Standard status
- Current published edition
- ASCB TP:2025, comprising ASCB TPL1-2025, TPL2-2025 and TPL3-2025
- Assessments conducted against
- ASCB TP:2025, at the type that matches the provider
- Scheme type
- Training provider accreditation
ASCB TP:2025 is ASCB's standard for accrediting a training provider, meaning the organization that delivers the training rather than any single course. It sets out what such an organization must have in place, and how it must be structured, managed, staffed and controlled, so that training is run as a managed activity rather than an occasional one. It applies to structured training in any sector, delivered in a classroom, live online, by eLearning or in blended form, and to an organization training its own people as much as to a commercial training company. It is supported by ASCB TC:2025, the Training Course Standard, which accredits an individual course. ASCB offers accreditation against ASCB TP:2025.
What is the difference between accrediting a training provider and accrediting a course?
They are two separate accreditations against two separate standards. Provider accreditation under ASCB TP:2025 assesses the organization and the systems it runs its training through. Course accreditation under ASCB TC:2025 assesses an individual course: its design, its materials, how it is delivered and how learners are assessed. Either can be held on its own, although every ASCB TP:2025 accreditation includes at least one course assessed against ASCB TC:2025. The two standards are not the same requirements at a different scale; each has its own content, and a course accreditation is not a provider accreditation. Where a provider's certificate names its courses or programs, those define the scope of the provider's accreditation; their listing does not by itself mean each one is an accredited course, which is a separate matter under ASCB TC:2025.
What ASCB TP:2025 requires
The standard arranges its requirements under five primary sections, and a provider is assessed against them at the type that matches what it does.Organization
How the organization is structured and how training is built into the strategic direction of the business, so that training provision is owned and planned rather than incidental.
Management
How the management team turns that direction into the day-to-day running of training: a clearly defined management structure, evaluation of whether a course met its objectives using learner and trainer feedback, and continuous improvement, all of which apply from the first type upward.
Staff
The roles and responsibilities needed to design and deliver effective training, and, from the second type, trainer qualifications that are documented and evidenced. The standard requires the provider to define the competence its training roles call for and to hold evidence that the people in them meet it.
Policies and procedures
The policies and procedures needed, as a minimum, to deliver training effectively and consistently, including how courses are evaluated and improved over time.
Tools
The tools and resources needed to deliver training across the environments the provider uses, whether classroom, live online or eLearning.
The three types of training provider
The standard has three types. A provider is not expected to work up through them; it is assessed at the one that matches what it does. Each type builds on the one below.
• Type 1, Training Function (ASCB TPL1-2025): the minimum governance for a single business function or department delivering training to its own people. Course evaluation, a defined management structure and continuous improvement are all present from this type. Suited to a function that has training as one of its activities.
• Type 2, Training Department (ASCB TPL2-2025): the added rigour for a corporate training department. It builds on Type 1 and adds a Return on Investment section and Review Boards, where senior management oversees the development and delivery of training. Suited to an internal corporate training department.
• Type 3, Training Organization or Institute (ASCB TPL3-2025): full governance for an organization whose primary business is training. It builds on Type 2 and adds a governing board, documented governance policies and risk assessment, so that the impact of risk on training provision from the internal and external environment is managed. Suited to training institutes and commercial training providers.
Scheme and sector application
ASCB TP:2025 applies to any structured training an organization delivers, in any sector. Common fields include leadership and management, health and safety, compliance and regulatory training, sales and customer service, technical and IT, coaching and mentoring, onboarding, first aid, and professional qualification and lead auditor courses, delivered in classroom, live online or eLearning form. It covers internal training delivered in-house as much as training sold to external customers; the three types run from a single internal training function through a corporate training department to a full training organization. ASCB accreditation is not higher education accreditation: where a course leads to a degree or other postgraduate award, the recognition of that award is a matter for the competent authority in the relevant jurisdiction.
Why seek ASCB accreditation against ASCB TP:2025
ASCB assesses a training provider against the requirements of ASCB TP:2025 on a periodic, risk-based basis, sampling records, management arrangements, staff and course evaluation activity. For a provider and the people who rely on its training, that means independent third-party assessment against a published training provider standard, applied on its own terms; a credential that a buyer or an employer can check rather than take unverified, since an accredited provider's status can be confirmed on the ASCB register and the training records it issues can be recorded on the IRQAO register; and delivery by an established international accreditation body operating to ISO/IEC 17011 for more than 30 years; organizations certified by ASCB-accredited bodies operate in 140+ countries.
Where ASCB TP:2025 sits among the standards
ASCB TP:2025 is one of two ASCB training standards and sits alongside a wider family of standards:
• ASCB TC:2025: the Training Course Standard; accredits an individual course, where TP:2025 accredits the provider. The two are commonly held together.
• ISO/IEC 17011: the requirements for accreditation bodies; the standard ASCB itself works to when it accredits a training provider.
• ISO 21001: management systems for educational organizations, and ISO 29993 for learning services outside formal education; related education standards that exist and are certified by bodies elsewhere, covering different ground from ASCB's training provider accreditation.
Common questions
Can internal training be accredited, or only commercial training providers?
Internal training can be accredited, and it is one of the main uses of the standard. Type 1 is a single business function delivering training to its own people, and an employer that trains its own staff is assessed against the same published standard as a commercial provider, at the type that matches the operation.
How do I know which type of provider I am?
You do not need to work that out yourself. ASCB determines the type with you as part of the application, based on how your training is organized and delivered. If you are unsure where you fit, contact us and we will help.
How to apply
How to apply for ASCB TP:2025 training provider accreditation is set out on Become Accredited. Fees are quoted individually rather than published, because the standard tiers to the scale of the training operation, so the page asks a short set of questions in order to quote. The application form is provided on request.