Your coach training programme with The Innate Coach has been accredited by the Association for Coaching (AC) as an accelerated route to accreditation.  This means that many of AC requirements are already built into your programme. This includes your class‑based hours, self‑study hours, assessed reflections and hours towards your coaching practice and supervision.  This means you do not need to repeat these for your application. 

In practice, this means that when you apply for AC Foundation Coach (or Coach) accreditation, you already have a large part of your portfolio ready to go. Your route to accreditation is therefore clearer and more achievable, because the programme has been designed from the start to support that next step. 

You will need to add extra coaching practice hours and supervision, and then compile the evidence you already have, rather than starting from scratch.

You are eligible to apply for AC Foundation Coach accreditation once you have met all of the requirements of your coach training programme with The Innate Coach (either the Fundamentals of Coaching Award or the Developing Confidence in Coaching Certificate) and have completed the extra elements AC requires for your portfolio.

In theory, you can apply at any time. In practice, you will only be ready once you have:

• Successfully completed and passed your programme with The Innate Coach (Award or Certificate).

• Completed and passed all required assessed work (Coaching and Development Log, Personal Coaching Approach, Coaching Reflection, Case Study).

• Reached at least 50 hours of coaching practice in total, using the hours gained during your programme, plus additional independent practice.

• Completed the required supervision hours (3 hours for Foundation Coach).  You can include the one provided during your programme where relevant. You will need to fund additional sessions yourself.  

• Compiled your evidence (training certificate/letter, coaching and development log, supervision evidence, all passed assessments, coach references and confirmation of insurance).

So, while you can technically apply at any point, the reality is that you will only have everything you need once you have finished and passed the Award or Certificate and then topped up your coaching hours and supervision. At that point, you have a complete portfolio and are genuinely ready to submit your Foundation Coach application.

If you are unsure whether you are ready to apply for Foundation Coach accreditation, you can email us at  support@theinnatecoach.co.uk for guidance.

To apply for Foundation Coach accreditation, you will need to compile a portfolio of evidence drawing together the different elements you have completed on your Award or Certificate programme, plus a small number of additional items completed afterwards. You bring all of this together in one place when you are ready to apply.

Your portfolio should include:

Practice log: Your Coaching Log table should show at least 50 hours of coaching (hours, not number of sessions). This can include hours gained during your Award and/or Certificate programmes, plus any independent practice including at the Practice Café hours (if attended).

Continuing professional development (CPD) log: You will submit your completed Coaching and Development Log, showing that you have undertaken the required self‑study hours during your programme. While ongoing self‑study is not mandated for Foundation Coach, it is strongly recommended that you continue to undertake and log any CPD (reading, videos, podcasts, webinars) after your training, as ongoing development is a AC core coaching competency.

Supervision: You will need evidence of 3 hours of coaching supervision in total. One hour is provided within your programme, and you will need to arrange and fund 2 additional hours yourself with an appropriate supervisor. Keep a simple supervision log (dates, duration, supervisor, focus) and be prepared to provide a brief supervisor reference if requested.

Insurance: For any independent coaching practice outside your own organisation, you are expected to hold appropriate professional indemnity insurance to demonstrate that you are working ethically and in line with professional standards. You should be able to confirm this when you apply.

Reflective assessments: You will need to submit your Personal Coaching Approach (500-750 words), Coaching Reflection (500-750 words) and Case Study (500-750 words) from the programme. You must have passed these pieces in order to include them, and they serve as evidence of your reflective practice, coaching philosophy and work with a coachee over multiple sessions.

Proof of training: You are required to submit evidence that you have trained with The Innate Coach as an approved provider. This can be either your certificate of completion or an official letter from us confirming your Award or Certificate and associated hours.

Application and fee: Once you have compiled this evidence, you will need to complete the online application form for Foundation Coach accreditation through the AC website, upload your documents, and pay the application fee (currently £140 + VAT, but subject to change). The AC will then review your application and confirm the outcome.

If you need help understanding what to include or how to present your evidence, email support@theinnatecoach.co.uk 

Your AC Foundation Coach accreditation is valid for 3 years from the date it is awarded. At the end of those 3 years, you will need to renew your accreditation to keep it current. To renew, you are expected to show that you have:

• Ongoing coaching practice – you have continued to practice as a coach and can evidence this through an updated coaching log.
• Maintained supervision – you have had regular coaching supervision and can evidence this in a short supervision log and/or supervisor reference.
• Engaged in continued professional development – you have continued to engage in learning and development (such as reading, webinars, courses, peer learning, conferences), logged in your Coaching and Development Log.

You will need to complete an AC renewal application along with your updated evidence (coaching, supervision and CPD), and pay a renewal fee.  

Please contact  support@theinnatecoach.co.uk if you would like help understanding what you need to collect or how to apply.   

When you apply for AC Foundation Coach accreditation, you will need to pay an application fee directly to the Association for Coaching. The fee is currently £140 + VAT for Foundation Coach, paid at the point you submit your online application.  As their fees change periodically, we recommend checking the latest amount on the AC website before applying, or contact support@theinnatecoach.co.uk if you are unsure.

'Coach' accreditation is the next level up after 'Foundation Coach' aimed at more experienced coaches. 

You can apply for this once you have completed all the required elements of the Developing Confidence in Coaching Certificate (or Diploma qualification) with us. 

You will need to have logged over 100 coaching hours and be working with a wider range of clients and contexts, supported by ongoing CPD and 6 hours of supervision.

Most students focus on achieving 'Foundation Coach' first, and then build towards 'Coach' accreditation over time as their coaching practice grows.