What is CLIP

Most medium-sized and large organisations have a corporate learning function, whether they are called a corporate university, an academy or just learning and development (L&D). As these functions don’t compete with each other and their markets are captive, there are numerous approaches. Which one is effective depends very much on the organisational context.

This is where the Corporate Learning Improvement Process (CLIP), EFMD’s accreditation scheme for corporate learning functions, comes in. It engages the learning team and their stakeholders in a strategic reflection on how the function adds value today, and where it could and should stand tomorrow. Launched in 2002, it has since been awarded to more than 40 companies and public institutions across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

CLIP assesses the learning function’s mission and strategy, the engagement of its markets, its portfolio of offerings, the ecosystem it orchestrates to deliver the portfolio and its impact on individuals, businesses and the organisation at large.

How the process works

CLIP is open to corporate learning functions of organisations that are full members of EFMD. Like all EFMD quality management schemes, the process combines a structured self-assessment with an international peer review.

Eligibility establishes that the function falls within the scope of the scheme: that it is an identifiable unit positioned at corporate level under an appointed learning or talent officer, with its own staff and a mandate linked to the strategy and transformation agenda of the company and its operational units, and that its provision extends beyond highly specialised technical training to executive and management development and the support of organisational renewal.

In the self-assessment phase, the learning team produces a strategic self-audit together with a SWOT analysis for each of the five chapters of the CLIP Standards & Criteria. The peer review team ordinarily comprises a member of EFMD, most often the CLIP Director, two practising chief learning officers, and a head of executive education from a major business school. Over three days the team meets either on-site or online executive committee members, the chief human resources officer, heads of business units and corporate functions, programme participants, the learning function’s own leadership and staff, internal and external partners.

The resulting peer review report identifies points of excellence, strengths, areas for development and considerations for the future, together with its recommendation on the award. The decision itself rests with the CLIP Accreditation Sub-Committee.

What changed in 2026

The CLIP Standards & Criteria were recently updated, after their last review in 2021, to consider lessons learned throughout the pandemic, the advancement of digital, data and AI, and the quest for organisational agility. The architecture remains unchanged: five chapters — Strategy, Market, Offer, Ecosystem and Impact — each containing three standards supported by detailed criteria.  Four developments in corporate learning guided the thorough update:

• Human-centred value creation. Learning functions are expected ever more to demonstrate how capability development translates into performance, employability and business outcomes.
• Learning ecosystem orchestration. Content is increasingly curated and connected from internal experts, external partners and digital platforms rather than produced by the learning team. Learning evolves from episodic to always on.
• Intelligent enterprise orientation. Learning, skills and talent deployment are embedded in business processes rather than positioned alongside them, so that learning becomes part of the operating model.
• AI-enabled learning acceleration. The use of Artificial intelligence (AI) now extends across the entire learning value chain, from identifying capability needs to measuring impact. The criteria also address the learning function’s responsibility for building AI literacy across the workforce and preparing managers who will draw on both people and AI agents, and on managing the talent and culture ripple effects of AI adoption.

Find out more

More information can be found on the EFMD Global website, along with the process manual and the application forms. The CLIP office answers enquiries and can arrange an exploratory meeting, online or on-site, for organisations considering an application.

CLIP-accredited organisations include AIA Leadership Center, ArcelorMittal, BI Institute, BNI Corporate University, BRI Corporate University, EDF Group, EDP – Energy of Portugal, ENGIE, Faurecia University, FORVIA University, Grupo Santander,  L’Oréal Group, Mazars, Metro AG, Mandiri University, MLP Finanzberatung SE, Naturgy, Pertamina Corporate University, PSA Group, Saint-Gobain and Siemens AG.

Read more about CLIP in the Global Focus articles, “Impactful Corporate Learning: Refreshing the CLIP Accreditation Framework in Line with Evolving Best Practice” and “Inspiring Corporate Learning.” 

For additional insights, announcements and perspectives, visit the conversation on EFMD CLIP Accreditation.