What Is Accreditation?

Accreditation is the highest national standard of Chamber excellence in leadership, governance and operations. It demonstrates to your community, members, and Board of Directors that your Chamber has dependable governance policies and procedures and has built resilient core operations that align with hundreds of Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade across Canada. 

To become Accredited, submit the application and required documentation for review by the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada.

Accreditation is valid for 5 years. Applications submitted throughout 2025 will be Accredited for 2026-2031.

 

What Is The Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada?

The Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors comprised of provincial and territorial Chamber executives, a representative from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and a representative from the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada. 

The standards of Accreditation were first created in 2004 and are reviewed by the Board of Directors on an annual basis.

 

What Are The Benefits of Accreditation?

Achieving Accreditation comes with a range of practical benefits for your Chamber of Commerce or Board of Trade, including:

• Alignment with proven best practices across the Chamber Network;
• Verification that you are running a Chamber with a dependable governance model, and resilient core operations;
• Sharpening your Chamber’s strategic focus for long-term sustainability;
• Growing your Chamber’s competitive edge and encouraging member engagement;
• Showcasing your community as a great place to do business, backed by an exceptional Chamber;
• Strengthening your Chamber’s brand and credibility with corporate sponsors; and
• Providing assurance to funders that your Chamber has robust financial policies in place and can deliver impactful projects with reliable reporting.

 

2025 Application Deadlines

There are two deadlines each year - you can submit your application by either deadline.

Round 1 deadline: Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 (for decision by the Accreditation Council on June 12th)

Round 2 deadline: Wednesday, August 6th, 2025 (for decision by the Accreditation Council on September 11th)

Accreditation certificates for Chambers achieving Accreditation throughout 2025 will be presented during the national conferences in Mississauga, Ontario in October 2025.

 

Application Fees

Small Chambers (less than 500 members): $200

Medium Chambers (between 500 and 999 members): $300

Large Chambers (+1000 members): $400

 

Apply Now!

Download the Accreditation application form here.

Download detailed information about Accreditation here.

Submit your completed application and supporting documentation to CACC Executive Director, Deneen Belliveau at: ExecutiveDirector@CCEC.biz