Choosing a licence
The SFIA Foundation is a global not-for-profit foundation. The majority of individuals and organisations use SFIA under a free-of-charge licence. Modest fees are charged for use of SFIA by large organisations and for commercial exploitation.
As a not-for-profit foundation we operate on a subsistence basis. 100% of fees received are used to develop, maintain and support SFIA globally and to make it available for all to use. For commercial exploitation and for distribution of SFIA in any form there is a modest annual fee.
Please contact us if you need help choosing the right licence.
See our General Terms and Conditions for use of the licences.
Note: We have not increased our fees for 12 years - from 1st May 2025 new fees will apply.
SFIA Licence for internal use by organisations and individuals
(non-commercial exploitation)
For in-house use by a single small to medium sized organisation or for use by an individual for the development of their own skills, the licence is free of charge. Large organisations are expected to contribute to the running costs of the SFIA Foundation through an Extended Corporate User Licence which incurs a very modest annual fee.
| Who are you and what do you want to do? | Licence needed | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Use of SFIA by an individual professional to help plan their own professional development. | Personal User | Free |
| Internal use of SFIA by a single company, in one country, to enable the management and development of its own workforce. This includes the use of SFIA for the recruitment or sourcing of skills for internal use. This does not permit commercial exploitation of SFIA in relation to the sale or provision of services, resources and recruitment or products. Large companies making extensive use of SFIA internally should have the Extended Corporate User Licence below. |
Corporate User | Free |
| Use of SFIA in an internal framework or scheme that you distribute throughout a large organisation or to other companies in your Corporation. | Extended Corporate User | £2,000 |
SFIA Licence for extended scope
(e.g. whole-of-country or whole-of-public sector)
These extended-scope SFIA licences are intended for where a widespread integrated approach to skills and competency development is required for instance across all public sector organisations or for throughout the whole of a country - enabling a common language to underpin all skills and competency initiatives nationally.
| Who are you and what do you want to do? | Licence needed | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| For Public Sector organisations. Small, single public sector organisations can use SFIA under the same terms as the Corporate User Licence. Where the scope of the licence is multiple public sector bodies, distribution or sharing of SFIA related assets is required then this can be negotiated with the SFIA Foundation for very favourable benefits and modest cost. | Public Sector | From Free |
| For Country-wide Licence: Where a Government wants an integrated approach to skills and competency development throughout their country. It generates momentum, allows a very favourable position and removes the need for companies to be individually licensed. | Country-wide | Tiered |
SFIA Licence for external use and commercial exploitation
These commercial exploitation SFIA licences are for organisations that exploit SFIA externally. This may be the mapping of their services to the SFIA Framework such as training courses, certifications or other services or the provision of consultancy in the use of SFIA or the provision of a tool that contains or supports SFIA use.
| Who are you and what do you want to do? | Licence needed | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| For companies that offer products and/or services that relate to human capital management, and want to make use of SFIA in the construction, promotion or delivery of those products or services. This licence is for an organisation (single legal entity) operating in one country, not involving the distribution of SFIA. This licence permits the use of SFIA in a rate card. | Accredited Partner | £2,000 |
| For companies who also wish their wholly-owned subsidiary companies to be covered by an Accredited Partner licence. This licence provides for the same use as the Accredited Partner licence but for a group of companies (multiple legal entities) or a single legal entity operating in more than one country. | Global Accredited Partner | £4,000 |
| For independent consultants with expertise in human capital management, who wish to include advice on using SFIA in services to clients. You have attended the approved SFIA training. Promotion and use of the SFIA Accredited Consultant logo should clearly be in relation to the named individual. (A company offering similar services should become a SFIA Accredited Partner.) | Accredited Consultant | £300 |
| For organisations that provide qualifications, certifications or other services (for example: training courses or rate cards for hired staff) and that wish to help the marketing of those services by showing how they relate to SFIA skills. This licence is also required for those organisations (recruitment companies) that use SFIA while recruiting staff on behalf of their clients. This licence is for an organisation (single legal entity) operating in one country and permits the use of SFIA in a rate card. | Mapping | £2,000 |
| For organisations that also wish their wholly-owned subsidiaries to publish the mapping of qualifications or other products to SFIA. This licence provides for the same use as the Mapping licence but for a group of companies (multiple legal entities) or a single legal entity operating in more than one country. | Global Mapping | £4,000 |
SFIA Licence for use in rate cards and by recruitment organisations
Organisations require a rate card licence for the supply or hire of personnel, or resource-based services. This includes recruitment organisations using SFIA as part of their services to their clients.
| Who are you and what do you want to do? | Licence needed | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Group companies (multiple legal entities) or single legal entities operating in more than one country | Rate Card (multi) | £4,000 per year |
| Single legal entity operating in one country (>250 employees and > €50m turnover or > €43m balance sheet) | Rate Card (single) | £2,000 per year |
| Small and Medium Enterprise organisations (11-250 employees and ≤ €50m turnover or ≤ €43m balance sheet) | Rate Card (SME) | £750 per year |
| Micro companies (1-10 employees and ≤ €2m turnover or balance sheet) | Rate Card (Micro) | £250 per year |