Scotland gives a training provider two routes, and neither has a published price list. Accreditation by Qualifications Scotland Accreditation is free under its current licence, but it is only open to approved awarding bodies with a track record of awarding qualifications. SCQF credit rating is open to any provider that owns its programme. It takes 3 to 6 months on average and is priced by the college, university or other body that does the rating. Our sources were last checked on 5 October 2026.
Which Scottish route is open to a training provider?
The regulator is Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, and it has only carried that name since 1 February 2026. Before that date it was SQA Accreditation, which is why older guidance and a good many websites still use the old name. It can accredit any type of qualification other than a university degree. The catch is that it only accredits qualifications submitted by awarding bodies it has already approved. Accreditation is mandatory for Scottish Vocational Qualifications. Beyond SVQs it is compulsory only where a qualification sits in the mandatory section of a Scottish Apprenticeship framework.
For most providers the first of the approval requirements settles the matter. An applicant has to show a demonstrable track record of effectively awarding qualifications. A training company that has never awarded a qualification cannot show that, and the regulator's own guidance for prospective awarding bodies points such organisations towards having their programmes SCQF credit rated instead.
| Accreditation by Qualifications Scotland Accreditation | SCQF credit rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Approved awarding bodies with a track record of awarding qualifications | Any organisation that owns its programme |
| What you get | An accredited qualification, regulated in Scotland | An SCQF level and credit points. Not regulation |
| Who decides | The Accreditation Co-ordination Group | A credit rating body: a college, a university, Qualifications Scotland or an approved body |
| Published timing | No fixed timescale. Presented to the group within six working weeks of submission | An average of 3 to 6 months |
| Published fee | None payable under the current licence | Not published. Charged at first rating and at each renewal |
Sources: Qualifications Scotland Accreditation and the SCQF Partnership, linked below. Checked 5 October 2026.
How does awarding body approval work in Scotland, and what does it cost?
If you do have that track record, the process starts with a self-appraisal against the General Approval Requirements and an Enquiry Form, which the regulator acknowledges within five working days. After feedback from its managers you submit two forms together: AC1 for approval as an awarding body and AC2 for accreditation of your first qualification. The application is then presented to the Accreditation Co-ordination Group within six working weeks, and the group decides on the day. The two decisions are tied. If the group does not accredit the qualification, approval of the awarding body is deferred.
- Self-appraisalAgainst the General Approval Requirements, including a track record of awarding qualifications.
- Enquiry FormSent to Qualifications Scotland Accreditation.Acknowledged within five working days
- FeedbackThe regulator's managers respond to your enquiry.
- Submit AC1 and AC2 togetherAC1 is for approval as an awarding body. AC2 is for accreditation of your first qualification.AC1 expected within 12 months of the first enquiry
- Accreditation Co-ordination GroupThe application is presented to the group, which decides on the day. If the qualification is not accredited, approval of the awarding body is deferred.Within six working weeks of submission
- ApprovedYou work to 18 Regulatory Principles and are audited against them.Audit at least once every three years
No fees are payable under the current Accreditation Licence. An application lapses after three months without progress.
There is no fee. The Accreditation Licence that approved bodies sign states that no fees are payable under it at the date it takes effect, although it reserves the right to introduce fees later with at least six months' written notice. The Scottish Parliament's information centre described accreditation in June 2025 as undertaken free of charge.
Free does not mean light. The regulator publishes no fixed timescale for approval, an application lapses after three months without progress, and a completed AC1 is expected within 12 months of the first enquiry. Approved bodies work to 18 Regulatory Principles and are audited against them at least once every three years.
How does SCQF credit rating work?
Credit rating places your programme on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. A credit rating body looks at what a learner has to achieve and allocates an SCQF level from 1 to 12 and a number of credit points, where one point stands for 10 hours of learning. The SCQF Partnership oversees the system but does not rate anything itself. The rating is done by Scotland's colleges and universities, by Qualifications Scotland, and by a small group of approved bodies that includes ICAS, OPITO and the Chartered Banker Institute.
Your programme has to meet four tests before anyone will rate it, and they are listed below. You also have to own it.
- It is based on learning outcomes
- It involves at least 10 notional learning hours
- It is formally assessed
- It is quality assured
The SCQF Partnership's guide for third parties suggests starting with its free workshop, called Would You Credit It?, and then approaching more than one credit rating body. You send the programme in with your own estimate of its level and credit. A panel of credit rating and subject specialists reviews it, and once it is agreed the programme goes onto the SCQF database with a review date. The guide puts an average timeline at 3 to 6 months.
- Check the four testsLearning outcomes, at least 10 notional learning hours, formal assessment and quality assurance. You also have to own the programme.
- Free workshopThe SCQF Partnership's Would You Credit It? session.Free
- Approach credit rating bodiesSpeak to more than one. Ask each for its fee, its renewal fee and the length of the rating period.Fees are not published
- Submit the programmeWith your own estimate of its SCQF level and credit points.
- Panel reviewCredit rating and subject specialists review it.
- On the SCQF databaseThe programme is listed with a review date. The rating usually lasts three to five years.3 to 6 months on average
What does SCQF credit rating cost?
We looked for published fees and did not find any. The SCQF Partnership states that it sets no standard prices. Qualifications Scotland's credit rating service confirms that it charges and asks you to contact it for details. The college and university procedures we read, including Fife College's service page and Borders College's 2026 procedures, describe the process without giving a figure.
What the guide does tell you is that the cost comes round again. There is a charge for the initial credit rating and another at each renewal, and the period of credit rating is usually between three and five years. So ask each body for both figures, and for the length of the period, before you choose.
Credit rating also has limits you should know about before you pay for it. The SCQF Partnership says the framework is not a regulatory framework, and Qualifications Scotland says that credit rating will not result in accreditation or validation by it. Your course gets a level and credit points that Scottish employers and colleges understand. It does not become a regulated qualification.
Apollo Accreditation is a consultancy. It is not a regulator or an awarding organisation and does not award qualifications. Fees and rules change, so confirm them with the body named before you act on them.
Common questions
Who regulates qualifications in Scotland?
Qualifications Scotland Accreditation. It took that name on 1 February 2026, and before then it was SQA Accreditation. It approves awarding bodies and accredits their qualifications, and its remit covers everything except university degrees. Accreditation is only compulsory for SVQs and for qualifications in the mandatory part of a Scottish Apprenticeship framework.
Is there a fee for accreditation in Scotland?
Not at present. The Accreditation Licence signed by approved awarding bodies says no fees are payable under it when it takes effect. The same licence lets the regulator bring fees in later, provided it gives at least six months' notice in writing, so check the current licence before you rely on this.
How long does SCQF credit rating take?
The SCQF Partnership's guide for third parties gives an average of 3 to 6 months. The credit rating body will want to see your learning outcomes, your assessment and your quality assurance arrangements, so have those written up before you approach it.
How much does SCQF credit rating cost?
We could not find a published price from any credit rating body. The SCQF Partnership says it sets no standard prices, and Qualifications Scotland's own credit rating service asks you to contact it. Expect to pay once for the initial rating and again at each renewal, which usually falls every three to five years, and get quotes from more than one body.
Is an Ofqual regulated qualification accepted in Scotland?
Being regulated by Ofqual does not put a qualification on the Scottish framework. Ofqual regulates for England. For Scotland the awarding body has to get the qualification accredited by Qualifications Scotland Accreditation or credit rated onto the SCQF. Some awarding organisations have done that for their own qualifications. CMI's fee guide, for example, lists its Level 5 Diploma as SCQF Level 8.
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Sources
- Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, About us
- Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, Awarding body approval process
- Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, Timeframes for awarding body approval (v1.1, February 2026)
- Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, General Approval Requirements (v2.1, February 2026)
- Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, Regulatory Principles (v2.1, February 2026)
- Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Accreditation (2 June 2025)
- SCQF Partnership, Third party credit rating
- SCQF Partnership, Third party credit rating guide (November 2022)
- SCQF Partnership, Frequently asked questions
- Qualifications Scotland, Credit rating service
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