Getting a course CPD accredited means having it independently assessed by a recognised accreditation body to confirm it meets professional development standards.
Cost
Free Provider Registration
Turnaround
2-3 Week Review Window
Assessment
Individual, Per-Course
Certified by
The CPD Register
Getting a course CPD accredited means having it independently assessed by a recognised accreditation body to confirm it meets professional development standards. When your course is CPD accredited, delegates can earn verifiable CPD credits and receive certificates that count towards their annual professional development requirements. Accreditation also adds credibility to your course, differentiates it from unaccredited alternatives, and makes it discoverable on The CPD Register.
The CPD Group is the first and currently only CPD accreditation body certified by The CPD Register, and has been named the Most Trusted CPD Accreditation Service by the UK Business Excellence Awards. This guide explains everything you need to know about getting your course CPD accredited with The CPD Group.
From registering as a provider to receiving your unique accreditation logo and CPD Register listing.
Before your course can be individually accredited, your organisation needs to be registered as an approved CPD Provider with The CPD Group. Provider approval is completely free and involves an initial assessment of your organisation to confirm it is ready to deliver CPD-accredited learning.
When you register, you receive a unique CPD Provider logo, a verifiable provider number, a CPD Provider certificate, and automatic listing on The CPD Register. You do not need to be a large training company — individual trainers, coaches, small businesses, and large corporations are all eligible.
Register as a CPD ProviderBefore submitting your course for assessment, ensure it is ready to meet The CPD Group's A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework. The most common reason for revision requests at assessment stage is insufficiently clear learning objectives. Strong preparation at this stage makes the accreditation process faster and more straightforward.
Every course must have clear, specific, and measurable learning objectives. Objectives should describe what a learner will be able to do, know, or demonstrate after completing the course — not simply what topics will be covered. Use active, observable verbs: "identify", "explain", "apply", "evaluate", "demonstrate". A typical course has between three and eight clearly stated objectives.
Weak: "This course covers health and safety regulations."
Strong: "By the end of this course, participants will be able to identify the key requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and apply them to their workplace context."
Your course content must be accurate, current, and professionally relevant to the audience it serves. If your course covers a regulated field — healthcare, law, finance, construction — ensure that all factual information reflects current legislation, guidelines, and best practice. Outdated content is one of the most common reasons courses fail accreditation.
The CPD Group assesses the expertise and credentials of the trainer or facilitator delivering the course. Ensure you have documented evidence of the trainer's relevant qualifications, professional experience, and subject matter expertise. This is particularly important for courses in regulated or specialist fields.
Your course must have a clearly defined duration. CPD credits are calculated on the basis of one credit per hour of structured learning, so the length of your course directly determines the number of CPD credits delegates earn. Ensure your course is structured logically — with a clear beginning, progression of content, and conclusion — and that the stated duration reflects the actual learning time.
Once your organisation is an approved CPD Provider, you can submit your course for accreditation assessment through the provider portal at portal.thecpd.group. Your submission will need to include the course title and description, your learning objectives, an outline or syllabus of the course content, the delivery format and duration, the trainer's credentials and biography, and any supporting materials such as slides, handouts, or assessment tools.
The CPD Group's team generally aims to begin reviewing submissions within 2 to 3 weeks of receipt. If your submission is complete and your content is well-prepared, the assessment is typically straightforward.
What to include: course title & description, learning objectives, outline/syllabus, delivery format & duration, trainer credentials, supporting materials.
The CPD Group's specialist accreditation team reviews every course individually against the A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework. This covers: Accuracy of content, Credibility of the trainer, Clarity of learning objectives, Relevance to the professional audience, Engagement and delivery quality, Impact on learner development, and Transparency of Evidence for completion.
If the assessment team identifies areas that need strengthening, they provide specific, constructive feedback and work with you to bring the course up to standard. The CPD Group never simply refuses a submission without explanation — the goal is to help providers achieve accreditation, not to act as a barrier.
Once your course is approved, you receive a unique CPD accreditation logo specific to that course, a verifiable accreditation number, automatic listing on The CPD Register, and the ability to issue personalised CPD certificates to delegates upon completion. You can use the accreditation logo on your website, course pages, brochures, social media, and marketing materials.
Accreditation is renewed annually. The CPD Group sends renewal reminders in advance, and renewal typically involves confirming the course remains current and paying a renewal fee. Updated course materials are re-assessed as part of renewal at no additional charge.
Become a CPD Provider for free and unlock course accreditation.
The CPD Group accredits face-to-face classroom courses, online self-paced courses, live virtual classroom sessions, pre-recorded video courses, blended learning programmes, short courses and half-day formats, full-day workshops, multi-week or modular programmes, and AI-assisted courses (provided they meet accuracy and quality standards). Both new courses and existing courses can be submitted for accreditation.
Face-to-face classroom
Online self-paced
Live virtual classroom
Pre-recorded video
Blended learning
Short / half-day
Full-day workshops
Multi-week / modular
AI-assisted courses
Provider registration is free. Course accreditation fees apply at the activity level and vary depending on the format, duration, and volume of courses being submitted. The CPD Group offers flexible pricing for individual trainers, small businesses, and large training organisations. Contact the team for a tailored quote.
Free Provider registration, transparent per-course fees, individual assessment against the A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework, and a permanent listing on The CPD Register.