From 1 April 2020, HSE contracted Adventure RMS to provide an inspection service only. This represented a significant change from previous arrangements, as Adventure RMS was not contracted to deliver any proactive or public‑facing services.

Following a public and competitive tender process, Adventure RMS was again awarded the contract to provide inspection services from 1 April 2025.

Our role is to review licence applications forwarded by the AALA (HSE) and provide a report that includes our decision on the application. All other functions—fee handling, administration, complaint management, public information and sector liaison—remain the responsibility of the AALA. Adventure RMS may support the AALA, when requested, by providing technical expertise and advice in relation to enquiries, complaints and sector questions.

Changes from April 2025

In August 2024, HSE announced proposals to change how the AALA licensing scheme would operate from 1 April 2025. Following consultation with licence holders, these changes came into effect on that date.

The changes relate to:

• How licence duration is calculated
• The range of options available to inspectors when reviewing applications for a licence

If you currently hold a licence, you do not need to take any action. These changes will not affect your existing licence. Any licence—new or renewed—with a start date on or after 1 April 2025 will be issued under HSE’s new licence duration policy.

Inspectors may now choose to use a broader combination of remote and/or in‑person inspection methods when reviewing applications..

Additional information

The AALA/HSE has emailed detailed information about these changes to all existing licence holders, including responses to frequently asked questions.

The Adventure RMS process for reviewing licence applications has been updated to reflect these changes.

You can learn more about how we assess applications, the order in which we carry out each stage, and the timescales involved on our Application review process page.