CPL ONLINE LIMITED

What CPL ONLINE LIMITED does

CPL ONLINE LIMITED, trading as CPL Learning, is a UK-based training and learning technology provider serving the hospitality and retail sectors. Founded around 1995, the company operates a cloud-based Hospitality Learning Management System (LMS) purpose-built for hospitality employees, delivering 24/7 self-serve access on any device to a content catalogue covering alcohol licensing (APLH under the Licensing Act 2003, and SCPLH for Scotland), compliance, hotel operations, retail, personal development, team development, first aid, fire safety, and food safety. Alongside the LMS and online courses, CPL delivers expert-led in-person training at customer premises and fee-based Premises Licence Application and Variation Services for alcohol and late-night refreshment licensing.

The business combines three revenue mechanics: one-time individual course purchases (pay-as-you-go), annual subscription eLearning site licences capped at 25 or 50 team members per site (with an "Enhanced" tier providing unlimited catalogue access), and professional-services fees for premises licensing applications and variations. Go-to-market is hybrid: product-led self-serve for individual learners via console.cplonline.co.uk, plus sales-assisted "Request Demo" and "Contact Us" motions for enterprise and team buyers. Customer logos span enterprise pub and hotel estates (Premier Inn/Whitbread, Marston's, Thwaites, Admiral Taverns, Booker, Bandai Namco, Jamie Oliver) and convenience retail (Budgens, Robinsons), with the platform accessed by hundreds of thousands of users annually.

CPL Learning was acquired by The Access Group in 2024 and now operates as a subsidiary within the parent's vertical SaaS portfolio, while retaining its UK hospitality and retail specialisation. Headcount sits in the 11-50 band, and pricing for all tiers is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed.

Name

CPL ONLINE LIMITED

Legal name

CPL Online Ltd

Website

https://cplonline.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CPL Learning is a UK-based provider of online courses, in-person training, and a hospitality-specific learning management system serving hotels, pubs, restaurants, retailers, and individual learners, now operating as a subsidiary of The Access Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality eLearning and Compliance Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) (EDABALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Hospitality training courses
• Alcohol licensing training
• Retail compliance training
• Learning management system
• Workplace safety courses

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Online Courses: Individual learners purchase and access online courses (e.g., APHL, SCPLH, compliance, hotel, retail, personal development courses) on a per-course basis.
2. eLearning Site Licence (up to 25 team members): Organisations purchase site licences granting access to a wide range of hospitality eLearning courses for up to 25 team members at one location.
3. Enhanced eLearning Site Licence (up to 50 team members): Organisations purchase enhanced site licences granting unlimited access to the entire catalogue of hospitality eLearning courses for up to 50 team members at one location.
4. In-Person Training Courses: Day courses led by subject experts, delivered at the customer's location. Covers first aid, fire marshal, food safety, and other workplace training.
5. Premises Licence Application & Variation Services: Fee-based service assisting businesses in obtaining or varying premises licences for alcohol sales, entertainment, or late-night refreshment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CPL Learning provides online and in-person training courses, a hospitality-specific Learning Management System (LMS), and premises licence application/variation services for the hospitality and retail sectors in the UK. The portfolio includes alcohol licensing courses (APLH, SCPLH), compliance, hotel, retail, personal and team development courses, in-person first aid, fire marshal and food safety training, and eLearning site licences for teams of up to 25 or 50 members at a single location.

Product overview

CPL Learning operates a hospitality and retail training platform offering a multi-product portfolio comprising online elearning courses (including alcohol licensing, compliance, hotel, retail, personal development, and team development courses), in-person classroom training (First Aid, Fire Marshal, Food Safety), a proprietary Hospitality Learning Management System (LMS), eLearning site licences for team training (standard for up to 25 users and enhanced for up to 50 users), and premises licensing services. The platform serves hundreds of thousands of users annually and positions itself as a learning and development partner for the hospitality and retail sectors, with almost 30 years of industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Hospitality and Retail Training Courses Self-paced eLearning courses covering hospitality and retail training topics including alcohol licensing, compliance, hotel operations, retail skills, personal development, and team development. Available 24/7, 365 days a year on any device, designed for individual learners and teams in the hospitality and retail sectors.
• Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH) Online course that teaches the essentials of the Licensing Act 2003 to enable learners to responsibly sell alcohol and obtain a personal licence. Targeted at hospitality staff and individuals requiring personal licence qualification in England and Wales.
• Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (SCPLH) Online certification course covering key aspects of managing licensed premises and complying with Scotland's licensing laws. Targeted at hospitality staff in Scotland requiring personal licence qualification.
• SCPLH Refresher Online refresher course covering the most important aspects of Scottish licensing law and regulation for existing SCPLH holders needing to renew their certification.
• Essentials of Pub Management (EPM) Comprehensive training program covering the essentials of running and managing a pub establishment, designed for pub operators, managers and aspiring hospitality professionals.
• eLearning Site Licence (up to 25 team members) Annual subscription-based site licence providing organisations with access to a wide range of hospitality eLearning courses for up to 25 team members at a single location. Pricing is quote-based and the offering targets hospitality and retail operators needing team-wide training.
• Enhanced eLearning Site Licence (up to 50 team members) Annual subscription-based premium site licence providing organisations with unlimited access to the entire hospitality eLearning course catalogue for up to 50 team members at one location. Targets larger hospitality and retail teams needing comprehensive training access.
• In-Person Training Courses Face-to-face day courses led by subject experts covering Emergency First Aid at Work, Fire Marshal Award, First Aid at Work, First Aid at Work Refresher, and Food Safety Level 3. Delivered at the customer's location to minimise travel costs and time away from work. Targeted at hospitality and retail workplaces needing certified workplace safety training.
• Hospitality Learning Management System (LMS) Cloud-based learning management system designed specifically for hospitality employees, enabling team members to complete essential learning anytime, anywhere, on any device. Targets hospitality businesses needing centralised training delivery, tracking and engagement across teams.
• Premises Licence Application Service Fee-based professional service assisting hospitality businesses in obtaining premises licences required to sell alcohol, offer entertainment, or serve hot food and drinks between 11pm and 5am. Targeted at licensed trade operators needing regulatory compliance support.
• Premises Licence Variation Service Professional service helping licensed hospitality businesses make changes to their existing premises licences. Targeted at licensed premises operators needing to vary their licence terms or conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Courses accessed by hundreds of thousands of users each year

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: Global enterprise learning platform offering broad course catalogues across technology, leadership, and compliance. Overlaps with CPL's compliance and professional development offerings as part of a much wider enterprise learning portfolio.
• Coursera for Business: Enterprise arm of Coursera providing access to thousands of courses from universities and companies. Serves the same enterprise training buyer segment as CPL, though with academic/general content rather than hospitality specialization.
• LinkedIn Learning: Enterprise learning platform bundled with LinkedIn talent solutions, offering broad professional development and compliance content. Competes for the same enterprise training budget as CPL, though without vertical hospitality focus.

Direct peers

• Typsy: Online hospitality training platform offering on-demand video courses for hotels, restaurants, and bars. Directly competes with CPL in vertical-specialist hospitality eLearning for the same UK/global operator customer base.
• iHASCO: UK-based eLearning provider specializing in health & safety, compliance, and soft skills training delivered via subscription-based LMS. Overlaps directly with CPL's compliance, first aid, and fire safety training for UK businesses.
• Highfield Qualifications: UK awarding body offering vocational qualifications and eLearning content for hospitality, retail, food safety, and compliance. Competes with CPL on regulated training content and certification across overlapping UK customer segments.
• Virtual College: UK eLearning provider offering compliance, health & safety, and sector-specific training courses through subscription and licence models. Directly comparable in product offering, delivery format, and target buyer.
• Reed Learning: Corporate training arm of Reed, offering accredited eLearning and compliance courses to UK businesses. Competes with CPL in workplace compliance training (first aid, food safety, health & safety) for multi-site employers.
• Acudemy: UK-based eLearning provider offering CPD-accredited compliance, health & safety, and professional development courses. Comparable to CPL in compliance-led content catalogue, subscription model, and UK enterprise target buyer.
• The Knowledge Academy: UK-wide training provider offering classroom-based and online courses across professional development, compliance, and workplace safety. Overlaps with CPL's in-person training offering and compliance course catalogue for UK businesses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CPL ONLINE LIMITED