Institution of Lighting Professionals

What Institution of Lighting Professionals does

The Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) is a UK-based professional membership body headquartered in Rugby, Warwickshire, that unites the skills of engineering, design, and technology in lighting to deliver quality lighting for the built environment and to achieve public benefit. It serves lighting professionals, local and highway authorities, consulting engineers, lighting manufacturers and suppliers, and highway electrical apprentices across the UK and Ireland — with regional groups in both jurisdictions. The ILP operates as the leading professional body in its field, consulted by government on legislation and regulations affecting the built environment, and its guidance is referenced in British Standards (BS5489) and European standards (EN13201).

The ILP's core assets are an extensive authored content library and a set of qualification products. The content library comprises 11 Professional Lighting Guides (PLG series, e.g., PLG02 on conflict areas, PLG05 on illuminated advertisements, PLG26 on corrosion protection), 15 downloadable Guidance Notes (GN series covering topics from surge protection and smart lighting columns to bats and artificial lighting), 67 back issues of the monthly Lighting Journal, and 244 news items in the resource library. Training products include the Exterior Lighting Diploma (an industry-recognized residential qualification offering 33 CPD points, sold-out modules in 2026), an online training platform with 6 courses (launched 2020 to extend reach globally), and short courses such as the Fundamental Street Lighting Course and the Bats and Artificial Lighting Course. Annual events include the Lighting Live Annual Conference (Birmingham, June 2026 with Signify as headline sponsor) and regional CPD events organized through the ILP Regions volunteer network.

The ILP operates a horizontally-segmented, membership-anchored business model. Revenue streams are: (1) recurring annual membership subscriptions providing member discounts and access to the My ILP portal; (2) training course and diploma fees; (3) one-time publication sales of PLGs and GNs at £33–£133; (4) event registrations including the annual conference and regional events; and (5) advertising and job listings in Lighting Journal. Premier corporate members (Signify, CU Phosco, Schréder, Thorn, Amey, Acrospire, Enerveo) and strategic partners (National Highways, WSP, Bat Conservation Trust, HEA, LOLEG, ROLAN) provide sponsorship, co-developed guidance, and exhibition channels. Distribution is direct via the website (theilp.org.uk and courses.theilp.org.uk), with member discounts of approximately 40% applied across all paid products.

Name

Institution of Lighting Professionals

Legal name

Institution of Lighting Professionals

Website

https://theilp.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institution of Lighting Professionals is a UK-based professional membership body uniting lighting engineering, design, and technology skills for the built environment, serving practitioners, local authorities, manufacturers, and apprentices across the UK and Ireland through standards, training, and publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Lighting Standards and Training

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Street Lighting & Area Lighting EPC / Maintenance (EUAEACAH)

Keywords

• Professional lighting body
• Lighting standards guidance
• Professional membership association
• Exterior lighting training
• Lighting industry publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Rugby

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 Subscriptions: Annual membership fees providing access to resources, training discounts, professional development, and member-only content including the Lighting Journal and My ILP portal.
2. Training Courses and Diplomas: Revenue from online courses, residential training programs including the Exterior Lighting Diploma, and professional development workshops.
3. Publication Sales: Sales of Professional Lighting Guides, Guidance Notes, General Publications, and technical reports. Prices range from £33 to over £100 per document.
4. Event Registrations: Revenue from annual conferences including Lighting Live Annual Conference, regional events, and educational seminars.
5. Advertising and Job Listings: Revenue from advertising in Lighting Journal and job vacancy listings in the publication and on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) is a UK-based professional membership body that provides membership subscriptions, professional lighting guides, downloadable guidance notes, the monthly Lighting Journal magazine, training courses including the Exterior Lighting Diploma delivered through an online platform and residential modules, and the annual Lighting Live Conference plus regional CPD events. It serves as the standards-setting and advocacy body for the exterior lighting profession across the UK and Ireland.

Product overview

The Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) is a professional membership body offering a comprehensive portfolio of lighting industry resources and services. The core offerings include Professional Lighting Guides (PLG series - 11 guides covering topics from conflict areas to cycling infrastructure), downloadable Guidance Notes (GN series - 15 notes covering standards and best practices), and the monthly Lighting Journal magazine. Training capabilities include the Exterior Lighting Diploma (industry qualification), an online training platform with courses on asset management, fundamental lighting, and obtrusive light, plus the annual Lighting Live Annual Conference. Free resources include technical reports on carbon emissions and energy crisis guidance. The organization serves lighting professionals in the UK through membership, CPD events, regions and groups networking, and industry advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Lighting Guides (PLG Series) Comprehensive guidance documents covering various aspects of exterior lighting including conflict areas, environmental assessments, adaptive lighting, tunnel visibility, cycling infrastructure, and minor structures. Sold via the ILP shop with member discounts.
• Guidance Notes (GN Series) Downloadable guidance notes covering specific lighting topics including obtrusive light reduction, bats and artificial lighting, smart columns, LED usage, and technical standards. Available free or for purchase.
• Lighting Journal Official monthly magazine of the Institution delivering information on all aspects of the lighting profession including technical articles, developments, case studies, products, services, and professional news. Distributed to members and open to advertisers.
• Exterior Lighting Diploma (ELD) The established industry qualification for exterior lighting professionals. Residential programme with Module A, B, C and completion project covering illuminance-based highway lighting design. Awards 33 CPD points.
• Online Training Platform State-of-the-art online platform delivering self-paced training courses including the Asset Management Toolkit (ATOMS), Fundamental Lighting Course, Bats and Artificial Lighting Course, and other ILP short courses redesigned for online delivery with member discounts.
• Lighting Live Annual Conference Annual flagship conference bringing together lighting professionals for CPD, networking, and industry exhibitions. Includes speaker sessions, exhibition, and headline sponsor showcases.
• Carbon Emissions Unmetered Electrical Assets 2025 (Technical Report) Free downloadable technical report providing an overview of carbon and carbon factors relating to unmetered electrical assets for street lighting authorities.
• Energy Crisis Guidance for Street Lighting Authorities Free downloadable guidance document summarising relevant legislation and impact on decision-making for installing and maintaining lighting, including dimming and switching off strategies during energy crises.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record number of members completing the ILP membership upgrade process following the ILP Membership Boot Camp program launched in October 2022

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered premier sponsor, premier/headline sponsor, core partner, premier corporate member and corporate member.

• National Highwayspremier sponsorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025National Highways sponsored the development of GN23 guidance note on DMRB and MCHW road lighting standards. Representatives Stephen Dennis and Jim Gallagher from National Highways co-authored the document with WSP's Allan Howard.
• Signifypremier/headline sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignify (formerly Philips Lighting) is a premier corporate member and headline sponsor/exhibitor at the Lighting Live Annual Conference 2026. Emily Bolt, Technical Services Manager at Signify, presents at ILP events and co-authored technical guidelines.
• WSPcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSP Global Lighting Lead Allan Howard co-developed GN23 guidance note and contributes to ILP technical documents. WSP is a premier corporate member.
• Acrospirepremier corporate memberChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier corporate member of the ILP, showcasing commitment to the professional lighting community.
• Ameypremier corporate memberChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier corporate member providing highway and infrastructure services including lighting.
• CU Phoscopremier corporate memberChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier corporate member and event sponsor. Ben Hiscott serves as National Accounts Manager and is a founding member of ILP Young Lighting Professionals.
• Schréder (Urbis Schréder)premier corporate memberChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier corporate member and event sponsor at Lighting Live Annual Conference 2025.
• Thorn Lightingpremier corporate memberChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier corporate member of the ILP.
• Bat Conservation Trustcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing Guidance Note GN08 on Bats and Artificial Lighting. The guidance was written in collaboration with the Bat Conservation Trust.
• Highway Electrical Association (HEA)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in joint events including the ILP x HEA x LOLEG Technical Forum and Dinner 2026.
• Lighting Industry Electronics Liaison Group (LOLEG)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in joint events including the ILP x HEA x LOLEG Technical Forum and Dinner 2026.
• Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night (ROLAN)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ILP aligns with the ROLAN manifesto and supports its five principles for reducing the impact of outdoor lighting on the environment.
• Enerveocorporate memberChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate member and event sponsor. Representatives Steve Paye, Martyn Dancer, and Luke Pritchard present at ILP conferences on apprenticeships and career pathways.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• International Commission on Illumination (CIE): Global scientific authority on light and lighting, producing international standards and technical reports. Comparable standards-setting role but international in scope, complementing rather than directly competing with ILP.
• Highway Electrical Association (HEA): UK association for the highway electrical sector covering street lighting, signs, and traffic signals. ILP and HEA already co-host joint forums; both serve overlapping local-authority buyers and apprenticeship/career-pathway programmes.

Others

• Bat Conservation Trust: UK conservation charity that co-developed ILP's GN08 guidance on bats and artificial lighting. Comparable as an authoritative single-niche body; relevant benchmark for ILP's content and partnership strategy in adjacent domains.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Large UK chartered professional body with membership, standards, and CPD model. Relevant as a benchmark for governance, membership tiers, and recurring subscription revenue design in professional associations.

Direct peers

• Society of Light and Lighting (SLL): Division of CIBSE serving lighting professionals in the UK. Closest direct competitor to ILP for membership, technical guidance, and CPD, with overlapping audiences in lighting design and built-environment standards.
• International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD): Global membership association for architectural lighting designers. Comparable membership, education, and awards model to ILP, with a more design-led focus and international footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Illuminating Engineering Society (IES): North American professional body for lighting, producing standards, education, and the Lighting Handbook. Comparable professional-association model serving lighting practitioners, with broader scale and longer publication history.
• Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE): UK professional body for building services engineers, parent of SLL. Larger and broader in scope; competes for institutional influence on built-environment standards and overlaps with ILP on CPD/membership.
• Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET): Large UK engineering professional body offering Chartered Engineer registration and CPD. Comparable professional-body business model; overlaps with ILP through Engineering Council registration pathways for lighting professionals.

Emerging players

• Lighting Industry Association (LIA): UK trade association for lighting manufacturers and suppliers. Adjacent rather than overlapping — ILP serves practitioners while LIA serves manufacturers — but competes for corporate-member relationships and industry voice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/3460977
• Xx.com/the_ilp

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 Institution of Lighting Professionals