Our organisation

The Engineering Council was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1981 to regulate the engineering profession in the UK.

We are governed by our Board of Trustees, which is advised by a number of executive committees. 

Our core purpose is to set and maintain the internationally recognised standards for the UK engineering profession, found in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment (UK-SPEC) and the ICTTech Standard. These documents describe the competence and commitment criteria to be awarded one of our professional titles.

How we are funded

The Engineering Council is funded from the registration fee which is set and effectively collected by EngineeringUK.

EngineeringUK retain 60% of the fee to fund the promotion of the profession with Engineering Council granted approximately a third to undertake its regulatory functions. The remaining 7% funds the legacy Pension Fund (for a further 4 years under current recovery plan).

Our purpose

To provide assurance to the public that the buildings they walk in, the trains they ride, and the electrical equipment they use every day are safe and designed by fully qualified, competent and committed, professionally registered engineers and technicians. 

To achieve registration, engineers and technicians must demonstrate a range of technical and personal competences, their commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, and to staying up to date with industry developments through continuous professional development. To apply, individuals must first join a relevant licensed professional engineering institution (PEI) licensed by the Engineering Council to assess candidates for registration. 

Our Mission

To maintain internationally recognised standards of competence and commitment for the engineering profession and to license competent institutions to champion the standards for the deliverance of public benefit.

Our Vision

That society continues to have confidence and trust in the engineering profession.

Our Values

The Engineering Council’s organisational values lie at the heart of everything we do.

We always strive to act with:

• Fairness: We are inclusive and equitable, working collaboratively with each other and external stakeholders
• Integrity: We act professionally, accountably, and ethically, so that engineers, the wider engineering community, and society can have confidence in us
• Transparency: We are open and honest in everything we do, across all aspects of the organisation