QGIS virtual workshop ($215/$240) and NLAPP events ($45). Cost-side obligations include student scholarships ($1,000 each for Dalhousie students), the renamed Bill Budd Memorial Planning Bursary ($500 NBAP), and other awards such as the Murray Pinchuk Community Builder Award. API is currently supporting the pursuit of Professional Planners Legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador, complementing the PEIIPP RPP Act proclaimed in November 2021, and in February 2025 NBAP signed a three-year cooperation agreement with the Ordre national des urbanistes de Côte d'Ivoire.

The underlying technology stack is a standard website and basic web infrastructure used for membership administration, event registration, job posting distribution, and content delivery. There is no proprietary platform, no custom software product, and no AI or machine-learning capability surfaced in the organization's public materials. Membership appears distributed across the three provinces, with only one explicit data point disclosed (PEIIPP at 27 members in November 2021); no consolidated headcount, revenue, or financial statements are published.

Name

Atlantic Planners Institute

Legal name

Atlantic Planners Institute

Website

https://atlanticplanners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Atlantic Planners Institute is a Canadian non-profit professional association founded in 2011, representing certified planners across three Atlantic provinces through NBAP, PEIIPP, and NLAPP. It provides membership processing, certification pathways, continuous professional learning, annual conferences, awards, a job board, and consulting directory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYHSACADAA

Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Corporate Event & Meeting Services

SECONDARYEDAAALAG

Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Professional association
• Urban planning services
• Membership organization
• Professional development
• Certified planners

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Peters Bay

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: API provides membership services to professional planners across three provincial associations in Atlantic Canada. The organization processes membership applications and maintains membership roster on behalf of provincial associations.
2. Job and RFP Posting Services: Job and RFP posting services offered to employers seeking planning professionals. Basic posting costs $400 plus HST for 30 days. Student job opportunities and internships are offered free of charge. Fees include posting on API website and promotion through social media and bi-monthly electronic newsletter.
3. Consulting Listing Services: Planning consulting firms can list their services on the Atlantic Planners site for $300 per year. Listings require RPP/MCIP designation in at least one member province. Companies can list up to five members per province.
4. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue generated from annual conferences, workshops, and professional development events. Conference sponsorship packages and exhibitor fees also contribute to event revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Atlantic Planners Institute is a regional professional association that represents certified professional planners across Atlantic Canada. It delivers membership services, continuing professional development, an annual conference, awards and bursaries, a job board, a consulting directory, and workshops for its members and the broader planning community.

Product overview

Atlantic Planners Institute is a professional association representing certified professional planners through three Provincial Associations in Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador). The organization offers a unified member services platform via its website, supporting membership management, professional development through Continuous Professional Learning (CPL), student scholarships ($1,000 each for undergraduate and graduate students at Dalhousie), and annual Awards of Excellence. Additional services include the Consulting List directory, Job Board for posting planning positions and RFPs, Planners Plates lunchtime educational series, and provincial awards such as the Murray Pinchuk Community Builder Award (PEI) and NBAP President's Bursary ($500). The organization also hosts an annual conference and training workshops like the QGIS for Planning workshop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• API Awards of Excellence recognize excellence in planning work undertaken by members in communities and regions across the four Atlantic provinces
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BMSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2025BMS hosted a professional liability insurance webinar titled 'Are You Covered? How Errors & Omissions (Professional Liability) Insurance Protects You' for Candidates, RPPs, LPPs, Urbanistes, and equivalent professionals. The webinar provided insights into PLI coverage importance for planning professionals.
• Ordre national des urbanistes de Côte d'Ivoire (ONUCI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2025The New Brunswick Association of Planners (NBAP), a member association of API, signed a three-year cooperation agreement with ONUCI. The agreement provides for sharing experience and knowledge in urban planning, cooperation between design offices, and organization of joint events. This partnership strengthens francophone partnerships and was signed under the framework of a broader MOU between the Province of New Brunswick and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.
• Luna Geospatial, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLuna Geospatial, Inc. provides facilitation for the API Virtual Workshop on QGIS for Planning and Local Government. The workshop is led by Cliff Patterson, PhD, CEO of Luna Geospatial, who has over 15 years of experience with open source GIS and specializes in spatial database development, remote sensing, and 2D/3D spatial data analysis.
• Feaver's Lane Enterprises Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeaver's Lane Enterprises Inc. presented at an NLAPP Planners Plate on GIS trends in municipal planning. Randal Greene and Paola Vincent showcased municipal examples of GIS applications for decision-support and open discussion with planning professionals.
• Stewardship Association of Municipalities (SAM) Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAM partners with the provincial Wildlife Division to identify significant wildlife habitat and encourage municipalities to balance development and conservation. Since 1993, SAM has supported over 50 communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, helping conserve approximately 70,000 acres of biodiverse habitat.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Licensed Professional Planners Association of Nova Scotia (LPPANS): Provincial planning association representing the fourth Atlantic province not covered by API. Operates a parallel member services, designation, and CPL structure, directly comparable to API's three member associations.
• Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Professional Planners (NLAPP): Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial planning association and one of API's three constituents. Recently anchored NL legislation development for Professional Planners, making it a directly comparable peer with the highest regulatory momentum.
• PEI Institute of Professional Planners (PEIIPP): Provincial planning institute on Prince Edward Island operating under the RPP Act since November 2021. Runs awards programs and student bursaries closely analogous to API's other sub-associations.
• New Brunswick Association of Planners (NBAP): One of API's three member provincial associations in New Brunswick. Operates member services and the international ONUCI partnership, directly comparable in scope and scale to the other provincial constituents.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI): The UK's chartered body for town planners, offering accreditation, CPD, and policy advocacy. Comparable international benchmark for designation-based professional planning association structure.
• Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI): Ontario's provincial planning association with member services, certification, and CPL programs. Larger scale but functionally analogous to API, serving as a reference model for member value delivery and professional development revenue.
• Canadian Institute of Planners: National professional body for urban and regional planning in Canada. CIP sets national standards and administers the MCIP designation that API planners access through provincial affiliates, making it the umbrella organization and primary reference point.
• American Planning Association (APA): The largest North American planning association serving over 40,000 members. Provides a broad comparable reference for certification, conferences, publications, and member programming in the planning profession.
• Planning Institute of Australia (PIA): Australia's national planning body providing certification, education, and policy advocacy. Comparable international peer for an association model combining conference programming, accreditation, and member services.

Regional players

• Ordre des urbanistes du Québec (OUQ): Quebec's professional order for urban planners, combining designation authority with member services. Functionally analogous to a provincial affiliate of API but operating under Quebec's professional orders framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDbfXPd-LhJweab5FiPlcKg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atlantic-planners-institute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Atlantic Planners Institute