Our Story

True Pioneers of CPD


In 2012, the CPD Standards Office pioneered a new form of accreditation within the CPD, lifelong learning and learning and development (L&D ) arenas. Learning from our CPD research results, we bought affordable CPD accreditation for the UK training and coaching industries.  


Many organisations that joined us in those early years, are still members, and find the CPDSO accreditation invaluable as part of their business proposition.

The CPD Standards Office was the first to...

Utilise Academic, Scientific Findings

to develop a robust, reliable accreditation criteria and process.

Apply Unique Provider Numbers

to CPD Standards accredited members, enabling both the public and professional bodies to verify the CPDSO accreditation.

Become a Sustainable, Ethically Conscious Accreditation Service

dedicating a % of our revenue to Earthly, an company that enables organisations to offset their carbon footprint - and planting 50 trees for each new member.

Deliver Outsourced CPD Accreditation

services for professional bodies and government departments.

Pioneer Blockchain Technology

services for professional bodies and government departments.

Offer Personalised Accreditation Services

 for individual coaches and professional speakers.

Leaders of Lifelong Learning

Over the past decade we have led the way professionalising and raising industry standards in the educational and CPD arena. 


Spanning all professions and sectors, CPDSO has had a real impact, and our research contribution has significantly changed the way that individuals, employers and professional bodies understand, and undertake, CPD learning experiences. 

Cutting Edge CPD Advice

The CPD Standards Research project continues to undertake university level research across all stakeholders within the CPD realm. 


Working with professional bodies, employers, coaching networks and academia, we have delivered numerous research projects free of charge, for the benefit of industry, individual professionals and society.

From Small Acorns Grow Magnificent Oak Trees….

So…. from a humble academic research project, grew the blessing for an independent CPD accreditation service, trusted by government, professional bodies and employers.  


Built on empirical data, we developed a scientific, robust methodology, to verify providers of training, coaching and online learning as formal CPD providers. 


The methodology centres on the quality of the learning portfolio, the end to end learner journey, and the educational and authority that a provider has to deliver the training. 

Today we are a global organisation, with providers in over 55 countries, and approximately 300,000 individuals that undertake CPD Standards Office approved courses/learning activities per annum.