Want to run our schemes? That’s great! All NICAS schemes need to be delivered at approved facilities, known as “accredited centres”. This is to ensure there is consistency nationwide and between centres, both in facilities and coaching experience.
To see which NICAS schemes, or what levels of NICAS Climbing or NICAS Bouldering, your centre could offer, first check our minimum requirements for coaches (i.e. qualifications and training) and physical structures (e.g number of routes).
About the Application Process
There are a number of key steps required to become an accredited centre:
- First, we ask you to review the minimum requirements for coaching qualifications and physical wall facilities for your chosen NICAS scheme or levels.
- Contact NICAS for an introductory chat and to request an application form.
- Book an induction. This induction does not have to be completed before submitting your application, but will need to be completed before commencing delivery of the schemes.
- Email us your application with its supporting documentation and photos of your facility. This will then be checked in-house before being submitted to the Screening Committee.
- The screening committee will review your centre application to ensure that your coaching team and climbing facilities meet or exceed our minimum requirements, and that we are confident you will be able to deliver NICAS sessions to a high standard.
- NICAS will email you to confirm the decision of the screening committee, together with any conditions or recommendations for your centre.
Applications can take around 2-4 weeks to be processed, and NICAS will stay in touch with you by email during this time. If we raise any queries, you’ll be notified straight away.
Registration Fees
Centre registration is annual and valid for 12 months from 1st September to 31st August the following year. Registration fees are paid for each scheme that a centre delivers. For example, if you become accredited to deliver both NICAS Climbing and Wild Climbers, then there will be 2 x fees.
Registration fees for 2023–2024 are:
Wild Climbers
- £50 + VAT (£60) per year
NICAS Clip
- £50 + VAT (£60) per year
NICAS Climbing
- £50 + VAT (£60) to deliver Level 1
- £75 + VAT (£90) to deliver up to Level 2 or Level 3
- £100 + VAT (£120) to deliver up to Level 4
- £125 + VAT (£150) to deliver up to Level 5
NICAS Bouldering
- £50 + VAT (£60) to deliver Level 1
- £75 + VAT (£90) to deliver up to Level 2 or Level 3
- £100 + VAT (£120) to deliver up to Level 4
- £125 + VAT (£150) to deliver up to Level 5
Further information
- For Primary Centre fees, please contact us.
- If your centre is not open to the public and is never used by other groups (for example, Sea Cadets), you may qualify as an awarding organisation (a special category of accredited centre). An awarding organisation is usually national and is approved to deliver NICAS Climbing and/or NICAS Bouldering exclusively to its own members or candidates up to Level 3, at multiple named artificial climbing facilities. Applications must go through a similar process – please contact us for more info.