The Corporate Freedom Pass (CFP) from Sofema Online provides organisations with a flexible, cost-effective way to manage regulatory and vocational training. In this interview, Steve Bentley, FRAeS, explains the thinking behind the CFP, the benefits it brings to organisations of all sizes, the range of courses and packages available, and how Sofema Online has grown into a trusted provider of EASA-compliant online training.

Q1. Steve, you founded Sofema Aviation Services in 2008 and Sofema Online in 2013. What inspired you to create the Corporate Freedom Pass?
A: Before starting Sofema, I worked as an instructor for a major competitor. Back then and still today, the cost of regulatory training was extremely high. A one-day course could cost €780, and a two-day course €1,390 per person. These prices are prohibitive for many organisations and limit the ability to build competence across the workforce. The Corporate Freedom Pass (CFP) was born from a simple idea: make high-quality regulatory training accessible at a fraction of the cost.

Q2. How big is the price difference between traditional training and the CFP model?
A: The difference is enormous. With the CFP, training costs roughly €5 per training day - about 100 times cheaper than the industry standard - without compromising quality or regulatory alignment.

Q3. What types of courses are included in the CFP?
A: The CFP offers over 400 courses, packages, and diplomas, covering everything from leadership and safety management to airworthiness, maintenance, operations, and specialist regulatory subjects. It’s suitable for everyone, from accountable executives to front-line staff.

Q4. How does the CFP help organisations meet their regulatory obligations?
A: We provide comprehensive, up-to-date regulatory content aligned with EASA, FAA, and other global standards. Organisations can train as many people as needed, so entire teams—not just selected individuals - receive the training required for compliance.

Q5. What makes Sofema Online different from other training providers?
A: We’re agile and responsive, creating tailored training solutions to meet specific organisational goals. At the same time, we have scale - currently enrolling around 3,500 delegates a month, which is nearly equivalent to the annual enrollment of some major competitors.

Q6. How does this scale benefit your clients?
A: High enrollment allows us to continually invest in our learning platform, expand course offerings, and update materials quickly to reflect regulatory changes. It also gives us extensive data on learner performance, helping us refine what works.

Q7. Can the CFP work for both large and small organisations?
A: Absolutely. Large organisations save significantly by training hundreds of staff for a fixed fee. Smaller companies benefit too - one annual subscription gives their entire team access without worrying about individual course costs.

Q8. How does the CFP support competence building beyond compliance?
A: Compliance is just the baseline. The CFP allows organisations to provide leadership training, specialised skill-building, and refresher courses that might otherwise be beyond the budget. This builds a stronger, more capable workforce.

Q9. How does the CFP help with budget planning?
A: It’s a fixed-cost solution - no surprises or overages. Training managers know exactly what they’re paying for each year and can allocate courses as needed without seeking extra budget approvals.

Q10. Are there any hidden limitations to the CFP?
A: No. The only “limit” is the one-year subscription period. During that year, organisations have unlimited access to all covered courses for their nominated staff.

Q11. Can the CFP integrate with an organisation’s internal training strategy?
A: Yes. Many clients use the CFP as the backbone of their regulatory training program, integrating it with in-house initiatives, on-the-job training, and competence frameworks.

Q12. If you could sum up the key reasons to choose the CFP, what would they be?
A: Cost-effectiveness, comprehensive coverage, scalability, and regulatory credibility. The CFP enables organisations to train everyone who needs it - not just the few they can afford to send to a classroom. That’s the game-changer.