Certification partners

When we say a course is accredited, it's worth knowing who's doing the accrediting. This page introduces are partners, who we're proud to work with.

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Our Certification Partners

Certification in this field is only as strong as the body standing behind it – and the bodies we work with set the standard rather than follow it. We partner with BQF, LCS, ICAgile and Scrum.org. It’s quite unusual for a training and consulting organisation to have such a breadth of partners – another reason that sets Catalyst apart from others.

BQF – British Quality Foundation

Catalyst’s BQF accreditation is the foundation of our Lean and Lean Six Sigma provision, and it carries the most weight in UK business.

The British Quality Foundation is the recognised home of quality management in the UK, and BQF certification for individuals is widely regarded as the gold standard in the field. Our Lean and Lean Six Sigma courses lead to BQF certification – independently awarded, and recognised by employers who know exactly what it represents.

Accreditation with BQF isn’t a badge you apply for and forget. It requires our content, assessment and delivery to meet their standards, and it’s reviewed to keep them there.

BQF certification courses: Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Business Black Belt, Master Black Belt, Lean Practitioner, Advanced Lean Practitioner, Lean Master

LCS – Lean Competency System

We are an LCS accredited organisation. The LCS certifications we offer map your development onto a defined framework, so the level you hold means something in relation to the next one.

The Lean Competency System is the renowned, internationally recognised framework for Lean competence, developed at Cardiff University. Where other certifications confirm that you attended and passed, LCS certifies what level of competency you’ve reached – and sets out the route from there.

Our LCS courses are aligned to this framework, giving you a structured pathway through developing Lean competencies. For organisations building capability at scale, that structure means you can see where each person sits and what the next step looks like.

Courses leading to LCS certification: Lean Foundations, Lean Practitioner, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Business Black Belt.

ICAgile

Our ICAgile accreditation means that our agile courses have been assessed against a curriculum built by expert practitioners, not written by a vendor with something to sell.

ICAgile is a global certification body for agile learning, and its certifications are held by practitioners in more than 100 countries. ICAgile doesn’t accredit attendance – it accredits learning outcomes. A course only carries the accreditation if the content genuinely delivers the competencies the certification claims.

Our accredited courses in Agile Fundamentals and Business Agility Foundations give you the principles, the practices, and the collaborative habits that make agile delivery actually work. They provide the right starting point whether you’re joining an agile team or leading one.

Courses leading to ICAgile certification: ICAgile Agile Fundamentals (ICP), ICAgile Business Agility Foundations (ICP-BAF).

Scrum.org

Scrum.org is the definitive standard for Scrum certification and it’s the one hiring managers recognise first.

Scrum.org was founded by Ken Schwaber, one of Scrum’s two creators and it’s the body most commonly named in job specifications for Scrum Masters and Product Owners. Its certifications are known for being rigorous – you can’t pass them by just sitting through a course.

Our accredited provision gives Scrum Masters and Product Owners the tools to lead agile teams effectively: not just the ceremonies, but the judgement behind them. And because Scrum.org certification is issued by the body itself rather than by us, what you hold is externally verified rather than self-awarded.

Courses leading to Scrum.org certification: Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO 1), Professional Scrum Master (PSP 1)