First APM Gold status awarded to Submarine Delivery Agency

Association for Project Management (APM) is proud to announce that the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), part of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, has become the first organisation to be awarded the new Gold status.

The new gold status is awarded to APM Accredited Training Providers (APs) who go above and beyond, consistently exceeding expectations. Gold status is based on clear, evidence-based criteria, ensuring decisions are fair, unbiased, and grounded in measurable impact.

Peter Leighton (left), Project Delivery Profession People Development Lead, said “When I first heard about the news, my initial reaction was surprise. The fact that we were the first to achieve this made me realise that gold status was a bit more difficult and more prestigious than I had originally anticipated and I’ve been feeling prouder and prouder.”

Gold status goes beyond standard accreditation. It is awarded to providers who consistently exceed APM’s rigorous quality benchmarks, including effective course delivery, learner support and operational practices. To achieve gold status, a provider must demonstrate sustained excellence through higher learner satisfaction, stronger exam pass rates and a learner-centric approach across the entire training journey.

Peter continued: “Everything that we were assessed against was fair and within our gift to improve or get better at. Being externally measured and accredited gives us a level of credibility beyond what we could achieve on our own. It’s a good selling point for talent: you're not just getting training - you're getting the best training”

Marcus Bruton OBE, Head of Project Delivery Profession for SDA, said: “Achieving the APM Gold Standard for our Project Delivery training offering is a huge accolade for the SDA. It signals to our customers, our people, and our new entrants that the SDA is a learning organisation that is prepared to invest in our people to deliver to time, cost and performance.”

If you are an AP and would like to find out more about APM Accreditation and how to reach Gold status, please click here.