Institution news
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) has secured renewal of its Engineering Council licence for a further five years, reinforcing its role at the centre of professional engineering registration.
The outcome follows almost a year of focused work across the organisation and reflects a coordinated effort, with staff and volunteers contributing at every stage. The Engineering Council review panel recommended an initial one-year renewal, followed by a four-year extension subject to a small number of actions. This represents the strongest possible result and underlines confidence in IMechE’s standards, processes and people.
The renewal comes in a year of continued success, with IMechE achieving the highest number of Professional Registrations awarded through the Engineering Council for the fourteenth consecutive year. Together, these results demonstrate both consistency and scale in the Institution’s contribution to the profession.
IMechE supports engineers in achieving Professional Registration and is licensed to assess whether applications meet the Engineering Council’s requirements.
Early preparation and coordinated team effort
Preparation began well in advance. Last summer, with just under 12 months remaining on the existing licence, a clear plan and timeline were established.
“I presented to the Trustee Board, so we all understood the timeline and next steps,” said Graham Taylor, Chair of the Qualifications and Membership Board.
The scale of the work required close coordination across teams. A focused project group - led by Claire Maycock, Tom Owen and Graham Taylor, and project managed by Ed Hansom - worked alongside volunteers and colleagues across Membership and the wider Institution, supported by clear accountability and regular communication.
Staff and volunteers contributed throughout, ensuring the submission was both rigorous and delivered at pace.
“Everybody knew how important it was,” Graham said. “There was a real team spirit.”
Delivering the submission
In total, 485 documents were prepared, reviewed and submitted within a two-month period.
The team prioritised clarity, completeness and consistency to support the review process.
“I have always believed the easier you make it for the auditors, the easier the audit will be,” Graham said. “So, even where information was not mandatory, we still provided it.”
Outcome and next steps
Following submission, the Engineering Council requested further clarification and held a formal review meeting.
“I felt confident we had done a great job,” Graham said. “The meeting opened with the Review Panel Chair saying, ‘Well, this is not going to take long.’”
The Institution secured an immediate one-year renewal, followed by a four-year extension once the agreed actions are completed.
The next phase will focus on completing these actions and continuing to improve processes and communication.
Reflecting on the achievement, Graham said:
“This was about creating a one team approach, and we succeeded. This team worked extremely hard.”
The result reflects the professionalism, expertise and collective effort across the Institution, and its continued commitment to high standards in professional engineering.