Performance Coach Certification
Performance Consultants' GROW-based coach certification — ICF Level 1 (ACC pathway) at Silver; Gold targets PCC via ICF's Portfolio route; triple ICF/EMCC/AC accredited; from the GROW Model originators.
- Format
- Online or in-person; 20+ languages
- ICF hours
- 125+ hours (Gold/PCC level); Silver meets Level 1 ACC hours
- Duration
- 5 modules × 4 half-days; self-paced progression
- Tuition
- Full Gold pathway $19,160 USD / £14,110; bundle discounts available
- Prerequisites
- None for Foundation (Module 1). Each subsequent module requires completion of the prior one.
About
Program overview
The Performance Coach Certification is the flagship coach training program of Performance Consultants International, the firm founded by Sir John Whitmore in the early 1980s and the institutional home of the GROW Model, the world's most widely-used coaching framework.
The program has been developed over more than 40 years by the pioneers behind Coaching for Performance, now in its 6th edition. It teaches the GROW Model as its creators intended: a dynamic, conversation-led framework integrated with transformational coaching skills and the Inner Game philosophy that Whitmore and colleagues developed alongside Tim Gallwey.
The certification is structured in five progressive modules, with clear credential milestones:
Foundation (Module 1): introductory standalone module; earns a Bronze certification badge
Silver (Modules 1–3/4): ICF Level 1 accredited; ACC credential pathway
Gold (all 5 modules): exceeds ICF PCC requirements; PCC Portfolio pathway
The full Gold pathway is priced at $19,160 USD / £14,110 (savings available on bundle purchases vs. individual modules). The program also holds AC and EMCC recognition alongside ICF accreditation, a triple-accredited offering on the foundation of the world's most recognized coaching framework.
Who it's for
Coaches and leaders who want to learn the GROW Model as its creators intended, with the full depth of the Inner Game philosophy behind it
Corporate leaders, managers, and HR/L&D professionals seeking an ICF-accredited coaching methodology to develop internal coaching capability
Aspiring coaches who want a structured pathway from introductory training to PCC-level credentialing within a single program
Organizations wanting to build a coaching culture through a program that can be licensed and delivered in-house in 20+ languages
Coaches who want triple ICF/EMCC/AC accreditation with a framework that carries global recognition
What you'll learn
GROW Model: as designed
The Goal, Reality, Options, Will framework taught in its full intended application, as a structured approach to evoking client awareness and responsibility. Coaches learn the difference between using GROW as a prompt list versus using it as the living conversational architecture Whitmore and colleagues developed in the 1980s through application in sports and executive coaching.
The Inner Game foundations
The philosophy underpinning GROW is Tim Gallwey's insight that the main obstacle to performance is not lack of skill or knowledge but the interference created by the performer's own inner critic and self-doubt. Performance coaching in this tradition helps clients quieten that interference, trusting that the capability is already present.
Transformational coaching skills
Beyond the framework, the program develops the facilitator skills that make GROW work at depth: deep listening, silence, powerful questions, and the capacity to hold clients in reflective challenge rather than problem-solving or advice mode.
Five modules: progressive depth
Each module spans four half-days and builds on the one before. The program blends proven frameworks, practical experience, and expert supervision. Faculty are all accredited and experienced coaches, many with additional specialist credentials in mentoring, supervision, and advanced coaching.
Organizational and in-house delivery
The program can be deployed organizationally through a Train-the-Trainer license. Companies working with Performance Consultants can build internal coaching capability at scale, delivering the program in over 20 languages worldwide, online or at chosen venues.
Credentials and accreditation
The program is organized around three certification milestones:
Bronze (Foundation, Module 1): Certificate of completion; entry-level standalone
Silver (Modules 1–3/4): ICF Level 1 accredited; ACC credential pathway
Gold (all 5 modules): Fulfils and exceeds ICF PCC requirements (125+ hours); ICF Portfolio route to PCC
The full Gold pathway is recognized by ICF, EMCC, and AC, a triple accreditation. Payment plans are available.
Format, duration, and cost
Format: each module spans 4 half-days; available online or in-person; delivered in 20+ languages
Full Gold pathway: $19,160 USD / £14,110 (individual modules priced separately, bundle saves approximately $1,765 USD / £1,300)
Delivery options: open enrollment cohorts and organizational in-house delivery with Train-the-Trainer licensing
Prerequisites: none for Foundation; prior modules required for subsequent levels
What makes it distinctive
Performance Consultants sits at a unique intersection. It is the originator of the framework that defines the coaching profession as a profession, and it continues to teach that framework from the source. Every other provider who delivers GROW training is working downstream; they have adapted, simplified, or repackaged what Performance Consultants created. Training in GROW directly with Performance Consultants means learning the model with access to the institutional knowledge, the Inner Game philosophy, and the contextual depth that the model's creators intended.
That weight of recognition, from the profession's founders, the methodology's creators, and the profession's principal accreditor, is unique to this program.
Coaching for Performance provides a foundation for those who want to understand the potential and power of coaching.
Frameworks taught at Performance Coach Certification
Challenges this training prepares coaches for
Questions about Performance Coach Certification
Q.01What accreditation does the Performance Coach Certification hold?
What accreditation does the Performance Coach Certification hold?
The program is triple accredited by ICF, EMCC, and AC. The Silver level (Modules 1–3/4) is ICF Level 1 accredited, qualifying for the ACC credential. The Gold level (all 5 modules) exceeds ICF PCC requirements (125+ hours) and provides an ICF Portfolio route to PCC.
Q.02What is the GROW Model?
What is the GROW Model?
The GROW Model stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Will. Developed by Sir John Whitmore and colleagues in the 1980s at Performance Consultants, it is the world's most widely-used coaching framework. Rather than a rigid question checklist, GROW is a structured conversational architecture that helps coaches move clients from where they are to a committed action plan, with [the Inner Game](/frameworks/inner-game) philosophy underpinning each stage.
Q.03How much does the program cost?
How much does the program cost?
The full Gold pathway (all 5 modules) is priced at $19,160 USD / £14,110. Individual modules are priced separately; the bundle saves approximately $1,765 USD / £1,300. Payment plans are available. Contact Performance Consultants directly for current pricing on individual modules and organizational packages.
Q.04How many modules are in the program and how long does it take?
How many modules are in the program and how long does it take?
The program has five modules, each spanning four half-days. They can be taken progressively at your own pace. The Foundation (Module 1) is available as a standalone. Silver requires Modules 1–3/4. Gold requires all five modules. Each prior module is a prerequisite for the next.
Q.05Can I attend online or in-person?
Can I attend online or in-person?
Each module can be attended online or in-person. The program is delivered in more than 20 languages. Organizational clients can license in-house delivery through a Train-the-Trainer model.
Q.06What makes this different from other programs that teach GROW?
What makes this different from other programs that teach GROW?
Performance Consultants is the firm that originated and codified the [GROW Model](/frameworks/grow-model); this program teaches the framework with the full depth of institutional knowledge and [the Inner Game](/frameworks/inner-game) philosophy that other providers do not have access to. It is the only program taught by GROW's creators.
Q.07What is the Inner Game philosophy?
What is the Inner Game philosophy?
[The Inner Game](/frameworks/inner-game) is the philosophy developed by Tim Gallwey (The Inner Game of Tennis) that informs Performance Consultants' approach. It holds that the primary obstacle to performance is internal interference (self-doubt, judgment, distraction) rather than a lack of skill. Performance coaching in this tradition works by reducing interference rather than adding instruction.
Q.08Do I need to commit to the full program upfront?
Do I need to commit to the full program upfront?
No. The Foundation module (Module 1) is available as a standalone entry point. Subsequent modules require completion of prior ones.
Q.09Can organizations run this program in-house?
Can organizations run this program in-house?
Yes. Performance Consultants can equip in-house trainers to deliver the program within organizations globally, online or at chosen venues, in over 20 languages.
Q.10What is the program's track record?
What is the program's track record?
Performance Consultants has been running this program since 1982 and reports a satisfaction score of more than 95%.
Q.11What does a Performance Consultants certification tell me about a coach?
What does a Performance Consultants certification tell me about a coach?
A coach with the Performance Consultants certification has trained in the GROW Model directly with the organisation that originated it. That lineage matters. Performance Consultants teaches the framework with the full depth of the Inner Game foundations and institutional context that other GROW training programs do not carry. The Silver level (Modules 1–4) is ICF Level 1 accredited, meaning the coach completed training that qualifies them to apply for the ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential. The Gold level (all five modules) satisfies ICF PCC requirements via the Portfolio route. Programme completion and ICF credentialing are separate steps. Ask whether the coach completed the certification and whether they have since obtained an ACC or PCC. A coach who lists Performance Consultants training without an ICF credential has the training but not the independent oversight that ACC or PCC status carries.
Q.12What should I ask a Performance Consultants-trained coach before hiring them?
What should I ask a Performance Consultants-trained coach before hiring them?
Ask which modules they completed: Silver (four modules, ICF Level 1 equivalent) or Gold (five modules, ICF PCC Portfolio path). The Gold level involves substantially more training depth and supervised practice. Ask whether they hold an ICF credential (ACC or PCC), since the certification qualifies them to apply but does not confer the credential automatically. Ask how they use the GROW framework in an actual session: can they describe concretely how Goal, Reality, Options, and Will shape a live coaching conversation with a stuck client? A coach comfortable with GROW as a concept rather than as a conversational tool will struggle to answer that specifically. Ask what coaching contexts they work in most often, since Performance Consultants trains coaches across executive, corporate, and performance settings, and the approach translates differently to individual career coaching or leadership development.