University of Salford

Public post-92 university in Greater Manchester operating three campuses (Peel Park, Frederick Road, MediaCity) that delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and apprenticeship programmes and runs a substantial applied-research and Knowledge Transfer Partnership business serving regional SMEs and global corporates.

Company typePublic
Founded1896
HeadquartersSalford, United Kingdom
Headcount1,001–5,000
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingServices

What University of Salford does

University of Salford is a public higher education institution established in 1896 as the Royal Technical Institute, granted university status in 1967, and renamed in 1989. It operates across three campuses in the Greater Manchester area: Peel Park Campus (main teaching in science, engineering, environment, business, and creative technology), Frederick Road Campus (health and society with patient simulators and medical imaging), and MediaCity Campus (media, gaming, and journalism, co-located with BBC, ITV, and 250+ digital businesses at Salford Quays). The institution serves undergraduate, postgraduate taught, postgraduate research, apprenticeship, and CPD cohorts, and runs a substantial business-engagement arm through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, collaborative R&D, and access to industry-standard facilities.

Core technical assets include the Energy House 2.0 climate chamber (full-scale housing energy-efficiency and retrofit testing), the Northern England Engineering and Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC) with a new microfabrication laboratory funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and a £24 million acoustics research facility under construction with anechoic chambers and a wind tunnel, scheduled for completion in 2027. Recent product outputs include AI-powered academic transcription (with TP Transcription), the Škoda DuoBell bicycle bell exploiting a 750-780 Hz acoustic safety gap, and the Nested Cinema immersive multi-screen/VR experience.

Revenue is generated primarily through regulated home undergraduate tuition fees (£9,790 for 2026/27, £10,050 for 2027/28), international fees, UKRI/Innovate UK research grants, business services and consultancy, on-campus student accommodation, and a growing applied-research portfolio. Go-to-market is hybrid: student recruitment runs through UCAS (institution codes SALF/S03), direct online applications, open days, and international agents, while business engagement runs through KTPs, Innovate UK funding programmes such as the £1.2m five-KTP portfolio, and direct enterprise sales of facility access and collaborative R&D.

University of Salford firmographics

Firmographics

Name: University of Salford
Legal name: University of Salford
Website: https://salford.ac.uk
Company type: Public
Founded year: 1896
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1,001–5,000 employees
Short description: Public post-92 university in Greater Manchester operating three campuses (Peel Park, Frederick Road, MediaCity) that delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and apprenticeship programmes and runs a substantial applied-research and Knowledge Transfer Partnership business serving regional SMEs and global corporates.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

University of Salford industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
akta.pro primary industry: Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL), Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG), Student/Academic Serviced Residences (THAGAEAF), Off-Campus Shared Student Houses (Room-by-Room) (THAMAGAC)

Keywords

Higher education services
University degree programmes
Research partnerships
Postgraduate education
Student accommodation services

Where University of Salford is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Salford
HQ country: United Kingdom
HQ region: Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

University of Salford business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Tuition Fees: Revenue from undergraduate, postgraduate, and international student tuition fees. Home full-time fees capped at £9,790 for 2026/27 and £10,050 for 2027/28. International fees vary by course.
Research Grants and Funding: Funding from UK Research and Innovation, Innovate UK, Arts and Humanities Research Council, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority for collaborative R&D projects, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and infrastructure development.
Business Services and Consultancy: Revenue from collaborative R&D partnerships with businesses, professional development programmes, and use of university facilities by industry partners.
Student Accommodation: Revenue from on-campus student accommodation at Peel Park Quarter and other university housing facilities.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Home undergraduate full-time tuition fees for 2026/27
Subscription	Annual	Home undergraduate full-time tuition fees for 2027/28
Subscription	Annual	Inspire Support Scheme
Subscription	Annual	Care Leavers' Bursary
Subscription	Annual	Estrangement Bursary
Subscription	Annual	Student Carer Bursary
Subscription	Annual	MA Contemporary Fine Art tuition

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

University of Salford product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The University of Salford is a public higher education institution delivering undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research degree programmes across disciplines including science, engineering, environment, business, arts, media, creative technology, health, and social sciences. It also offers business-facing services such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, collaborative R&D, professional development programmes, and access to specialist research facilities. Student-facing services include on-campus accommodation, open days, and dedicated support for international and sanctuary-seeking students.

Product overview

The University of Salford is a higher education institution offering undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and research degree programmes across multiple disciplines including arts, media, business, health, science, engineering, and social sciences. The institution operates industry-standard research facilities including the Energy House 2.0 climate testing chamber, the Northern Engineering and Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC), and an upcoming £24m acoustics facility. Research partnerships drive innovation in areas including AI-powered transcription, acoustic engineering, sustainable construction, and immersive cinema technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Undergraduate Degree Programmes
Postgraduate Taught Programmes
Postgraduate Research Degrees
Degree Apprenticeships
Construction Management MSc / PgDip / PgCert
MA Contemporary Fine Art
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
Collaborative R&D and Business Consultancy
Professional Development and Training Courses
Student Accommodation
Conferencing and Facility Hire

Quantifiable outcome

Air source heat pumps achieve 4.71 units of heat per unit of energy, reducing heating costs to £1.19 per day compared to traditional gas boilers
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use University of Salford

Customer profile

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

University of Salford technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

University of Salford partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

TP Transcription LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025Collaboration awarded £290k by Innovate UK to develop AI-powered transcription solutions for academia, aiming to improve transcription accuracy and efficiency for educational institutions
Cara EPSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Transfer Partnership for digital asset management platform for social housing, part of £1.2m Innovate UK funding for five KTP projects at the university
TSK GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Transfer Partnership for AI-powered tools for workplace design, part of £1.2m Innovate UK funding for five KTP projects at the university
WhichrateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Transfer Partnership for AI-driven motor insurance claims automation, part of £1.2m Innovate UK funding for five KTP projects
Heyside GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Transfer Partnership in advanced manufacturing, part of £1.2m Innovate UK funding for five KTP projects at the university
UPOWAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Transfer Partnership in sustainable energy, part of £1.2m Innovate UK funding for five KTP projects
ŠkodaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with University of Salford acoustic researchers to develop DuoBell bicycle bell, designed to penetrate active noise cancellation headphones using dual resonators tuned to 750-780 Hz frequency range
BellwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research showing air source heat pumps are four times more efficient than gas boilers in new homes; testing conducted in Energy House 2.0 climate chamber
United InfrastructureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on retrofit project to modernise older UK homes, reducing carbon emissions and energy waste; involves rebuilding a 1930s home inside Energy House 2.0 facility
UK–Ukraine TechBridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian tech delegation visited Greater Manchester including Northern Engineering and Robotics Innovation Centre at University of Salford to explore partnerships and business networks
BBC and ITV (MediaCity)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediaCity campus neighbours the BBC, ITV, and over 250 digital and media businesses, providing industry connections for media and creative technology students

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

University of Salford competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Manchester Metropolitan University: Largest direct peer: a post-92 UK university in Greater Manchester with comparable scale (1000+ employees), polytechnic heritage, broad undergraduate/postgraduate portfolio across business, arts, science and health, and significant B2B KTP and business services activity.
University of Central Lancashire (UCLan): Post-92 university with similar size, polytechnic roots, and a comparable mix of undergraduate, postgraduate, and applied-research programmes including health, engineering, and business — competing for the same regional student pool.
Liverpool John Moores University: North West post-92 university with comparable scale and similar technical/applied sciences and professional-school portfolio, competing with Salford for both students and SME KTP/business services contracts across the region.
University of Bolton: Nearby post-92 institution with polytechnic heritage and a comparable applied-research and KTP footprint, competing for the same Greater Manchester student catchment and SME partnership opportunities.
University of Huddersfield: Northern post-92 university with strong applied-research, KTP, and business-services profile, similar in scale and mission to Salford, and a benchmark for sector positioning in the North of England.
University of Bradford: Northern post-92 university with overlapping applied-research portfolio (engineering, health, social sciences) and similar business-engagement model, providing direct comparability on scale, funding mix, and student demographics.
Northumbria University: Post-92 university of comparable size and mission in the North East, with a similar blend of undergraduate teaching, postgraduate programmes, and applied R&D/KTPs competing for the same regional talent and business services.
Leeds Beckett University: Yorkshire-based post-92 institution with similar size, vocational/applied-research profile, and active SME engagement, making it a direct benchmark for tuition yield, KTP performance, and business-services revenue.
University of Wolverhampton: West Midlands post-92 university with comparable scale and applied-research orientation, particularly in health, engineering, and business services, offering like-for-like comparability on cost base and funding mix.

Regional players

De Montfort University: East Midlands post-92 university with broadly similar size and applied-research/B2B services profile, but operating in a different geography and therefore not directly competing for the same students as Salford.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

University of Salford compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance6 records

University of Salford financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

University of Salford leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

University of Salford funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

University of Salford M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Salford

What does University of Salford do?

Is University of Salford a public or private company?

University of Salford is a public company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was University of Salford founded?

University of Salford was founded in 1896. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.

Where is University of Salford based?

University of Salford is headquartered in Salford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.

How does University of Salford make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition Fees are the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Funding, business Services and Consultancy and student Accommodation.

Who are University of Salford's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Liverpool John Moores University, University of Bolton, University of Huddersfield, University of Bradford, Northumbria University, Leeds Beckett University and University of Wolverhampton. De Montfort University is listed as a regional player.

Does University of Salford have an API?

No public API is recorded for University of Salford.

What industry is University of Salford in?

University of Salford's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAD, Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis, with a secondary code of EDAHAEAL, Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus. Its NAICS code is 61131 and its SIC code is 8200.