ISO 29993:2017 specifies requirements for learning services outside formal education, including all types of life-long learning (e.g. vocational training and in-company training, either outsourced or in-house). These include any learning services provided by a learning service provider (LSP) that are addressed to learners themselves, as well as to sponsors who are acquiring the services on behalf of the learners. The key features of these kinds of services are that the goals of learning are defined and the services are evaluated, and that they involve interaction with the learner. The learning can be face-to-face, mediated by technology, or a blend of both.

In cases where the learning service provider is part of an organization that delivers products (i.e. goods and services) in addition to learning services, ISO 29993:2017 only applies to learning services.

ISO 29993:2017 is not aimed at schools, colleges and universities providing learning services as part of a formal education system, but it can be useful to them as a tool for reflection and self-evaluation