Turn your coaching into a recognised sports academy.
From coaching diary to accredited academy — CIMSPA endorsement, 1st4sport and Active IQ pathways, NGB alignment and (where it fits) apprenticeship-standard delivery.
You've done the work. Now formalise it.
We take on three profiles most often. If one of these sounds like you, the scoping call is short.
The club or academy operator
You already run development pathways and want them to convert into recognised qualifications learners can put on a CV.
The coach going professional
You hold Level 3+ coaching qualifications and want to open your own school — CIMSPA-endorsed, insurable, hireable.
The S&C or fitness studio
You want to run Level 2 and 3 gym / PT / S&C courses on Active IQ, with progression into the sports coach apprenticeship.
Opening looks simple. Opening properly does not.
Sport has a crowded market of certificates and a small number of qualifications employers actually respect. CIMSPA endorsement, an active NGB relationship, a real assessor bench, and — if you want funding — the Community Activator Coach or Sports Coach apprenticeship standard properly delivered. Most new academies get stopped by the same three things: no independent IQA, no evidence of employer engagement, no NGB backing on the sport-specific content. Fixable, but only if you build it in from day one.
A scope built for sports academy.
Fixed fee. Written scope. Named deliverables — the artefacts your regulator, awarding body or insurer will actually ask to see.
Centre approval & endorsement
1st4sport / Active IQ centre application, CIMSPA endorsement pack, and NGB conversations opened for sport-specific content.
Pathway design
Level 2 → 3 → 4 progression mapped across coaching, S&C and fitness, tied to real employer demand in your area — not a generic prospectus.
Apprenticeship option
Where the numbers support it: Sports Coach or Community Activator Coach standard, EPA logistics and (if going RoATP) provider-side scope.
Safeguarding & insurance stack
DBS flow, welfare officer structure, activity risk assessments and PL/PI cover shaped for youth and elite pathways alike.
Four steps. No surprises.
Each step is scoped in writing before it starts. You always know what is being produced, by when, and what it unlocks next.
Discovery
We map your current coaching output against target awarding bodies and CIMSPA endorsement criteria. Written scope follows.
Approval pack
Centre application, IQA plan, NGB letters of support and safeguarding structure assembled together.
Launch
First cohort onboarded with retention tracking, learner voice and coach-mentor structure built in from day one.
First-EQA support
We rehearse the awarding-body EQA visit with your team — no surprise questions on the day.
Sector-literate, not generic.
Generalist consultants can write a business plan. Getting an academy through approval in a regulated field takes vocabulary inspectors and awarding bodies recognise.
CIMSPA and NGB-aware
We speak the actual endorsement language, and we've had the conversations that get NGBs to write a supporting letter — not a form response.
Realistic on apprenticeships
The sports coach apprenticeship works at scale, or not at all. We'll tell you honestly whether your model fits, before you spend on RoATP.
Safeguarding-serious
In youth and community sport this is the axis your reputation turns on. We build the safeguarding architecture at day one, not after an incident.
Answered plainly.
Do we need CIMSPA endorsement?
For fitness and PT, effectively yes — most reputable employers look for it. For pure sport coaching, NGB alignment matters more. We'll advise per pathway.
Can we deliver without an awarding body?
You can run commercial short courses, but the certificates won't carry weight. If you want learners to progress into employment or apprenticeships, you need centre approval.
How long from engagement to first learners?
Typically 10–14 weeks. NGB support letters and CIMSPA endorsement are the pacing items.
What does it cost?
Fixed fee, quoted after scoping. Apprenticeship / RoATP work, if it's on the table, is scoped separately.
Open a sports academy the sector recognises.
Tell us where the door needs to open.
A 30-minute call, a written scope, and a fixed price before any work starts.
Start the conversation