As digital education continues to evolve, more institutions and enterprises are seeking ready-made, high-quality courses they can implement without building from scratch. If you’ve co-produced a course that delivers real value, a powerful next step is to license it to organizations that want to train their teams or offer educational programs to their audiences.
Licensing allows you to scale your course’s impact and revenue beyond individual consumers. Instead of selling one seat at a time, you sell access to entire organizations—sometimes at significantly higher price points.
But licensing to institutions or enterprises requires a shift in approach. You must package your course differently, communicate its ROI clearly, and navigate legal, technical, and strategic considerations specific to the B2B space.
In this article, you’ll learn how to structure, pitch, and license your co-produced course to companies, schools, associations, and other institutions that need what you’ve created.
What Is Course Licensing?
Course licensing is the process of granting an organization permission to use your digital course for internal or external training, typically in exchange for a fee or ongoing royalties.
Unlike traditional sales:
- Licensing involves bulk access or integration into another system
- The buyer is an institution (business, school, government agency)
- You provide a usage agreement, not individual accounts
- The course may be white-labeled, co-branded, or kept as-is
- The deal often includes support, reporting, or updates
Licensing can be structured as one-time, subscription-based, or time-limited access—and it’s a growing opportunity for experienced course creators and co-producers.
Why License a Co-Produced Course?
Co-produced courses are often ideal for licensing because they combine subject-matter expertise with polished design, strategy, and marketing.
Benefits of licensing your co-produced course:
- Leverage what’s already built into new revenue streams
- Expand impact by reaching entire teams or departments
- Attract long-term, high-ticket partnerships
- Position your brand as an industry standard
- Reduce dependency on individual course sales
For institutions, buying a ready-to-go course is often faster, cheaper, and more effective than building their own. That’s where your opportunity lies.
Step 1: Assess Whether Your Course Is a Good Fit
Not every course is ready to be licensed. To appeal to institutions, your product must meet certain standards.
Ask yourself:
- Does the course deliver a clear, measurable outcome?
- Is the topic aligned with professional development, compliance, or industry advancement?
- Is the content timeless or easily updated?
- Can the course be tracked, reported, and accessed by multiple users?
- Are legal rights and responsibilities clearly defined between co-producers?
If the answer is yes, your course may be ready for the institutional market.
Great topics for licensing include:
- Leadership and management
- Sales, customer service, or marketing skills
- DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion)
- Soft skills and communication
- Industry-specific training (healthcare, tech, finance, etc.)
- Entrepreneurship or business development
Step 2: Prepare Your Course for Institutional Use
Institutions have different expectations than individual learners. You may need to adapt your course before pitching it.
Key adjustments:
- Structured modules with clear learning objectives
- Assessments or quizzes for tracking progress
- Certificates of completion
- Ability to export reports (student progress, scores, etc.)
- Flexible access models (e.g., SCORM file, API integration)
- Branding and design polish
If you’re offering your course via a third-party platform (like Teachable or Kajabi), consider whether institutions will want to embed the course in their own LMS.
In that case, tools like Thinkific Plus, LearnWorlds, or SCORM export plugins can help you make the course licensing-friendly.
Step 3: Clarify Ownership and Licensing Rights
Because this is a co-produced course, it’s essential to revisit your agreement and ensure that both partners are aligned on licensing.
Key questions:
- Who owns the intellectual property (IP)?
- Can the course be licensed to external companies under both names?
- Will both co-producers be involved in licensing negotiations?
- How will revenue be split from licensing deals?
- Who provides support or customization for institutional clients?
If needed, create a new licensing addendum to your co-production agreement that outlines:
- Joint ownership or licensing rights
- Revenue splits for B2B sales
- Roles in negotiation and delivery
- Legal responsibilities and liabilities
This keeps your business partnership clean and reduces future disputes.
Step 4: Create a Licensing Package and Pitch Deck
To approach institutions, you’ll need more than a sales page. You need a licensing proposal and materials that speak to B2B decision-makers.
Your package should include:
- An overview of the course (topics, modules, outcomes)
- Target audience or use case (who the course is for)
- Benefits for the organization (e.g., reduce training time, improve performance)
- Delivery options (hosted by you or installed in their LMS)
- Pricing tiers (per user, per license, per year)
- Optional add-ons (certificates, reporting, live support)
- Case studies or testimonials (if available)
Create a pitch deck (PDF or Google Slides) that can be used in calls or sent via email to interested prospects.
Pro tip: Keep the language focused on ROI, compliance, and strategic outcomes—not just content quality.
Step 5: Decide on Your Licensing Pricing Model
Licensing pricing can vary widely. Choose a model that fits your course, target buyer, and support structure.
Common licensing models:
1. Per-User Licensing
The organization pays for each person who takes the course.
Best for:
- Small teams
- Regulated industries with tracking needs
- Courses hosted on your platform
2. Site License (Unlimited Access)
The organization pays a flat fee for unlimited internal use.
Best for:
- Mid-sized companies or departments
- Courses that are easily scaled
- Short-term access (e.g., 6–12 months)
3. White-Label License
They rebrand the course as their own. You provide content and technical support.
Best for:
- Training companies
- Consultants serving clients
- Corporate academies
4. Annual Licensing Subscription
They renew access yearly, often with included updates or support.
Best for:
- Institutions needing long-term training
- Government or nonprofit clients
- Recurring revenue models
You can also offer hybrid models—e.g., flat fee + per-user reporting or support.
Step 6: Find and Contact Potential Licensing Partners
Now it’s time to find organizations that may want to license your course.
Start with:
- LinkedIn outreach to HR managers, L&D directors, or training coordinators
- Existing contacts in your network or your expert partner’s industry
- Cold email campaigns to niche companies
- Outreach to trade associations or professional bodies
- Sponsorship or speaking at industry events
- Lead magnets or webinars focused on enterprise use
Create a target list of 20–50 potential companies. Personalize your outreach and be clear about the results your course delivers—not just the content it covers.
Step 7: Handle Legal and Technical Setup
Once a licensing partner is interested, it’s time to move to formalities.
Legal documents may include:
- A licensing agreement (custom or template)
- Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
- Terms of use and content restrictions
- Payment schedule and access terms
- Maintenance and update commitments
You may also need to:
- Set up unique login credentials or access codes
- Export SCORM/xAPI files for their LMS
- Train their internal trainer or admin
- Provide branded certificates or onboarding materials
Work with a contract lawyer familiar with digital products to ensure your agreements are solid and protect both co-producers.
Step 8: Deliver and Support the Client
Don’t disappear after the sale. Support matters.
Provide:
- An onboarding session or video for their team
- Technical assistance if needed
- Documentation or how-to guides
- Quarterly check-ins for long-term clients
- Updates or bonus modules when available
Some institutions will also ask for data on learner progress. Consider providing reports if your platform supports it—or offering admin access with limits.
Happy licensing clients often renew, refer others, or ask for custom training—which leads to more growth.
Final Thoughts: Licensing Multiplies Your Impact
Licensing is the next level for course creators and co-producers who want to move from B2C to B2B. It allows you to generate more income from what you’ve already built—without chasing individual sales.
But to succeed, you must:
- Treat your course like a business asset
- Clarify ownership and revenue share with your partner
- Speak the language of institutions: results, compliance, scale
- Deliver a polished product with professional support
With the right systems and positioning, one course can serve hundreds—or thousands—of learners across entire companies, schools, or industries.
And that’s how you move from simply teaching… to leading a movement.