How do you know whether what you’re experiencing in the market is just you, or part of something much bigger?
Are clients asking for more virtual delivery? Are budgets getting tighter? Are other people putting their prices up, keeping them steady or quietly wondering if they’re charging enough? Is AI changing what clients expect from instructor-led training? And how confident is everyone else feeling about the year ahead?
We talk about these things all the time in conversations with other freelancers and within our communities. But how often do we get actual data to back those conversations up? And specifically for people designing or delivering Instructor-Led Training (ILT)?
Our own annual L&D Freelancer Insight Report exists because we wanted freelancers to have something to benchmark themselves against, and we wanted to know how we could help people too.
But our survey is geared much more towards the business side of freelancing than individual L&D specialisms. Because that’s what we do at Free Spirits. We help with the business of running your business.
That’s why we’re supporting the State of Instructor-Led Training Report 2026.
What is the State of Instructor-Led Training Report?
The State of ILT is the first global benchmark report built specifically for instructor-led training providers.
It’s being produced by Arlo, makers of a training management system used by independent training providers around the world, in partnership with The Training Marketplace.
The aim is to build a clearer picture of what’s actually happening across the ILT market, including:
- Market confidence
- Changes in how training is being delivered
- Technology and AI adoption
- Pricing benchmarks
- Buyer behaviour
The report will combine survey data with buyer behaviour insights from The Training Marketplace, with an advisory panel of industry leaders providing expert analysis alongside the findings.
And importantly, this isn’t just about the big training companies.
If you’re a freelancer who designs, facilitates or delivers instructor-led training, your experience is part of this market too.
The final report will be published in September 2026.
Why are Free Spirits involved?
As a freelancer, it’s very easy to operate in your own little bubble.
You know what your clients are asking for. You know what you charge. You know whether your pipeline is looking healthy or making you slightly nervous.
And let’s be fair, the market isn’t always easy to navigate.
This report will give you a wider view of the specific market you’re working in.
It will help you sense-check your pricing, spot changes in client demand, understand where the market might be heading and make decisions based on something more substantial than whatever happens to be appearing in your LinkedIn feed that week.
Freelancers and independent providers are competing for attention at a time when clients have more options than ever, including plenty of cheap, low-quality training.
Having credible data about what’s happening across the sector gives all of us a stronger foundation for conversations about what good instructor-led training looks like and, importantly, what it’s worth.
