1) Purpose
CPD Ireland badges are trust marks that indicate either:
- Provider Accreditation (the organisation is accredited by CPD Ireland), or
- Course Accreditation (a specific course is accredited by CPD Ireland).
Badges must be used accurately and must not imply endorsement, certification, or assessment of an individual learner by CPD Ireland.
2) Official badges
Only the following CPD Ireland badges may be used:
- Accredited Provider — use only by organisations holding current CPD Ireland provider accreditation.
- CPD Accredited Course — use only for courses that hold current CPD Ireland course accreditation.
No other variations, re-draws, or “inspired by” badges are permitted.
3) Approved contexts
Accredited Provider badge
- Provider website (home page, footer, accreditation page)
- Provider marketing materials (brochures, email signatures, proposals)
- Provider-issued certificates (as a provider-level mark)
CPD Accredited Course badge
- Course web pages and landing pages
- Course brochures / datasheets
- Learner certificates for that accredited course only
- LMS course pages for that accredited course only
4) Accuracy rules (non-negotiable)
Badges must not be used in a way that could mislead.
You must not claim or imply:
- That CPD Ireland has “certified” the learner
- That CPD Ireland has assessed the learner
- That CPD Ireland endorses the provider generally (beyond the scope of accreditation)
- That non-accredited courses are accredited
Required distinction:
- CPD Ireland accredits courses and providers.
- Providers deliver training and issue learner certificates.
5) Certificate rules
Where a CPD Ireland badge appears on a learner certificate, it must relate to the accredited course named on that certificate.
Recommended accompanying text (small type, near the badge):
“This course is accredited by CPD Ireland for Continuing Professional Development.”
Avoid wording such as:
- “Certified by CPD Ireland”
- “CPD Ireland Certified”
- “Awarded by CPD Ireland”
- “CPD Ireland Qualification”
6) Design integrity rules
To protect consistency and credibility:
Permitted formats
- Use CPD Ireland supplied SVG / PNG only
- No re-creation, redrawing, tracing, or “clean up” versions
Colour and styling
- Do not change colours, gradients, or finishes
- Do not add effects (shadows, glow, bevels) beyond the supplied artwork
- Do not place on busy backgrounds; use white or very light neutral backgrounds where possible
Layout rules
- Do not stretch, skew, rotate, crop, or alter proportions
- Do not rearrange text elements
- Do not remove the “CPD Ireland” ring text
Clear space
Maintain clear space around the badge equal to at least the height of the letter “C” in “CPD”.
Minimum size
- Digital: 120px diameter minimum
- Print: 25mm diameter minimum
If smaller is required, use CPD Ireland’s designated small-size version (where provided).
7) Digital use & verification
Providers may link the badge to a CPD Ireland verification page when supplied.
Badges must not link to:
- Unrelated pages
- Sales pages that imply CPD Ireland endorsement
- Pages listing non-accredited courses as accredited
8) Term, renewal & removal
Badge use rights exist only while accreditation is current.
Providers must remove badges within 10 business days if:
- Accreditation expires and is not renewed
- Accreditation is suspended or withdrawn
- A specific course accreditation lapses
9) Monitoring & enforcement
CPD Ireland may:
- Request examples of badge usage
- Require corrections within a specified timeframe
- Suspend badge use rights where misuse occurs
- Withdraw accreditation for repeated or serious misuse
10) Requests for variations
If a provider needs a different format (e.g., mono version, dark-background version, horizontal lockup), they must request artwork from CPD Ireland. Providers may not create their own variants.