IFMA Foundation Accepting Applications for the 2026 Eric Teicholz Sustainability Facility Professional® (SFP®) Scholarship
The IFMA Foundation is accepting applications for the 2026 Eric Teicholz Sustainability Facility Professional® (SFP®) Scholarship. Funded through the generosity of IFMA Fellow Eric Teicholz and other major sponsors, the scholarship covers all SFP credential fees for students and young professionals with a demonstrated financial need who are currently studying or practicing facility management (FM) or a related field.
IFMA’s SFP is an assessment-based certificate program that equips recipients to employ sustainable initiatives for strengthening operational efficiencies across the built environment. Those who earn the SFP gain practical skills to positively impact their organization’s economic, environmental and social bottom lines, as well as recognition and credibility for their expertise in sustainable FM practices.
Since 2020, the Eric Teicholz Sustainability Facility Professional Scholarship has helped students and emerging facility professionals from more than 40 countries earn IFMA’s SFP credential. Diversity, financial need, and the potential impact of the credential on both the applicant and the community are part of selection process. A committee of FM professionals will evaluate and score each application, and the top applicants will be awarded the SFP scholarship, announced at IFMA’s World Workplace Conference and Expo, 18-20 November 2026, in Anaheim, California, USA.
“What began as a visionary idea has grown into a powerful, global initiative. Today, the SFP scholarship program is helping shape the future of sustainability in our built environment,” said IFMA Foundation Chair Angela R. Johnson Culver, P.E., PMP. “Last year, 33 scholarships were awarded to emerging sustainability leaders from 14 countries — a diverse, passionate and forward-thinking group preparing to lead the charge in creating greener, more resilient spaces where people thrive.”
“The Eric Teicholz SFP Scholarship was created to increase worldwide access to IFMA’s Sustainability Facility Professional credential. Over five years, scholarships have gone to recipients in more than 40 countries, many in developing regions who would otherwise be unlikely to encounter or afford this important training,” said Teicholz. “The SFP program equips facility managers with the skills to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment, independent of any particular building standard or certification system.”
Facility management is a US$3 trillion global industry. More than 25-million facility professionals worldwide are on the frontline of efforts to reduce fuel and resource use, minimize waste and site impact, and improve indoor environmental quality. Introducing sustainability tactics and strategies increases the value and leadership potential for those charged with maximizing efficiencies, minimizing operational risks, optimizing resources and implementing cost-saving projects that benefit the community.
Those interested in applying for the Eric Teicholz Sustainability Facility Professional Scholarship can learn more and apply at https://foundation.ifma.org/students-academics/eric-teicholz-sustainability-scholarship/.
About the IFMA Foundation
Established in 1990 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and a separate entity from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), as a United Nations Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with Special Consultative Status, the IFMA Foundation works for the public good to promote the facility management profession, increase access to educational and training pathways to facility management, and facilitate workforce development initiatives that create a pipeline of future stewards of the built environment. The IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of the FM community including IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors who share the belief that investing in developing the future workforce improves the FM profession. To learn more about the IFMA Foundation, visit foundation.ifma.org.
About Eric Teicholz
Eric Teicholz, IFMA Fellow, is the ex-officio president and founder of Graphic Systems Inc., a firm specializing in facility management and real estate automation consulting. He graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, where he later became an Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the university’s largest R+D facility, the Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis. Teicholz is a member of IFMA’s Sustainability Community Board of Directors. He is the author/editor of 17 books related to FM, CAFM/IWMS and GIS technology. Teicholz was awarded the U.S. Navy’s Superior Public Service Award by the Secretary of the Navy under President George W. Bush for his participation on a blue-ribbon FM panel defining the future strategy for naval shore facilities.