About CQP

The Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional Qualification Program (CQP) is a self-directed competency-based program developed to give candidates a theoretical, technical and practical background in insolvency and restructuring that will complement practical knowledge gained from work experience. It is the official qualification process for individuals seeking to become a Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional (CIRP), a licensed Trustee in Bankruptcy and a qualified counsellor to provide financial counselling to a debtor, consumer debtor, bankrupt or relative of a bankrupt.

Our Mission

"To provide an adaptable and relevant education and qualification program that affords a flexible learning structure to talented individuals seeking to provide professional insolvency and restructuring services."  

Background and Transition

The Program was established in September of 1997 as a joint initiative of the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) and Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIRP) under the name "National Insolvency Qualification Program (NIQP)".  

Under the terms of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed October 8, 2009 by CAIRP and the OSB, CAIRP has assumed sole responsibility for the creation, delivery and maintenance of the education program required to become a CIRP, Trustee in Bankruptcy and qualified insolvency counsellor. The new Program is named the "CIRP Qualification Program or CQP".

The CQP builds on the strengths of the NIQP, providing not only updated technical content, including the incorporation of recent amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, but also new material aimed at helping candidates develop the skills they will require to succeed.  

For more information on the transition to the CIRP Qualification Program, please visit our What's New section.

CIRP Certification

CQP candidates who complete the Program, including the Insolvency Counsellor’s Qualification Course (ICQC), fulfill the experience requirement and pass the CQP National Insolvency Examination (CNIE) are immediately eligible to apply for CAIRP general membership and are encouraged to do so. 

As a not-for-profit corporation whose members are professionals, CAIRP promotes on-going training and professional development. General members of CAIRP are designated as Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals and may display the certification mark “CIRP” after their name upon signing a licence agreement with CAIRP.  

Trustee Licence

Completion of the CQP is generally a pre-requisite to receiving an invitation from the OSB to challenge the Oral Board examination for the purpose of obtaining a licence as a Trustee in Bankruptcy.

Licensed trustees who are not already members of CAIRP are invited to apply for general membership to CAIRP. CAIRP encourages on-going training and professional development and licenses practitioners to use the CIRP certification mark upon signing a licence agreement.