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Become a BDA Professional Development Provider - PDP™
The Professional Development Provider (PDP™) model represents the institutional framework through which the Business Development Association governs, recognizes, and standardizes continuing professional development within the business development profession.
Introduction
The Professional Development Provider (PDP™) model represents the institutional framework through which the Business Development Association governs, recognizes, and standardizes continuing professional development within the business development profession.
As business development operates in dynamic, high-uncertainty environments, professional competence cannot be maintained through initial certification alone. Ongoing learning, skills renewal, and exposure to evolving best practices are essential to ensure relevance, credibility, and professional integrity.
The PDP™ model exists to ensure that professional development activities are structured, reviewed, and aligned with globally accepted business development standards, rather than fragmented, unverified, or driven solely by training market dynamics.
The Purpose of the PDP™ Model
The Business Development Association does not view continuing professional development (CPD) as an informal or optional activity.
Within the BDA Body of Competency & Knowledge (BDA-BoCK™) framework, professional development is a regulated component of the broader professional lifecycle.
The PDP™ model is designed to:
Govern how professional development is defined and recognized in business development
Ensure that learning activities contribute meaningfully to professional competence
Prevent dilution of professional standards through unverified or misaligned training
Link ongoing learning directly to competency-based frameworks and global best practices
Support certification renewal through credible and structured Professional Development Credits (PDCs)
The Institutional Role of Professional Development Providers
Professional Development Providers operating under the PDP™ framework fulfill a regulated professional role within the BDA ecosystem.
Delivering professional development programs reviewed and recognized by BDA
Ensuring alignment between learning outcomes and the BDA-BoCK™ competency framework
Providing structured Professional Development Credits (PDCs) eligible for certification renewal
Maintaining quality, relevance, and professional rigor in development programs
Supporting lifelong learning pathways for certified and non-certified professionals
PDP™ vs. Endorsed Certification Partner (ECP™)
PDP™
The PDP™ model focuses on post-certification and ongoing professional development, ensuring that learning activities used for competence maintenance and certification renewal meet defined professional standards.
ECP™
The ECP™ model focuses on certification integrity—supporting certification-related programs and safeguarding assessment standards.
Value of PDP™ Recognition
From an institutional perspective, PDP™ recognition provides:
Formal positioning within a globally governed professional development ecosystem
Credible recognition of programs beyond local or commercial claims
Integration into structured professional learning pathways
Long-term reputational value grounded in professional standards
From a professional perspective, PDP™ recognition ensures that learning activities contribute meaningfully to competence, credibility, and career progression.
Relationship with Other BDA Partnerships
The ECP™ model represents the highest level of institutional alignment with BDA certification standards.
ECPs support the validation, endorsement, and quality assurance of certification-related programs, ensuring alignment with global competency and assessment requirements.
The AKP™ model establishes collaboration with academic institutions seeking to align curricula, courses, and research with globally accepted business development knowledge standards.
AKPs contribute to the academic validation and evolution of the business development discipline.
The SAP™ model represents strategic cooperation with sovereign entities, ministries, chambers of commerce, and professional bodies that shape national and regional business development ecosystems.
SAPs support policy alignment, national capacity building, and large-scale professional adoption of business development standards.
