ILM is committed to providing a rigorous yet customer-friendly approval process in order to help welcome new centres on board as swiftly as possible. Our team of business managers and other specialist field staff are on hand to provide all new centres with personal support and guidance at every stage of the approval process.

In summary, the process takes the form of:

Pre-approval guidance – your local ILM business manager will visit your organisation to advise on the internal systems and processes needed to achieve ILM approval. They will offer guidance on developing existing training programmes into ILM programmes and explain the range of support and publicity services available through ILM. (The initial advisory visit is free of charge)

Approval visit – this is a co-opearative exercise which takes the form of an extended exchange of information. The aim of the visit is to gather information and evidence of your organisation's attitudes and approach to leadership and management development. These will include:

• Your organisation's ethos and working systems
• Resources available – including staffing, accommodation, equipment, software, and appropriate delivery materials
• Management and/or quality systems/procedures
• Candidate support mechanisms
• Records – candidate details, progress and achievements, quality processes
• Review and evaluation procedures

When the process is completed the centre will sign a contract and have their approval confirmed for a period of four years (after which time the centre will enter the re-approval process with ILM). Approval covers the centre to run up to two suites of qualifications, these can be added to at any time – again in consultation with their ILM business manager.

As an approved ILM centre, organisations can expect ongoing support, advice and materials from ILM, including:

• Personal support from the allocated ILM external verifier, local business manager, and the ILM Assessment Support Team
• Free ILM studying membership for tutors and trainers – so they can access the services received by their students
• One free place at an ILM Centre Support event
• Invitations to ILM events, conferences and network meetings
• Use of the relevant ILM logo for website and marketing materials
• Complimentary subscription to Edge magazine (nine issues a year)
• Centres in the Know newsletter 
• Free marketing material
• ILM centre plaque

Centre approval fees

• Approved Centre Status: £1,200 (€1,764) – approval lasts for four years and covers two qualifications and/or Endorsed and Development programmes, or suites of qualifications and/or programmes applied for at the time of inital centre approval
• Re-approval of Centre Status: £1,200 (€1,764) – re-approval occurs every four years and any number or combination of qualifications or Endorsed and Development programmes for which the centre is already approved
• Additional Qualification Approval: £300 (€440) – at any time an approved centre can add qualifications, this fee covers any two additional qualifications or suites of qualifications applied for at the same time
• International Centre Approval: the same fees apply for internationally based centres; additionally, they are required to fund any approval and external verification visits from the UK