Association for Project Management

Overview

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the chartered professional body for project management in the UK. As the leading membership organisation for the project profession, APM represents and supports thousands of project managers, programme managers, portfolio professionals and project-based businesses across all industries and sectors. The association is based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and serves professionals at all career stages—from those new to project management through to experienced executives and board-level leaders.

APM's role as a chartered body gives it particular authority and standing within the UK project management profession. If you work in or lead project management, programme delivery, portfolio governance or any project-focused role, APM is likely to be the primary professional association relevant to your career and organisation.

Who Should Join?

APM is relevant to a wide range of professionals and organisations:

• Project managers and programme managers at all levels—whether managing individual projects, complex programmes, or strategic portfolios
• Project professionals in disciplines including planning, scheduling, risk management, quality assurance, commercial management and project controls
• Project-based organisations including consultancies, contractors, engineering firms and service providers that deliver work through projects
• Client organisations across public and private sectors that manage projects and programmes as part of their operations—including government, NHS, local authorities, finance, infrastructure, construction, IT, and manufacturing
• Students and early-career professionals developing their project management knowledge and seeking professional qualification
• Senior leaders and executives responsible for strategic delivery and portfolio governance

APM membership is open to individuals and organisations. Individual membership is available to practitioners and professionals working in or committed to project management. There are membership categories for different experience levels and roles, allowing members at all stages of their careers to join and benefit from the association's resources and community.

Why Join?

APM membership provides several compelling reasons to join:

• Professional recognition and credibility: As the chartered body for the project profession in the UK, membership demonstrates your professional standing and commitment to project management excellence. APM credentials carry weight with employers and clients.
• Industry-leading qualifications and competency frameworks: APM offers recognised professional qualifications including its APM Competence Framework, which defines project management competency standards respected across the sector. Membership supports your pathway to professional qualifications and chartered status.
• Collective voice in your profession: By joining APM, you become part of a significant community influencing how project management is practised, regulated and valued across the UK. The association represents members' interests and the profession to government, employers and the wider economy.
• Access to expertise, guidance and standards: APM develops and shares professional standards, best practice guidance and technical knowledge created by leading practitioners. Members benefit from this accumulated expertise without needing to develop solutions alone.
• Networking and peer community: APM connects you with thousands of project professionals, enabling peer learning, career development and business opportunities across all sectors and organisational sizes.
• Continuous professional development: Membership supports your ongoing learning through training, events, publications and access to the latest thinking in project management.

Member Benefits & Opportunities

APM membership includes access to a range of practical resources and opportunities:

• Professional qualifications: Members benefit from APM's qualification pathways, including industry-recognised certifications and chartered status, supporting career progression and professional recognition.
• Training and learning resources: Access to courses, webinars, publications and knowledge resources covering all aspects of project management, from fundamentals through to advanced leadership and strategic delivery.
• Events and conferences: APM hosts events, conferences and local group meetings bringing together project professionals for learning, networking and peer discussion. These provide opportunities to develop relationships, share experiences and stay informed of sector developments.
• Professional standards and guidance: Members access APM's project management standards, competency frameworks, best practice guides and technical resources developed by experienced professionals.
• Networking communities: Membership connects you with local APM groups, specialist interest groups and online communities where you can engage with peers, exchange ideas and build professional relationships.
• Career support and job opportunities: APM provides career resources, mentoring and access to job opportunities and recruitment services supporting career development and progression.
• Members' publications and knowledge hub: Access to APM's journals, research, case studies, tools and knowledge resources sharing practical project management experience and emerging best practice.
• Influence and involvement: Members can contribute to APM's development of standards, guidance and policy, ensuring their expertise helps shape the association's outputs and direction.

Industry Role & Professional Standing

APM holds a unique and authoritative position within the UK project management profession:

• Chartered professional body: As a chartered association, APM has formal authority and recognition to set professional standards, award qualifications and represent the project profession in the UK and internationally. This chartered status distinguishes APM as the sector's leading authority.
• Standards and competency frameworks: APM develops and maintains the APM Competence Framework and other professional standards that define expected knowledge, skills and behaviours for project managers across industries and sectors. These standards influence how organisations develop and assess project management capability.
• Professional qualifications and accreditation: APM's qualification schemes and accreditation processes are industry-recognised, providing pathways to professional credentials that employers value and individuals pursue for career advancement.
• Advocacy and policy engagement: The association engages with government, regulators, educational institutions and industry bodies to promote project management as a profession and ensure the interests of project professionals and project-driven organisations are represented in policy and strategy discussions.
• Research and knowledge sharing: APM conducts research, publishes insights into project management practice and emerging trends, and shares knowledge that helps the UK project profession advance and adapt to changing business environments.
• Sector collaboration: APM collaborates with other professional bodies, academic institutions, industry organisations and international project management associations, positioning UK project managers within a global professional community.
• Raising professional standards: Through its activities, APM works to elevate project management as a recognised profession, helping organisations understand its value and encouraging investment in project management capability and development.

For anyone working in project management in the UK—whether as an individual practitioner, a project-focused organisation, or a leader responsible for delivery—APM membership provides connection to the profession's leading authority, access to recognised qualifications and standards, and involvement in a community of peers committed to advancing project management excellence.