How to Create an Accreditation-Ready CPD Course
Start with the learner, align outcomes and evidence, use realistic timings and make the course pack straightforward to assess.
Read article → CPD accreditation for Irish course providers
Get your courses CPD‑accredited — here in Ireland.
CPD Ireland provides independent, course-specific CPD accreditation for training providers in Ireland — with clear standards, practical assessor feedback and a Provider Portal designed to reduce duplicate admin.
Less admin · Same independent Standard
Use what you already have.
Accreditation should test the quality of your course — not how many times you can retype the same information. The Provider Portal is built around the content, people and systems you already use.
Paste your website
We can draft your CPD Ireland provider profile and suggest suitable imagery for you to review before publishing.
Paste your course page
Already have a public course page? Import supported course details into a private submission draft instead of typing them again.
Add trainers once
Keep trainer details and evidence in your private Trainer Library, then reuse them across the courses they deliver.
Reuse your standard methods
Save your normal attendance and learner-evaluation methods once and reuse them where they apply.
Start from an existing course
Submitting something similar? Copy an existing course into a new private draft and update what is different.
Review video or LMS courses securely
Give the assessor secure hosted access where appropriate instead of uploading large video files.
You stay in control: imported or AI-assisted content is always a draft for you to review. It never submits a course, approves CPD hours or makes an accreditation decision.
Why CPD accreditation matters
Buyers want proof. Learners want confidence. Independent CPD accreditation shows that your course has been reviewed against a defined quality Standard covering learning outcomes, structure, content, delivery and evaluation.
It gives providers credible external evidence of course quality — and gives buyers and learners a clearer basis for trust.
- Build trust faster with buyers and learners
- Strengthen proposals and tender submissions
- Differentiate accredited courses from unreviewed CPD claims
- Improve course quality through practical assessor feedback
Clear, structured and transparent
We keep the process clear: submit the course evidence, receive independent assessment against the CPD Ireland Course Accreditation Standard, address any released actions, and receive a separate CPD Ireland accreditation decision.
Accreditation is earned, not automatic. Application or payment does not guarantee approval.
More than traditional courses
What can be CPD accredited?
Structured professional learning can take many forms. If it has a clear learning purpose and can meet the CPD Ireland Course Accreditation Standard, it may be suitable for accreditation.
Training courses
Classroom, instructor-led and structured professional training.
Webinars
Live online learning, professional updates and expert-led sessions.
Seminars
Focused professional sessions and subject-specific briefings.
Workshops
Interactive, practical and skills-based professional learning.
Conferences & training events
Structured sessions where learning content, duration and participation can be evidenced.
Online & eLearning
Self-paced digital courses, virtual programmes and blended learning.
The format alone does not guarantee accreditation. Each activity is assessed against the applicable Standard.
How accreditation works
A transparent five-stage process, with feedback and resubmission where needed.
Submit your course
Start with what you already have: import supported course-page details, reuse trainers and standard methods, then provide the course-review evidence as files, secure hosted access or an appropriate combination.
Independent assessment
An assessor reviews the evidence against the CPD Ireland Course Accreditation Standard.
Feedback & actions
If changes are needed, CPD Ireland releases clear provider-facing actions and you can resubmit revised evidence.
Accreditation decision
CPD Ireland Administration makes the final decision and determines approved CPD hours.
Outputs & public record
Access the certificate, badge pack and approved descriptor, with Register/public-profile visibility where applicable.
Creating a course for accreditation?
Build an accreditation-ready course before you submit
Use our practical provider guide to strengthen learning outcomes, course structure, evaluation, version control and the evidence in your course pack — all aligned to the formal CPD Ireland Course Accreditation Standard.
More than a badge
Accredit → Issue → Verify → Record
CPD accreditation is the foundation. CPD Ireland then gives providers and learners a connected way to manage accredited courses, issue learner evidence, verify it independently and keep CPD records organised.
- 1AccreditIndependent course review
- 2IssueProvider-issued learner certificates
- 3VerifyUnique online verification
- 4RecordPrivate learner CPD record
01 · Accredit
Manage the accreditation journey in one place
Accredited providers receive a secure Provider Portal to build submissions from information they already have, track status, receive released feedback, resubmit evidence and access the authoritative outputs for accredited courses.
- Current accreditation status and accredited-course records
- Submission, feedback and resubmission history
- Course certificates, badge packs and approved descriptors
- Your own public CPD Ireland provider profile and URL
02 · Issue
Issue learner certificates individually or in bulk
For currently accredited courses, providers can issue CPD Ireland-branded Certificates of CPD Completion from the Provider Portal — one learner at a time or by CSV upload.
- Approved course details and CPD hours are drawn from CPD Ireland records
- Single learner and bulk CSV issuance
- Certificate history retained in the Provider Portal
The provider verifies learner completion. CPD Ireland accredits the course and controls the approved accreditation details used on the certificate.
03 · Verify
Give learners evidence that can be checked
Each issued learner certificate has a unique certificate number and online verification route, with a QR code on the certificate. The verification record can confirm the learner, course, provider, completion date, approved CPD hours, course accreditation number and current certificate status.
CPD Ireland provides the verification infrastructure and confirms the course accreditation record. It does not assess, examine or directly certify the individual learner.
04 · Record
Keep verified evidence alongside wider CPD
Eligible CPD Ireland Verified certificates can appear in MyCPD after a learner proves control of the email address used on the certificate. Learners can keep those records alongside professional development they enter themselves.
- Verified certificates and approved CPD hours in one private record
- Self-recorded activity remains clearly separate from CPD Ireland Verified records
- Download annual CPD records and certificate PDFs
Insights
Practical guidance for better CPD
Advice from CPD Ireland on course design, accreditation, assessment and professional learning — written to help trainers and providers build stronger courses.
How to Write Learning Outcomes That Actually Work
Practical weak-to-strong examples and a simple test for outcomes that are observable, realistic and useful.
Read article →CPD Hours: What Counts — and What Doesn't?
How structured learning time differs from the overall time blocked out for a course, with practical examples.
Read article →
Irish-based. Independent.
Accreditation designed around Irish providers
CPD Ireland is based in Dublin and focused on the needs of training providers operating in Ireland. That means straightforward communication, local market context and an accreditation service built around Irish providers, learners and organisations — while maintaining clear, independent standards.
Already accredited elsewhere?
Considering a switch to an Irish CPD accreditation service?
Use the course evidence you already have as the starting point. We’ll map it against the CPD Ireland Standard and explain what a move would involve — without treating existing accreditation as an automatic transfer.
Ready to accredit your next course?
Send us your details and we’ll explain the right next step.