The PRCA offers an Accreditation process for commercial Vendors (Accredited Vendor) who desire to undergo industry peer review. A Vendor is a company or organization that provides end user services for hire and compensation. Vendor’s typically carry a more professional profile, market their services, and are required to have a commercial liability insurance policy in effect during the delivery of services. Often, Vendor’s are referred to as “third parties” as outlined in the PRCA standards. Vendor services may include, but not be limited to, ropes challenge course inspections, training, installations, canopy tours / zipline tours, repairs, consultation, or business coaching. These services are provided on a fee for hire basis.

Professional Vendor’s most often are always looking for areas of improvement and documentation of services provided. The PRCA review process is a formal method for documentation to occur. The review process is a formal review of a AV’s company profile, insurance documentation, skills awareness, training materials, building practices, quality control, and customer services to name a few areas of review. This structured approach allows for the Vendor to learn and document their services, while also being reviewed, voluntarily by other Vendor’s, to validate quality and compliance with the PRCA standards. Terms on a review are for three years, followed by a renewal review there after.

Once a Vendor has completed the review process, end users of their services will have a higher confidence level in retaining their services, knowing that they have been reviewed and services documented against formal ropes challenge course industry standards. The Vendor will then be addressed as an Accredited Vendor and become eligible for additional benefits such as insurance discounts, website listings, and conference discounts.

While certain issues will be conducted on a case by case basis, other underlying expectations will hold true.
Examples would include:

• Fees and charges plus the travel expenses for a two person review team, to and from your location and at least two courses to be reviewed for standards compliance and the review process.
• There is no magic number of builder, inspector, and/or training days in order to achieve a solid knowledge base of ropes challenge course construction. However, a typical and experienced individual builder that would be most likely to have a successful review will have in excess of 200 builder days (inspections days, build days, training days, etc.), in varied conditions and multiple formats E.G. trees, poles, high ropes, low ropes, dynamic and static belays, and many different element selections from Cargo Nets, to Pamper poles, to Zip Lines, to Balance Logs, and to Climbing surfaces such as walls and/or towers.
• The review process is an overview of the entire vendor organization, not just one specific builder / trainer qualifications. Thus, quality control measures will need to be in place to promote continuity on all vendor projects if the vendor contact is not present on a given installation.
• Accredited Vendors will be expected to comply with the PRCA standards for the duration of their active membership in that role.
• Accredited Vendors will be expected to sign a document outlining their commitment to the PRCA standards and to the quality and compliance of their services to meet the PRCA standards during their active vendor membership.
• Accredited Vendors will conduct themselves in a professional fashion which brings positive attention to the PRCA, the review process, and to the entire industry of ropes challenge courses.
• Accredited Vendors will be expected to attend the annual conference and meetings of the Accredited Vendors; contributing to service committees and other association projects.

If you are interested in having your organization participate in the PRCA Peer Review process, please send an e-mail to the PRCA office at info@prcainfo.org to request an application. A $100 deposit is due at the time your application is submitted.

Fee Schedule
Accredited Vendor (AV) ($500 USD annual dues)
$2,000 initial review - one time
$1,000 renewal - every three years

This level of review is for commercial vendors who deliver construction, inspection, and/or training services for end user clients.

{International Peer Reviews may carry slightly higher fees to cover currency exchange fees, taxes, tariffs, and financial transactions fees.}

PRCA: www.prcainfo.org