Accreditation for Improvement Consultants & Training Providers
Verify your improvement training programme and stand out where it counts
Build trust with clients through independent verification
When clients compare consultancies, they need a way to assess quality before they commit. Case studies and credentials help, but they are self-reported.
LCS accreditation is different. It independently verifies that your training meets a globally recognised standard, backed by a framework developed at Cardiff University.
For clients navigating procurement in enterprise and public sector environments, that verification reduces risk. It shows your delivery has been assessed against a structured competency framework, not just described in a proposal.
Grow your consultancy or training company with stronger commercial positioning
Accreditation changes how your consultancy competes. It strengthens your position when clients are comparing providers, supports premium pricing by evidencing the quality behind your offer, and reduces the onboarding friction that slows down new client engagements.
It also creates a revenue stream beyond selling hours. Once accredited, you can certify your clients' teams with recognised qualifications for lean competency, turning training delivery into an ongoing service rather than a one-off engagement.
Verify your Lean training without changing what works
At LCS, accreditation for consultants doesn’t require you to overhaul your training programme. The framework aligns with the approach you already use, whether that is Lean, Six Sigma, operational excellence, or a hybrid model. You keep your tools, your language and your culture.
This flexibility also supports growth. As your team expands, accreditation embeds consistent delivery quality across your operation, so what works for one consultant holds up at scale.
Benefits of accreditation for Lean consultants and training providers
- Added value to your core training offering that can improve margins and create competitive advantage.
- A solution to the growing need from companies and practitioners for accredited training and qualifications with strong market presence and high perceived value.
- Independent endorsement of your CI training credentials.
- A framework around which training courses can be developed.
-
Becoming LCS accredited can also gives you partner organisation status, unlocking a range of additional benefits and opportunities, from access to our community via our platform and events to our e-learning.
- Career progression and professional development for practitioners.
- A flexible framework that can be adapted to the differing needs of clients.
- A route to engagement with client senior management that can enhance the overall business relationship.
- Association with a global CI qualification
What our accredited consultants and training providers say about LCS
Bart van Waes
Managing Partner, Leanprofs
Daniel Hamilton
Head of Lean Innovation, MIGSO-PCUBED
The value of LCS is that it provides structure, credibility and scalability. It gives people a clear development pathway, gives organisations a common language, and helps improvement activity connect to real delivery outcomes. In sectors like nuclear, where the pressure to deliver safely, efficiently and on time is significant, that kind of framework is extremely valuable.
Nicholas Vantine
Principal Transformation Manager, DBD International
Ryan King
Managing Partner, Reinvigoration
The primary benefits of LCS and its accreditation, as I see it, lie in enabling organisations to adopt this framework and use it to develop their own training programmes, competency, and capability. The strong connection LCS has with its historical roots and Cardiff University enhances its value. It provides a pathway for organisations to train and certify their own staff, which I think is amazing.
Brad Jeavons
Principal Consultant, Enterprise Excellence Group
Ready to become an accredited consultancy or training provider?
Becoming LCS accredited can also give you partner organisation status, unlocking a range of additional benefits and opportunities, from access to our community via our platform and events to our e-learning.
To become accredited, you’ll need to submit your training programme in partnership with the LCS team. The submission is reviewed to ensure your programme delivers effective knowledge and practical capability to LCS standards, and any gaps are identified and addressed together.
Once accredited, you become an Accredited Certifier of Lean Competency, with the ability to issue LCS certificates to your clients' workforces. This gives your training a formal outcome that clients value and creates an ongoing reason for them to stay with your consultancy.
Consultancy and training provider accreditation fees
The accreditation fee is £2,000 +VAT (€2,500/$3,000) for a two-year licence period and is a one-off fee—there is no charge for reaccreditation after the initial term. Partnership costs vary depending on the tier you select, with four options available from Micro to Platinum. Higher tiers provide greater access to the community, events, resources and e-learning. Certificates can be bought for learners in singles and bundles.
Join the LCS online community
The LCS online community platform is free to join and open to anyone with an interest in continuous improvement, whether you're already accredited or just starting out on your CI journey.
As part of the community, you'll get access to resources, tools and templates, industry-specific sub-groups, webinars and events, and a jobs board connecting CI professionals with organisations seeking certified talent.
It's a valuable space for your CI team to connect with peers across sectors, share experiences, and stay at the forefront of improvement practice.
The LCS Qualifications Framework
The LCS qualifications framework has seven levels of competency covering the spectrum of Lean knowledge and application. A consultancy or training provider can start the accreditation at any level depending on how advanced their improvement programme is. While the framework requires a number of subject areas are covered at each level, there is flexibility to choose the tools, techniques and language to fit with their culture.
Level 1: Fundamental
- Level 1a: Awareness
- Level 1b: Diagnosis & Analysis
- Level 1c: Improvement & Implementation
Level 2: Technical
- Level 2a: Implementation & Design
- Level 2b: Implementation & Leadership
Level 3: Strategic
- Level 3a: Strategic Enterprise
- Level 3b: Strategic Supply Chain
Talk to our qualified experts today about starting your LCS journey
