Founded as a professional development association in England, comprising academic professionals drawn from various UK educational institutions, our initial objective was to provide management professionals resident in the UK with knowledge and skills needed for their professional development. Most of our initial work centred on continuing professional development in the fields of Business, Finance and Energy Management.

We approached NCFE (formerly Northern Council for Further Education; an Ofqual regulated UK based national awarding body) to discuss a working relationship. In 2010, NCFE paid us a (audit) visit at our Carlisle Learning Resource Premises to undertake a site and systems audit.

IPED gained an unconditional approval from NCFE in 2010, in only one visit, following the site and systems audit. We possessed all the necessary human, physical (premises and equipment) and system resource requirements to gain unconditional approval from one of UK’s most robust national awarding bodies. We thereafter proceeded to participate in NCFE’s customized award for group diplomas.

We currently do [not] have a working relationship with NCFE. This information is provided as part of our historical footprints.

We have also had a historical recognition with Training Qualifications UK (TQUK) recognition. TQUK is an awarding organization recognized by the
Regulator of qualifications in England. We first obtained TQUK recognition in 2019. Currently, we operate independently of TQUK approval.

As of 2017 to present, our focus has been on the delivery of International Single Diplomas (also known as Single Subject Diplomas), which are easier and more flexible to administer and deliver. With ISDs/SSDs, the individual modules that make up our group diplomas are treated as unique individual standalone courses, and learners are certified for each module upon completion of that module, instead of waiting to complete the entire group diploma. Additionally in relation to organizations that wish to deliver Single Subject Diplomas from us, SSDs are extremely convenient and flexible.

Since 2024, we have focused our attention on providing course endorsement services to third party organizations that require independent evaluation and endorsement of the courses they have developed in house.

Useful Resources

• Historical NCFE Centre Approval Certificate 2015
• Historical NCFE Centre Approval Certificate 2010 - 2013
• Historical NCFE Approval Visit Report
• Historical TQUK Centre Approval Certificate (2019)
• Historical Sample Endorsed TQUK IPED Student Certificates (2021)
• Codes of Practice
• Equality and Diversity Policy
• Malpractice and Maladministration Policy