A qualification proves you know the job. Accreditation proves you’re a professional.
Accreditation builds on the standard — and puts your standing on the Alliance’s verified national register.
Accreditation extends the qualification with four areas every great adviser does instinctively.
Professional relationships
Trust, boundaries, adapting to the client in front of you, reflecting on what works.
Developmental practice
Moving clients from discussion to action; balancing support with challenge; evaluating impact.
Referral networks
Knowing the limits of your expertise and signposting well, within the wider ecosystem.
Enterprise & economic context
Applying real knowledge of enterprise and growth environments in advisory work.
Maintained, not one-off
Accreditation is a living credential. Accredited advisers complete CPD each year, logged with an annual verified declaration, and their current standing is visible on the register. Specialist Credentials recognise deep expertise in named areas, shown as badges on the register profile, so commissioners can match advisers to need (see Specialist Credentials).
A verification tool, not a marketplace
A register is earned, not listed: entry comes through accreditation, standing is maintained through CPD, and every entry can be verified against a unique ID showing qualification, specialisms and current standing. For commissioners, “delivered by accredited advisers” stops being an assertion and becomes a checkable commitment.
The national register launches in September 2026. Founding-member authorities are the first names on it.
Become a founding member of the Alliance
Authorities and centres joining before launch sign the founding charter, shape the Standard and the register, and are the first names on it. There’s more than one way in — put a cohort through the pilot, recognise your existing SFEDI-accredited advisers, or come in as an established centre.